Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 11-18-12, Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 11-18-12 | Revised New American Bible

[Salvation]

November 18, 2012

 

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

Reading 1 Dn 12:1-3

In those days, I Daniel,
heard this word of the Lord:
"At that time there shall arise
Michael, the great prince,
guardian of your people;
it shall be a time unsurpassed in distress
since nations began until that time.
At that time your people shall escape,
everyone who is found written in the book.

"Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake;
some shall live forever,
others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.

"But the wise shall shine brightly
like the splendor of the firmament,
and those who lead the many to justice
shall be like the stars forever."

Responsorial Psalm Ps 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11

R. (1) You are my inheritance, O Lord!
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord!
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord!
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord!

Reading 2 Heb 10:11-14, 18

Brothers and sisters:
Every priest stands daily at his ministry,
offering frequently those same sacrifices
that can never take away sins.
But this one offered one sacrifice for sins,
and took his seat forever at the right hand of God;
now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool.
For by one offering
he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated.

Where there is forgiveness of these,
there is no longer offering for sin.

GOSPEL Mk 13:24-32

Jesus said to his disciples:
"In those days after that tribulation
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
and the stars will be falling from the sky,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

"And then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in the clouds'
with great power and glory,
and then he will send out the angels
and gather his elect from the four winds,
from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.

"Learn a lesson from the fig tree.
When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves,
you know that summer is near.
In the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that he is near, at the gates.
Amen, I say to you,
this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away.

"But of that day or hour, no one knows,
neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

[Salvation]

Sunday Scripture Study

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle B

November 18, 2012

Click here for USCCB readings

Opening Prayer  

First Reading: Daniel 12:1-3

Psalm: 16:5,8-11

Second Reading: Hebrews 10:11-14, 18

Gospel Reading: Mark 13:24-32

• This is the last reading from the Gospel of Mark as this liturgical year approaches a close. After next Sunday’s Solemnity of Christ the King begins Advent, the season of the liturgical year that is a time of waiting for Our Lord’s coming at Christmas—and at the end of time.

• In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, it is now Tuesday of Holy Week. Jesus has just predicted the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple (Mark 13:1-2), a prediction that would come to pass some 40 years later—a generation—in the year 70 AD at the hands of the Romans.  For the Jews of Jesus’ time, this was an extremely distressing prophecy. The destruction of the Temple would be, in effect, the end of their religious and social world, as they knew it. His disciples ask him privately when this will happen and what the sign of this will be (Mark 13:3).

• He answers their two questions in what is called the “Olivet Discourse” because this discussion takes place on the Mount of Olives outside Jerusalem (verse 3). This Sunday’s Gospel is his answer to their second question. Even as his words about the Temple signaled an end to a world, in a secondary but real way it is a prediction about the end of our world, either at our own deaths or at his Second Coming, whichever comes first.

 

QUESTIONS:

• The 1^st Reading from Daniel implies that the Kingdom of God is assured to the faithful and wise, but that it comes through discernment and tribulation. How is this borne out in the teachings of Jesus as found in the Gospel Readings?

• Do you live your life as if you were “consecrated”, i.e., being made holy (see 2^nd Reading, verse 14)? Why or why not? In what ways is God calling you to practice greater holiness?

• How are we to understand Jesus’ warnings about cosmic disturbances (verses 24-25)? Compare with Isaiah 13:10-13, Ezekiel 32:7, Amos 8:9, Joel 2:28-32, and Acts 2:14-21. What do all the events related to these verses have in common?

• To who does the title “son of Man” in verse 26 refer to (see Daniel 7:13)?

• How does the “fig tree” lesson (verses 28-29) answer the disciple’s question from verse 4? (see also Mark 11:12-14, 20-21)

• What promises does Jesus give in verses 30-31? How would this comfort (or discomfort) the disciples? What impact do these promises have on you?

• How can we prepare our hearts and minds in daily conversion for that time when Jesus “will come again to judge the living and the dead” (Nicene Creed)?

Catechism of the Catholic Church: §§ 673, 474

 

Let us not put off from one moment to another what we should do because the next moment is not yet ours.  –St. Padre Pio

[Salvation]

The Signs of the Times

Pastor’s Column

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

November 18, 2012

 

“Learn a lesson from the fig tree. 

When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things happening,

know that he is near, at the very gates.”

