Thursday, May 19, 2011
We're just two days away from the big day! That's right, the rapture! And as one person commented on a yahoo rapture article, "raptors?...ughhh what the heck...i hate reptiles." (Although a raptor is a bird of prey and not a reptile, we can assume he was talking about the flying dinosaurs...pterodactyl?). Anyways, basically the claim is that Jesus is returning on Saturday, May 21 and all God's elect will be taken to Heaven. Who is apart of the elect? That's a good question, I'm not sure either. I'm no rapture theologian. What I do know is that their are many different beliefs on the rapture and when exactly it will happen, such as pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation, and post-tribulation. However, as Catholics we do not believe in the so-called "rapture," but do believe in a coming together of the Body of Christ at the end of times. However, we don't give a dogmatically definite answer on how it will happen due to the fact that it's kind of hard to give a for sure answer to an un-answerable question.
This whole rapture thing is a serious concern for some, others it's a huge joke, and still for others it's an opportunity to make money off of people (atheist guy who is providing a care shelter for pets of raptured parents...you have to pay up front of roughly $150 and this guy has well over 200 clients..unbelievable). Regardless, you can make what you want of this whole thing, but I think there is something deeper that can be looked at here.
Why are people so concerned about predicting the end times? Why are people so big on death? I believe it's a product of our culture, that we run to our death. We're pretty big on sin and sin is simply us choosing death over life. How come Ash Wednesday is one of the highest attended days in the Church? (P.s. it's not a holy day of obligation). You go to have ashes put on your forehead to remind you that you are going to die. We seem to be pretty big on death but not very big on life. Being a receptionist in a Church office, Ash Wednesday is a pretty wild day with people wanting to know when they can get ashes without having to stick around for an entire mass, i.e. without having to do the whole communion thing, which is the reception of the Body and Blood of Christ, which is our source of life (John 6:53-54). Yes, it is necessary we all die to be in full union with the Holy Trinity in Heaven, but why do we have to sit around and predict our death? God is trying to give us life right now! "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; but I come so that you might have life and have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). And Jesus is not just talking about natural life here. Their are two separate words for life in Greek, bios and zoe, and in John's Gospel the word for life is always zoe. Bios is biological or natural life, but zoe is supernatural life. And when Jesus is speaking, He has not just come to give us bios, but He has come to give us zoe! Abundant supernatural life now, not later!
Lord, let us not run to our death anymore, because that is the work of the thief. Instead, let us receive and embrace the supernatural life that You want to give us and are giving us right now!
(Very calmly and lovingly) Please, all you end times soothsayers, give it a rest. You're never right and in no way are your "prophesies" edifying the Body of Christ.
"But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone" (Matthew 24:36).
Heaven and Earth collide....no pun intended. lol
