We are called to set aside whatever we may think is urgent, to consider the urgency of the end times. There are probably many things that we could talk about this morning. Things more immediately relevant and business more pressing. But the urgency of the end takes over everything from here to the end. The time is growing short.
Salvation is nearer today than it ever was before.
It is time for to wake up from our spiritual sleepiness, to keep vigil with sober prayer, to worship God with reverence and awe. St. Mark's Gospel locates us in Jerusalem, near the time of Jesus' crucifixion. Jesus and His disciples were leaving the temple in Jerusalem. As they looked around the temple grounds, they couldn't help but marvel at its majesty. It was the third and most impressive version of the temple, built by King Herod to gain political favor with the Jews.