                                                          (from Mark 13:24-32)

 

          Most of us know that things in our lives can change very quickly. Certain moments are “hinges” – periods of life where things change radically, and they often happen without much warning. Yet we can be prepared if we are able to read the signs of the times. Jesus warns us in this Sunday’s gospel that the end of the world will catch many people by surprise, and one might add that the end of our own present age may pass just as quickly. There will be signs for us from God! But will we recognize them?

 

          Jesus uses the example of a fig tree. When I lived in San Diego, California, the neighbor next door had a big fig tree planted next to my porch. One night I was sitting on the patio, when I had the distinct feeling that I was being watched! I quickly turned out the porch light, went inside, got a flashlight, and shined it into the fig tree. Imagine my shock to find about 10 pairs of eyes staring back at me! A family of raccoons had found an easy meal, and my neighbor had no figs to eat that year. I might add that in the following year he learned how to protect his figs!

 

          It is ironic that these wild animals could read the signs of the times (the time that the figs were ripe) before the owner of the tree realized his figs were ready to eat. Might God be using signs like these in your everyday life to speak to you about coming events? Has the Lord given you a sign like this that you might have missed?

 

          Here is one we have all experienced (at least through the news). The East Coast has just been through a terrible hurricane – disaster, and as I write, many people are still without power in New York-New Jersey, weeks later. The Lord has made it clear in scripture that we cannot directly connect these kinds of disasters with particular sins (see Luke 13:1-4), but what can we learn? Jesus would tell us to be prepared! Life can change in an instant, and we have to be ready. What would you do if the electricity went out for three weeks? More to the point, if this were the last day of your life, would you be ready to meet the Lord? Hinge moments, in both world history and in our own lives, can come at any time.

                                                                                      Father Gary

[Salvation]

St. Paul Center Blog

Hope in Tribulation: Scott Hahn Reflects on the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted by Dr. Scott Hahn on 11.16.12 |

In this, the second-to-the-last week of the Church year, Jesus has finally made it to Jerusalem.

Near to His passion and death, He gives us a teaching of hope—telling us how it will be when He returns again in glory.

Today’s Gospel is taken from the end of a long discourse in which He describes tribulations the likes of which haven’t been seen “since the beginning of God’s creation” (see Mark 13:9). He describes what amounts to a dissolution of God’s creation, a “devolution” of the world to its original state of formlessness and void.

First, human community—nations and kingdoms—will break down (see Mark 13:7-8). Then the earth will stop yielding food and begin to shake apart (13:8). Next, the family will be torn apart from within and the last faithful individuals will be persecuted (13:9-13). Finally, the Temple will be desecrated, the earth emptied of God’s presence (13:14).

Readings:
Daniel 12:1-3
Psalm 16:5,8-11
Hebrews 10:11-14,18
Mark 13:24-32

In today’s reading, God is described putting out the lights that He established in the sky in the very beginning—the sun, the moon and the stars (see also Isaiah 13:10; 34:4). Into this “uncreated” darkness, the Son of Man, in Whom all things were made, will come.

Jesus has already told us that the Son of Man must be humiliated and killed (see Mark 8:31). Here He describes His ultimate victory, using royal-divine images drawn from the Old Testament—clouds, glory, and angels (see Daniel 7:13). He shows Himself to be the fulfillment of all God’s promises to save “the elect,” the faithful remnant (see Isaiah 43:6; Jeremiah 32:37).

As today’s First Reading tells us, this salvation will include the bodily resurrection of those who sleep in the dust.

We are to watch for this day, when His enemies are finally made His footstool, as today’s Epistle envisions. We can wait in confidence knowing, as we pray in today’s Psalm, that we will one day delight at His right hand forever.

[Salvation]

Indulgences -- the Church at prayer and penance

  "Lord, hear our Prayer"

 

Among the reforms of the Church during and after the Second Vatican Council 50 years ago, was that of an often misunderstood spiritual principle called “Indulgences.” 

-snip

The Council of Trent, held sporadically from 1545 – 1563, initiated severe reforms for the Church in response to this challenge.  Among those reforms was a review of the practice of indulgences.  No longer was money attached to their imposition or benefit for the faithful. To sell blessed articles or to attach any monetary obligation to such things was forbidden.  The sin of simony was named if one did such things or attempted to buy ecclesiastical office or sacraments.  

