We associate bad things with the word “apocalypse.” That’s mostly because stories that are apocalyptic tend to involve big, sometimes scary events. But this a lot like anxiety—which is a natural body response—of predicting the future and preparing for it.

The word apocalypse means “revealing”. In the church, we say things are apocalyptic when God is revealing a truth. And we sometimes find that scary enough.

As we near the end of our liturgical week next week, our gospel stories take on a revealing, apocalyptic character. Which we may naturally find alarming. We should. But like anxiety, we shouldn’t see that alarm as the most important part. Or trust that it is, in fact, saving our lives to avoid hard things, like learning the truth. This fear is a sign of something else.

In moments of fear about what is coming, Jesus invites us to remember what we are called to do. To love. To help people know the love of Christ. This work was begun before the apocalyptic moment—and it is our work within it as well.