Our Lord and Redeemer, desiring to find us prepared, warns us of the evils that are to accompany the end of the world, so that He may keep us from the love of it. He makes known the disasters that will herald its approaching end, so that should we be unwilling to serve God in times of tranquility, we may, at least be anxious concerning the judgment now at hand. For a little prior to this passage of the holy Gospel which you, my Brethren, have just heard, the Lord forewarned us, saying: Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be great earthquakes in divers places, and pestilences, and famines (Luke 21:10). Then having said certain other things in between, He adds this warning which you have just now heard: There will be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and the stars, and upon the earth distress of nations, by reason of the confusion of the roaring of the sea and of the waves. From among all these things we now see that some have already come to pass; the others that now fill us with dread are to come in the future. For we behold nation rising against nation, and their distress prevails upon the earth, more now in these our times that we have read of in history