33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time 2024

 

This week I’ve been reading this wonderful book titled The Day the World Came to Town. The book tells the story of Gander, a small town in Newfoundland, on one of the darkest days in modern history: September 11, 2001. When the United States closed its airspace, 38 planes were forced to land in Gander. Thousands of stranded and frightened passengers from all over the world, speaking many different languages, confused and fearful were suddenly in this small town of barely 10,000 people. The people of Gander could have responded with panic or turned inward to protect themselves, but they did the opposite. They opened their homes, their churches, their schools, and their hearts. They fed these strangers, clothed them, provided them with shelter, and spent the next few days comforting them, easing their fears, and treating them like family. The people of Gander transformed a moment of chaos and darkness into one of light, compassion, and hope. In doing so, they became a powerful witness to how humanity can respond to darkness with love, how we can respond to fear with faith. This is a profound reminder for us, especially in light of the readings we hear today. We might find ourselves uneasy hearing Jesus’s words in the Gospel, where He describes cosmic signs—the sun going dark, the moon failing to give light, and the heavens shaking. And yet, these words point to a greater truth: that while everything around us might feel unsteady, God remains constant. Jesus tells His disciples, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” God’s word, His love, and His promises endure, even in times of fear and uncertainty. The reading from the prophet Daniel echoes this. Daniel describes a time of distress but assures us that God will be there, that those whose names are “written in the book” will be saved. Daniel envisions a time when the wise “shall shine like the stars forever.” Just as the people of Gander shone like stars on that dark day in 2001, Daniel reminds us that God calls us to be people of light, to be people who shine with hope and love even when everything around us seems dark. The Psalm today is a prayer of trust, saying, “You are my inheritance, O Lord!” It’s a reminder that when we choose to make God our foundation, our source of hope, we can find peace in a world that feels unpredictable. The psalmist tells us, “with [God] at my right hand, I shall not be disturbed.” These words call us to remember where we place our trust. In Gander, those ordinary people trusted that their kindness and hospitality would overcome the fears and uncertainties of that day, and their faith was not misplaced. Their inheritance was not in material things but in love for others, and it carried them through that dark time. We, too, are called to live with this kind of vigilance and trust. Our faith does not promise that we will be spared from the chaos or uncertainties of life. But it does assure us that in those moments, God is with us, steady as a rock, calling us to shine. We are called to be like the fig tree that Jesus describes, staying awake, attentive, and discerning the signs of His presence even when it’s hard to see. As we look around at our world today—with all its conflicts, divisions, and uncertainties—we might feel much like those passengers on 9/11, uncertain of what’s next. Yet, our faith teaches us that there’s always hope. Our hope is in Jesus, who assures us that His word will not pass away, that we can trust in His promise even when the world seems turned upside down. In this spirit, we are invited to respond as the people of Gander did—with kindness, with love, and with courage. Their actions remind us that in times of darkness, each of us has the power to bring light. This is our calling as Christians: to be vigilant, to stay grounded in God’s love, and to carry His light into the world. When we set the Lord ever before us, when we place our trust in Him, we find that we are not disturbed. We become instruments of His peace, His light, His unbreakable promise. So let us go forth today with this assurance in our hearts: Heaven and earth may pass away, but the words of Jesus, His love for us, His promise of salvation—these will never pass away. And may we, like the people of Gander, be ready to respond to the world with open hearts and with a faith that shines like the stars forever.