SANTIAGO, Chile — Bishop Bernardo Bastres Florence of Punta Arenas, Chile has an interesting suggestion for those convinced that the world will end Dec. 21, as predicted by the Mayan calendar.
According to local newspaper La Prensa Austral, the bishop said that those who believe the Mayan prophecy should donate their worldly goods to the Church.
“If there are many who believe the world will end on Dec. 21, as the Church, we have no problem with them naming us as the beneficiaries of their possessions in their wills,” he quipped in a Dec. 9 interview.
Doomsday predictions about the end of the world, as prophesied by the Mayans, have circulated in recent years and grown in popularity. The Mayan Long Count calendar begins in 3,114 B.C., which accounts for time in 394-year periods known as Baktuns.
The Mayans allegedly believed that the last, or 13th Baktun, ends Dec. 21, 2012.
To those who are convinced that the world is ending next week, Bishop Bastres said, “I assure them that after Dec. 21, we will eternally pray for them.”
“Because I am sure that we will all be alive after that date. If they wish to pass on, they could do enormous good by donating their properties to the Church.”
Adding to criticism of the prophecy, Father Jose Funes — who directs the Vatican Observatory — wrote in the Vatican daily L’Osservatore Romano that “it’s not even worth discussing” the predictions.
In his Dec. 12 piece titled, “The end that won’t come — at least for now,” he countered doomsday scenarios by stressing that the “Word of God reminds us that we are heading toward a fundamentally good future, despite the crises of every kind in which we are immersed.”
“That’s because we are assured that, in Christ, there is a future for humanity and for the universe,” the Jesuit priest added.
“In the depths of the human being is the fundamental belief that death cannot have the last word.”
Although cosmology asserts that the universe will — billions of years from now — go into “a final state of cold and darkness,” he noted, the Christian message “teaches us instead that in the final resurrection, the last day, God will reconstitute every man, woman and all the universe.”
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Dear Gentlemen: I need to make a comment on an observation in the verbage used which the writer of this article quoted by Father Jose Funes, the Jesuit Priest who directs the Vatican Observatory. The quote is in the last passage of the article: “he noted, the Christian message “teaches us instead that in the final resurrection, the last day, God will reconstitue every man, woman and all the universe.” And then the article ends. My concern is the meaning that is coming across of the word “reconstitue.” In the dictionary it is defined to restore. Did Father Funes mean that the entire world will be restored to wholeness in the physical state or be restored or saved from hell and damnation? In our world today is the belief that is called Universalism. It simply states that there are many ways unto God. That no one will perish and go to Hell. The Christian belief is that Jesus is the way unto savation and the reinstatement unto Gods heart and to be saved from eternal fire and damnation. This Universal belief means all mankind will be saved, no one perishes, even if one did not believe in God, Himself. Nevertheless, I must focus on the Christians measureing stick for truth which The Church has agreed is in the Holy Scriptures. Bottom line reference is Revelation 20:12-15 “And I saw the dead small and great, standing before God and books were opened. An another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delievered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged each one according to his works. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” I ask, and how does one get ones name into the Book of Life? Revelation 20:6 states, “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God AND OF CHRIST and shall reign with Him a thousand years.” Jesus said, I am the Way, the truth and the Life. No one comes unto the Father except thur me.” Jesus said in John 15:23, “He who hates Me hates My Father also.” John 16:17, Jesus says, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Rev. 21:7, “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbeliveing, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” John 3:15-18, Jesus said, “that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned: but he who does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” In this world today, it is soooo important to clarify our language for clarity of meaning because each soul is very important unto God. Yet, as I said, maybe the writer of this article was not clear in putting information together. Jesus foretold much in regard to forwarning His sheep, His flock of false teachings, and the wilds of the Evil One to promote disputes among believers by dropping seeds of doubt. No one knows the day nor the hour of the end of the world as we know it nor the day or the hour of the coming of Jesus Christ as stated in Matthew 24:36,37: “No one knows about the angels in heaven, nor the son, but only the Father. as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son.” Matthew 25:13, “Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. ” We are to live are lives as if today was the last day of our life, to the fulness in service to God, and to service of others in the name of Jesus Christ to first, glorify God in all we do, for we have been rescued from our own self destruction and to call others into the Kingdom of God, here on earth and for eternity. Do we believe this? In the quoting of Father Funes, it is stated that “In the depths of the human being is the fundamental belief that death cannot have the last word.” This needs to be clarified and not just assummed. Only in the Christians belief is there the understanding that death cannot keep us down for Jesus Christ first overcame the sting of death: He rose up. And thus, as He was first resurrected from the grave, so shall we, true believers and worshippers of God, will be resurrected from the graves to be united, as the Bride of Christ, His Church, unto the presence of God for an eternity. We do not believe in reincarnation but eternal resurrection thru the saving power and grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. No other way, no other destination, no other beliefs can prevail for the Holy Scriptures teaches “what saith the Lord God of Creation”. Do we believe this?
We look forward to new heavens and a new earth (Isaiah 65, 66, 2 Peter 3:13). Some are resurrected to life, while others to eternal shame (Daniel 12:2). Don’t read too much into it.
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