So, we do not charge for sacraments or blessings and offer no privileged spiritual benefit to the rich over the poor. If a parishioner offers a gift to the priest in exchange for his services say at a wedding then he can accept that gift.  But it is never asked for or expected or required.  In addition, one normally offers a fee when a Mass intention is requested.   The Mass “stipend” may be taken by the priest or not since it is given to him as part of his salary. Either way the Mass is still offered.

In regards to Vatican II and indulgences, Pope Paul VI offered further reforms that create a clearer understanding.

Essentially, the Church is telling us that the graces and merits of the Blessed Mother and the Saints are available to all.  There is a kind of spiritual treasury that lies open to everyone. We can and should pray for those who have died – our prayers, our sacrifices for them do make a difference (Communion of saints).  In the early centuries of Christianity, when people commonly did public penance and stood outside the Church asking passersby to pray for them, if the penitent did some special pious exercise or act of charity him/herself, their time for public penance was shortened.  They were “indulged” with less time for penance.

That principle is behind our belief in the efficacy of our prayers and of those who have gone before us. Many saints did more than they needed to do for their own salvation so the Church looks upon those good works and charitable intentions as part of the spiritual treasure of the Church.

We now can gain either a partial or plenary indulgence.  The partial indulgence offers a portion of forgiveness for the temporal punishment of sin and a plenary takes away all of that punishment. Even though a sin is forgiven, there may still need to be damage control or further penance done as a result of that sin.  (A parent forgives their child but they still have to carry out some punishment: temporal punishment due to sin.)  

In this Year of Faith, our Holy Father Benedict XVI has offered the opportunity to gain a Plenary Indulgence.  How can one do so?

In general the gaining of an indulgence requires certain conditions:

One must be in the state of grace before God, at least at the time the indulgenced work is completed. Therefore the Sacrament of Reconciliation is necessary for anyone who seeks the indulgence no matter what their spiritual state.

-        Have the interior disposition of complete detachment from all sin.

-        Have gone to confession

-        Receive the Holy Eucharist

-        Pray for the intentions of the Pope

-        Have a heart for charity and act accordingly

No money is attached to these requirements and neither is it expected. This purely spiritual practice is in line with the Scriptures and a belief in the overwhelming mercy of God who desires that we live a life that is holy. 

I for one see this as a reassuring benefit that is neither magic nor superstition.  It is an opportunity to take advantage of God’s love.  To receive from our Father in heaven the goodness he wishes to share with us for our benefit. 

So, let yourself be “indulged” by this God who loves you enough to forgive our waywardness and call us back to himself. 

 

Fr. Tim

[Salvation]

Insight Scoop

The Son of Man and the Little Apocalypse

A Scriptural Reflection on the Readings for Sunday, November 18, 2012 | Carl E. Olson 

Readings:
• Dn 12:1-3
• Ps 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11
• Heb 10:11-14, 18
• Mk 13:24-32

At the start of this month, On the Solemnity of All Saints, the first reading was from The Apocalypse, the Book of Revelation. It described the saints from the perspective of heaven, showing them to be marked and sealed by God, set apart as holy. Next Sunday, on the Solemnity of Christ the King, the epistle reading is from the opening chapter of the same book. It describes Jesus Christ as the ruler of kings of the earth who “is coming amid the clouds” to judge all men at the end of time. 

Today’s reading from the Gospel of Mark is closely related. It is from the Olivet Discourse, sometimes called a “little apocalypse” (see Mt 24-25 and Lk 21) because it contains difficult teachings by Jesus about the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in A.D. 70 and the final day of judgment. Like The Apocalypse of John the Revelator, the little apocalypse is filled with strong imagery and a complex web of allusions drawn from the Old Testament, especially from the prophets.

The challenge of making sense of today’s Gospel reading (and many related passages) is highlighted in Jesus, The Tribulation, and the End of the Exile (Baker Academic, 2005), written by Dr. Brant Pitre, a Scripture scholar who teaches at Our Lady of Holy Cross College in New Orleans. Pitre’s impressive study draws together a host of interwoven themes rooted in the Old Testament and referred by Jesus in his discourse, including the exile, the tribulation, the elect, the temple, and the messiah. I’ve chosen three insights provided by Pitre that will, hopefully, help readers better understand today’s Gospel reading. 

