From today’s first reading, we hear St Paul’s long speech to the Athenians. But towards the end of his discourse, Paul proclaims the Christian kerygma – the brief proclamation of the key elements of the Good News.

“While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

The Christian message is simple. It is time to repent. Why? Because the judgment day is set. And the judge came to the world. Who is he? He is Christ Jesus who died and rose from the dead. He will come and judge the living and the dead.

Christians do not lose sight of the final judgment at any moment. The end of the world and its judgment is the foremost and most urgent reason for the Christian faith. Christianity is not a philosophy to explain the universe and man. Nor is Christianity a system of morality. Christianity is not a charity campaign. Instead, Christians urgently prepare for the end of the world and its judgment. If we lose this element, we miss the most critical calling from the Lord.

Of course, the Athenians' reaction was not enthusiastic. What about us in our times? Not much different from the Athenians. The Christian kerygma calls for radical changes. Repentance should not remain as remorse in the heart. It must bring about life changes. Few people respond to this call as we see only a few believed after Paul’s proclamation in Athens.

Do I carry the message of the end of the world and the final judgment in my mind and heart? Or do I think and act as if my life lasts forever on earth? St Paul is still waking me today.