A Homily for Friday of the 34th Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle C
Friday, November 28, 2025
Prince of Peace Catholic Church – 8:00 Mass
Daniel 7:2-14; Daniel 3:75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81; Luke 21:29-33
As we are at the end of our liturgical year, the Church turns our attention to the end of all things — not to frighten us, but to anchor us in hope. Scripture today gives us two powerful reminders: earthly realities are temporary, but God’s kingdom is eternal.
Our first reading from Daniel contains dramatic imagery — beasts rising from the sea, kingdoms full of pride and aggression, powers that seem unstoppable. But the heart of the reading is not the beasts. It is the moment when the Ancient One takes His throne and all earthly powers fall silent.
Daniel then sees “One like a Son of Man” — a clear foreshadowing of Christ — who receives an everlasting dominion. The message is simple: everything earthly is passing, but God’s Kingdom is permanent.
Jesus picks up this same theme in the Gospel when He says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” Even the most stable things we know — the planet beneath our feet, the stars above our heads — are not forever. At the end of time, as Revelation says, there will be a New Heaven and a New Earth, a transformed creation where God will be all in all. The world as we know it is not our final home. Something far more beautiful awaits.
For many of us, especially as we grow older, this is not a frightening thought at all. It’s a promise. We know firsthand that this world is filled with change — our bodies change, our relationships change, our daily routines and abilities evolve. Nothing stays the same for long. And yet Jesus tells us that one thing does remain completely unchanging: His Word.
God’s Word is what guides us safely through the changes of this life. His Word is not merely a set of teachings, but the living presence of Christ — truth that is firm, reliable, and eternal.
When everything else moves, His Word holds steady. When life becomes uncertain, His promises are the one foundation we can trust.
And these promises point us forward — beyond the temporary struggles of this world — to our hope and faith in the final renewal of all things. The New Heaven and New Earth will be the perfect fulfillment of everything God has been accomplishing in history. No more sin, no more suffering, no more decay. Our bodies restored. Our relationships healed. Creation itself renewed and radiant. God dwelling with His people — forever.
Jesus is inviting us today to be a people of hope. To lift our heads and hearts toward Heaven and not to cling to the things that are passing. Instead, we must cling to His Word — the one eternal reality that will guide us safely into the world that is promised to all of us who believe and who do our very best to put this Word into practice in our daily lives.
May the hope of our citizenship in the New Heaven and New Earth fill us with peace today, increasing our trust in God’s plan and His providence.
May we never fear the challenges and changes we experience in this world, knowing that the One who Daniel in his vision saw receiving dominion, glory, and kingship — is walking with us as we continue our journey to our eternal home, the Kingdom he will rule forever.
The One who Himself is the eternal Word — the Word that will never pass away — loves us with an everlasting love and will surely give us the strength we need to persevere.
God bless you.