The first is that the images of darkened sun and moon, falling stars, and the shaken powers of heaven were frequently used by Isaiah, Jeremiah, Joel, Amos, and other prophets. They referred to one or several of the following: a day of divine judgment, the destruction of a foreign city (Babylon, for example), the destruction of Jerusalem (Isa 24:10-23; Jer 4:11-31), the restoration of Israel from exile, and the coming of the Messiah (Isa 13:10-14:2). Put simply, Jesus was not employing heavily coded language, but the heavenly language of the prophets. “A close study of the similar images of heavenly tumult,” writes Pitre, “shows that Jesus’ forecast stands directly in line with the oracles of the ancient Israelite prophets and early Jewish eschatological writings.”

Secondly, Jesus used this language to describe his approach Passion and death, through which he, the promised Messiah, would deliver his people from tribulation and inaugurate the restoration of Israel. The prophecies of Daniel are essential, for they speak of “the son of man coming in the clouds” (Dan 7:13), a figure Jesus clearly identifies with himself (Mk 13:26; 8:38). The Son of Man will “gather his elect” and lead a new exodus out of sin and death and form the new Israel, the Church, through the new covenant of his blood.

Finally, the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple are central events, both historically and theologically, in this epic plan of salvation. Recall that Jesus, in considering the spiritual state of Jerusalem, said, “Behold, your house is forsaken and desolate” (Mt 23:38). This desolation, Pitre argues, refers to the cessation of sacrifice, which is the “abomination of desolation” referred to by Daniel (Dan 9:27; 11:31; 12:11). The sacrifices of the temple, having ended in sacrilege, were fulfilled and replaced by the perfect sacrifice of the Lamb of God, which takes away the sins of the world. 

“Just as the first Exodus had been preceded and set in motion by a paschal sacrifice during a time of great trials and plagues,” Pitre explains, “so too Jesus saw his death as setting in motion the great paschal and eschatological trial that would bring about the restoration of Israel.” Today’s reading from Hebrews indicates this trial and restoration is still ongoing, as Jesus “waits until his enemies are made his footstool.” Meanwhile, we worship and serve a risen Lord and look to the return of the Son of Man.

(This "Opening the Word" column originally appeared in the November 15, 2009, edition of Our Sunday Visitor newspaper.)

[Salvation]

Vultus Christi

Thoughts of peace, and not of affliction

By

Father Mark

 on November 18, 2012 12:48 PM |

 

The painting by Albrecht Dürer depicts the afflicted Job and his wife.

Affliction

The verb to afflict derives from the Latin affligere, meaning to cast down, to damage, harass, torment, crush, shatter, or oppress. Affliction is an unavoidable part of human existence in this valley of tears where we go mourning and weeping. Meditating on the texts and chants of today's Holy Mass, I discovered that running through them all is the motif of affliction, something to which every man can relate.

World, Flesh, Devil

Affliction generally proceeds from one of three causes, or from a combination of them. These causes are the world, the flesh, and the devil. The world is the universe and all it contains, including other people. The flesh is one's self, marked by original sin and by a history of actual sins. The devil is the Evil One against whom we pray in the Pater Noster: the prince of this world, and his allies.

Sometimes, as in the case of great saints such as Saint Anthony of Egypt, Saint John Mary Vianney, Saint Pio of Pietrelcina,. Mother Yvonne-Aimée, or Marthe Robin, the devil causes affliction directly. This diabolical affliction may be spiritual, psychological, or spiritual. It may be even taken the form of perceptible physical aggressions.

Conflict

More often than not, however, the devil makes use of secondary causes. Being astute, he knows how to make use of the shattered bits in ourselves and in others to orchestrate afflictions of all sorts. Rarely does one experience affliction without some kind of underlying conflict, and the devil is the master producer of conflict. The devil often profits from what he finds in the world and in our fallen nature to bring affliction down upon our heads. His aim is not merely to cause affliction; it is to push souls, by afflicting them in various ways, into doubt, despondency, and despair.

Discernment

Of one thing we can be certain. God does not afflict us. Our God is a God, not of affliction, but of comfort and consolation. Thus writes Saint Paul in 2 Corinthians 1:3-5.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort. Who comforteth us in all our tribulation; that we also may be able to comfort them who are in all distress, by the exhortation wherewith we also are exhorted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us: so also by Christ doth our comfort abound.

