May 21, 2011 - The END of the WORLD

Amigos,

Recently I have received questions from various youth who are concerned about the end of the world being only a few days away. For that reason, I have decided to write a response in case some of you have the same doubts or questions.

If you have watched the news lately or read reports on the internet, you've probably heard of a recent prediction that the world will end at midnight on May 21, 2011. This prediction has spread quickly across the web. One man in New York spent his entire life savings ($104,000) on billboard advertisements warning to “Prepare for the End of the World.” Similar billboards can be seen in other places across the country, including at least one right here in Denver, Colorado (near where Lucero, Francisco, and Antonio live). Where did this prediction come from in the first place?

“Beyond the shadow of a doubt”

The May 21, 2011 date for the return of Christ and the end of the world was calculated by Harold Camping, the leader of a Christian fundamentalist ministry called Family Radio Worldwide. Camping, who lives in Oakland, California, based the prediction on his interpretation of the Bible. The 89 year-old Camping believes that the Bible can be read like a calendar which, if you know how to interpret the symbolic language, will tell you the exact day on which the world will end. He has therefore concluded: “Beyond the shadow of a doubt, May 21 will be the date of the Rapture and the day of judgment.”

Before long, other people heard about Camping's prediction and started to believe it was true. Different Christian groups and organizations have formed a movement claiming that Camping's date of May 21, 2011 is, in fact, the end of the world. This group has posted the date on billboards, buses, benches, etc. 

Should we believe Camping's prediction?

One thing you may not have read or heard about Harold Camping is that this is not the first time he has predicted the end of the world. Camping originally predicted that the Day of Judgment would be September 6, 1994. That day came and passed. Later, Camping realized that he had made a mistake in his Biblical mathematics and changed the date to May 21, 2011.

Why do they keep getting the date wrong?

Harold Camping is not the first person to predict the end of the world. In fact, there were some within the early Christian community who believed that Jesus would return during their lifetime. In 365 AD, Hilary Poitiers predicted that the world would end that very year. In 500 AD, Hippolytus and Sextus Julius Africanus both predicted the end of the world was imminent. Four centuries later, in 968 AD, the German emperor Otto III claimed that a solar eclipse foretold the end of the world. Just prior to the advent of the first milennia (1000 AD), many Christians predicted the end of the world was about to happen. In the year 1033, many predicted the return of Christ as this was supposedly the 1000^th anniversary of his death and Resurrection. In 1147, Gerard of Poehlde predicted the world would end in 1306. Joachim of Fiore stated in 1190 that the Antichrist was already in the world and the end would come about in 1205. The prophecies are too many to be counted and have occurred all throughout human history up until the present day.

There have been hundreds, maybe thousands, of predictions that the world would end on a specific date. Everyone of them has been wrong. But, you might ask, what if Harold Camping is right and May 21, 2011 is the Day of Judgment?

What does Jesus say?

As a Catholic Christian, I can say with absolute certainty that Harold Camping has no clue when the world will end. How do I know he is wrong? For the same reason every other person claiming to know the date is wrong. They are contradicting the very words of Jesus Christ. Just what did Jesus say about the end of the world? Read the Bible and you will discover that in the Gospel of Matthew (and elsewhere) Jesus talks to his Apostles about his second coming and the Day of Judgment. His Apostles asked the same question we would ask – When will this happen? Jesus' reply is clear: “That day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone” (Mt 26:34).

According to God, then, no human person can know the day or the hour of the Final Judgment and anyone who claims to know it is dead wrong.

As I said before, there were also predictions about the end of the world during early Christianity. It got to be a major problem in some Christian communities as they started selling everything and just waiting for Jesus to appear. It became such a problem in the city of Thessolonica that St. Paul had to write them a letter to correct them. He wrote: “You yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief at night” (1Thes. 5:1-2). In other words, nobody can know the day of Jesus Second Coming; Christ will return at a time when people least expect.

In November 2008, Pope Benedict XVI spoke about end-time predictions in his general audience. He said that Christians should, “have no fear for the future, even when it appears dark and gloomy... Let us accept Christ's invitation to face daily events trusting in his provident love.”

Armageddon, Day of Judgment, End of the World – What Does it all mean?

It seems that there are a lot of terms being used. What do they all mean? Let's try to clear this up a little. When people refer to the end of the world, they will sometimes call it Armageddon. Armageddon comes from the Hebrew Har Megiddo, which is actually a plain spoken about in the Book of Revelation to which many kings will gather. Some have predicted that these kings will side with the Antichrist and fight a final battle against Jesus. This is not clear at all from Revelation however.

The “Day of Judgment” or “Final Judgment” usually refers to the return of Jesus Christ at the end of time. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus speaks about this saying: “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats” (Matt 25:31).

The Catholic Position

As I've already stated, Catholics should not live in a state of fear and panic about doomsday prophecies of world destruction. As followers of Jesus, we are to follow his command to live in the present moment, trusting in God's help and merciful love. We are not to be too overly concerned with what will happen in the future. In act, such fear can often mean a lack of faith that God's loves and cares for us.

This does not mean that we should not work on growing closer to God and becoming more like Christ everyday. In fact, St. Paul urges us to, “work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” In other words, trust in God does not mean we should live comfortably in a life of sin. If we are breaking God's commandments, skipping Mass on Sundays, lying, stealing, using drugs, hurting the reputation of others, failing to pray and to thank God for all of his blessings, then we have good reason to be concerned. St. Paul warns us about this as well. He says: “Take care brothers that none of you may have an evil and unfaithful heart so as to forsake the living God. Encourage yourselves daily while it is still 'today,' so that none of you may grow hardened by the deceit of sin.”

St. Paul is telling us that we should live each and every day as if Christ would return that very day. We should be ready to meet God at every moment. This means we must be living in a right relationship with God.

Michelangelo's "Final Judgment"

Death and Judgment

The Catholic Church teaches that there will indeed be a judgment. At the moment of our death, our soul will separate from our bodies. Our bodies will be buried in the earth and decay, our souls will go before the judgment of God. Depending on how we lived our lives – did we live in a loving and faithful relationship with God and our neighbors – we will go to heaven, purgatory, or hell. The Catholic Church has always taught that heaven and hell both exists and are eternal. This judgment at the hour of our death is referred to as the “Particular Judgment.”

For this reason, it is important to take advantage of the time that God gives us. When we are young we think that we have all the time in the world. But time passes quickly and not one of us knows whether we will be alive tomorrow. Therefore, we should prepare ourselves to meet God now, in the time that we have.

How do we prepare to meet God?

The Bible is clear that God is love. “For God so loved the world that he sent his only Son so that whoever believes in him might have eternal life.” The God of love desires to be loved in return and to love one another as he loved us. This is what is means to be a Catholic Christian – to love God and one another in the same way that Jesus Christ did. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

Obedience to God's commandments are a proof of our love for him. What are the Ten Commandments? Can you recite them by heart? What are the two commandments of love that Jesus says sum up the whole law of God? 

Whatever helps us to better love God and neighbor, to be faithful to Sunday Mass and the sacraments, and to spend time in prayer, that is what we should concentrate on. This is one reason why we so strongly encourage young people to participate in the Amigos de Jesus Youth Group. In today's world it is so easy to go in the wrong direction. Young people need a strong community of faith that will support them in their beliefs and help guide them through the difficulties and dangers to the spiritual life.

I once again extend the invitation to you - come to ADJ on Fridays at 7:00 pm. 

I hope this answers your questions about the "end of the world" news. If you have other questions or concerns, please feel free to email me. 

God's peace,

Br. Joseph