NOVEMBER 16/17, 2019
5:00 PM (SAT), 9:00 AM (SUN) ORDINARY FORM MASSES
According to a geneticist at UC San Diego who is researching DNA methylation in mammals, if you want to know how old your dog is in people years, multiply the natural logarithm of their age by 16 and add 31. This is based on an analysis of over 100 Labrador Retrievers and comparing the similarities of gene methylation between both species.
I always considered that a “dog year” was seven people years. That has somewhat less scientific support – apparently arising from a 1970s Alpo dog food commercial featuring Lorne Green, who introduced his dog and told all of America that “Duchess is 13. That’s like 91 to you and me.”
WebMD claims the first year of a dog’s life is roughly 15 years, the second 9, and the remaining years varying between 3 and 5 human years.
An 13th century inscription surrounding the Cosmati pavement in front of the high altar at Westminster Cathedral sets the number of dog years at 9, and lays out the ages of various creatures in various powers of 3. Based on the inscription, humans live to 81, whales live over 6,500 years, and the world itself will end after just less than 20,000 years.
Today is the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Our readings have been taking on an eschatological theme over the past several weeks. Eschatology being the theological study of the end of things – coming from the Greek word ἔσχατον meaning “the end” or “the last.”
Our first reading comes from the last chapter of the Book of Malachi – who just happens to be the last of the Old Testament prophets. The overarching theme in this book is how should the people of Israel live a godly life? And Malachi goes at it from several angles, enumerating all the different ways that the people have gotten it all wrong.
St. Paul, in the second reading from the Second Letter to the Thessalonians tells them – and us – to simply follow his example; so that we might be ready when the “Day of the Lord” – that is the Second Coming of Christ – arrives … whether in our own lifetime, or at some other time in the future.
The Gospel reading we heard from St. Luke is the last chapter before the Last Supper and Our Lord’s Passion, Death and Resurrection. It concerns what is often called the “Tribulation” – what will occur before the end of time when “God's triumph over the revolt of evil will take the form of the Last Judgment after the final cosmic upheaval of this passing world.” (CCC 677)
Despite the excitement of the discourse, when all is said and done, Jesus admonishes us to persevere in order to save ourselves.
And so, here we are in the waning days of November, where the Church puts forward for our consideration the “Last Things.”
Since about the 16th century, the “Four Last Things” have meant Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell. And there are countless books and writings by saints and others on these. (There is also a point and click video game on the Four Last Things, if you're interested in medieval art and music.)
So, what are we to do?
Reflecting on today’s readings, it would seem that the best way to prepare for the end … the ἔσχατον … the last things … is to live a godly life, in accord with the teachings and traditions of the Church and the Apostles – to follow Christ; and to persevere.
In other words, a good end comes about through a good life … and a godly life leads to a godly end.
As we approach this altar to receive the Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ; let us pray for the grace of perseverance – and even more so, the grace of final perseverance. So that we might live … through, with, and in Christ … and reign with Him for eternity.