God comforts, He does not afflict. When God permits us to be afflicted it is to draw a greater good out of the affliction by allowing the one afflicted to participate, in some way, in the redeeming Passion of Jesus Christ. God, in Himself, is perfect peace and peace is the signature of all His operations and works. Following Saint Ignatius' rules for the discernment of spirits, one can unmask the afflictions of the Evil One, and place one's confidence in God who waits to give us peace.

When we suffer affliction, God stands ready to turn it into blessings for ourselves and for others. If necessary, He will even send us a consoling Angel from heaven, as He did for His Only-Begotten Son in the Garden of Gethsemani (Luke 22:43). The Holy Angels are ministers of divine consolation, close to the broken-hearted, the weary, and the downcast.

Introit

In today's Introit, God tells us that His thoughts concerning us are for our peace. The Lord is not the cruel conniver who seeks to afflict us, and so cause us to despair. He is the Giver of Peace, and the One who leads us out of the captivity of sin into the home He has prepared for us.

The Lord saith: I think thoughts of peace, and not of affliction: you shall call upon Me, and I will hear you; and I will bring back your captivity from all places. V. Lord, Thou hast blessed Thy land: Thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob. (Psalm 84. 2) V. Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, amen. -- The Lord saith: I think thoughts of peace , and not of affliction: you shall call upon Me, and I will hear you; and I will bring back your captivity from all places. (Jeremias 29: 11,12,14)

Epistle

In the Epistle, Saint Paul commends the Christians of Thessalonica for having held fast to the Word, even in the midst of afflictions.

And you became followers of us and of the Lord, receiving the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: so that you were made a pattern to all that believe in Macedonia and in Achaia. (2 Thessalonians 1:6-7)

Gradual

Thou hast delivered us, O Lord, from them that afflict us: and hast put them to shame that hate us. V.: In God we will glory all the day: and in Thy Name we will give praise for ever. (Psalm 43. 8-9)

In this magnificent chant in the 7th mode, God is revealed as the One who delivers us from those who afflict us. The experience of His saving grace causes us to glory in Him and to praise Him. Affliction lasts but for a time; the mercy of the Lord endures forever.

Alleluia

The Alleluia Verse and the Offertory Antiphon make use of the same text. It is the prayer of one afflicted, a prayer that rises out of the depths of darkness and temptation.

Alleluia, alleluia. V. From the depths I have cried to Thee, O Lord: Lord, hear my prayer. (Psalm 129: 1-2) Alleluia.

Holy Gospel

In the Gospel, Our Lord presents two parables: that of the grain of mustard, and that of the leaven mixed into three measures of meal. Both parables speak directly to the present state of our monastery. We are very small and of little importance. Like the grain of mustard, and the grain of wheat in John 12:24, we are called to disappear into the earth and to die. Like the leaven hid in three measures of meal, we are called to be hidden. Our effect in the Church -- and in the priesthood -- will be proportionate to our hiddenness.

Eucharistic Hiddenness

In the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, Jesus Christ is hidden: hidden, not only in the tabernacle, but hidden also beneath the humble appearances of the species of bread. The Sacred Host is the icon of the hiddenness to which we, as Benedictine adorers, are called. This hiddenness is an essential quality and condition of our vocation. Personally, I wonder if we -- if I -- am hidden enough. It is a questioned that must be asked in the light of Our Lord's Eucharistic Face; only there can it be answered.

Hidden Afflictions

The hidden life is not free from afflictions. Hidden afflictions, in fact, may be the most painful to bear. How many secret afflictions will be revealed in glory where they will shine with reflected brightness of the sacred wounds of Jesus?

Offertory Antiphon

From the depths I have cried out to Thee, O Lord; Lord, hear my prayer: from the depths I have cried out to Thee, O Lord. (Psalm 129:1-2)

Finally, there is today's Offertory Antiphon taken, as was the Alleluia Verse, from Psalm 129, the De Profundis. Composed in the second mode, this Offertory Antiphon is one of the most poignant of the whole Gregorian repertoire. It is the prayer of a soul brought low by affliction. Out of the depths rises the cry of a prayer that is real. It pierces the heavens and reaches the very heart of God. God is not indifferent to such prayers. He is, rather, touched by them, and moved to pity. Thus did he say to Moses:

I have seen the affliction of my people in Egypt, and I have heard their cry because of the rigour of them that are over the works: And knowing their sorrow, I am come down to deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians, and to bring them out of that land into a good and spacious land, into a land that floweth with milk and honey. (Exodus 3:7-8)

God in the Midst of the Afflicted

The divine response to human affliction is to come down, to become close to the one afflicted. And this the mystery of the Most Holy Eucharist. It prolongs the great descent of the Incarnation in space and in history until the end of time. The Most Holy Sacrament is the mystery of a God come down to abide among the afflicted. Wheresoever the Most Holy Eucharist is present, afflictions become bearable, and the heaviest burdens are made lighter.

[Salvation]

Regnum Christi

Towards Heaven

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Mark 13:24-32

Jesus said to his disciples: "In those days after that tribulation the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see ´the Son of Man coming in the clouds´ with great power and glory, and then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky. Learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things happening, know that he is near, at the gates. Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

Introductory Prayer: Lord, I turn to you today with faith, knowing that you are the Lord of life and history. Aware of my weaknesses and failures, I set my hopes in you, for you always fulfill your promises. As I contemplate your love that becomes fidelity, I, too, desire to repay you with my fidelity. I am here before you to listen and, in listening, discover your will for me today.

Petition: Lord, may my intelligence be enlightened with the theological virtue of hope.

1. Promise Keeper: Christ promised and delivered. His words brought about a change of spirit: the way we understand the world around us, the way we desire, and the way we choose. All that he did had results, positive results. Many times throughout his preaching he promised us heaven, and through his death he made everlasting life possible for us, even though the price was his own life. When we promise someone something, do we keep that promise, no matter what the personal cost?

2. Solid Ground: Fear stalks us daily. The world in which we live can undermine our trust in God. It is easy to become attached to things of this world, even though they give us only a fleeting pleasure or a temporary security before they pass away, disappear, or vanish. Since our heart is made for God, for the infinite, when we become attached to something not of God, the result is fear. This is a fear of the future and a fear of the unknown. But with God, we know the ending, and we know what awaits us. Listen to those words: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” All that we see and enjoy around us will pass away, but not Christ’s promises, namely the promises of eternal life -- of paradise. Be not afraid to hope in God.

3. Learn a Lesson from the Fig Tree: The grace of God ripens us. The moment we are baptized, we are made ready to see God. But there is a lesson, and it might be a bit scary. When Jesus spoke about the fig tree in today’s Gospel, he may have thought of another fig tree -- the one that bore no fruit, withered, dried up and died. Christ shocked them that time. We don’t know when Christ will pass by the fig tree of our life, looking to pick the fruit of our virtues. However, we can be assured of this: The time will come. Our baptism has made our lifetime a time of harvest. You have all eternity to rest in the house of the Father. The lesson: Bear fruit now; live virtue now. Christ came to give life and give it abundantly (see John 10:10).

Conversation with Christ: Lord, Jesus, may I live a life of virtue knowing that my life moves forward towards eternity. Help me to overcome my fears by placing all of them in your hands, knowing that you hold the solution. Help me to live my baptism faithfully and place all of my hope in your promises.

Resolution:I will live this day with special intensity, offering all for the conversion of souls.

[Salvation]

This Sunday’s Gospel: The Return of the Lord

by Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D. on November 16, 2012 ·

Whenever I lead a trip to the Holy Land, the question inevitably comes, “Will we visit Armageddon?’  This refers, of course, to the battlefield surrounding the ancient city of Megiddo where some think the final confrontation will take place before the end of the world (Rev 16:16).  Catholics and Protestants alike have a fascination with the Scriptural accounts of the cataclysmic events associated with the end.

The church, following the Scriptures, indeed teaches that Jesus will return in glory and this world as we know it will indeed come to a screeching halt, but not before a fierce, cosmic battle in which the Enemy makes his final bid for world domination (CCC 675-677).

But the last battle will not be the only battle.

The truth is that though nature’s four seasons continue to cycle serenely throughout the ages, and men and women, as in the days of Noah, continue to marry and be given in marriage, there is at the heart of history a continual battle going on.  In fact, the battle began before human history, when Michael and his forces swept the legions of Lucifer out of heaven.  There is a reason that we never get tired of love stories–love is of the essence of human life.  There is also a reason that we never get tired of war stories–war has been our constant companion and will be so till the last trumpet.

Many are puzzled when trying to interpret passages like this Sunday’s gospel, not to mention the entire book of Revelation.  Are Jesus and the inspired writers referring to the end of the world, or rather to the events happening in their own day, such as the destruction of Jerusalem and the persecution of the Church by the pagan Romans?

The answer is not an either/or but rather both/and.  The Antichrist is a future figure who will come at the end.  But he has also worn various masks over the course of time such as the Emperor Nero, Adolph Hitler, and Josef Stalin.  Under the surface of history, the battle is raging.  At certain moments, the fight takes center-stage in the evening news and battlelines become very clear–as in World War II or today’s abortion holocaust.

There are two big mistakes we could make here.  One would be to smugly deny this view of things as just so much apocalyptic hysteria.  The other would be to preoccupy ourselves with speculation over the future battle while neglecting to engage in the battle at hand.  Innocent pre-born babies are being slaughtered on a daily basis; thousands of Christians are imprisoned and tortured worldwide because of their faith, millions are exploited economically, and a secularist propaganda machine mounts a relentless attack on marriage and chastity.  Are we combatants in this struggle or do we sit by the sidelines reading the headlines?

Apocalyptic speculation is a waste of valuable time and energy.  Jesus clearly says “as to the exact day or hour, no one knows it” (Mark 13:32).  It is futile to try to figure it out.  But denying the reality of the current conflict or leaving the combat to others is also a waste of precious time.

We pray for the glorious return of the Lord, for him to come and right all wrongs and bring deliverance and eternal reward.  But our second reading says that “now he waits until his enemies are placed beneath his feet.” (Heb 10:13).  Often a sneaky enemy will not show his true colors and unleash his full might until his back is up against the wall. The final victory will be something that only the Lord himself will accomplish.  But it would seem that he will only come for the coup de grace when we, the members of his body, by the power of his grace, have helped to paint the enemy into a corner through our evangelization, intercession, works of mercy, and social activism.

[Salvation]

The Centrality of the Liturgy

 

by Food For Thought on November 18, 2012 ·

Reading 1 Dn 12:1-3

Responsorial Psalm Ps 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11

Reading 2 Heb 10:11-14, 18

Gospel Mk 13:24-32

For most of us, the Mass is what we see or would like to see, what we experience or would like to experience. Some suggest that our Mass should return to the time-honored Latin, which nobody understands. Others want more Chinese and Tagalog Masses. Some want a quiet, songless Mass; others want to sing every part of the Mass that can be put into notes. The problem is, everyone thinks that his is the only proper way to celebrate the liturgy. For all their importance, there can be blind spots; they can keep us from seeing more deeply into the mystery we all cherish. In the liturgy, we celebrate the timeless work of redemption; we proclaim God’s wonderful works in the history of salvation. We don’t just read about them, we don’t just remember them – we re-present them; make them effectively present in us and in our lives.

In all this a major element is God’s word. Year after year, the readings recapture the movement of our salvation. Last Advent we re-presented the world’s waiting for its Savior. We welcome the Lord as he came to us at Christmas, surprisingly in the form of an infant. We grew to manhood with him, walked in his footsteps through Galilee and Judea. We recaptured his dying-rising through Lent and Easter. His Ascension lifted all of us with him to the Father; his Spirit descended not only on the disciples, but also on each believer. And since Pentecost we have heard and lived the mission of the Church, its ups and downs, its pride and passion, its agony and its ecstasy, its ceaseless struggle to grow into the fullness of its Lord, its living in hope for the final coming of the Savior.

And now, we reach the end of the Liturgical year. Next week the peak, we will crown Christ the King. There, the liturgy celebrates what will be the high point of creation, when humankind and all it possesses will be subjected to Christ, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. Today we celebrate the beginning of that end; today we live in anticipation the end of the world, as we know it. If Advent was prologue to the Christian mystery, we now get a sneak preview into its finality.

Let us affirm Christ’s final coming with the intensity of the early Christians, who expected him to return within their lifetime. After the Consecration, let us proclaim with uncommon conviction what we confess to be that mystery of our faith: “Christ has died! Christ is risen! Christ will come again!”

But if Christ’s coming “with great power and glory” is merely a matter of Christian hope, if it may well be a millennium or more away, if I can do nothing to hasten or delay it, isn’t it quite irrelevant to my day to day existence? If you are convinced that “Christ will come again,” that the final moment is the moment to which all of history, including your own, is marching, that this is the climax of Christian yearning, then you will live in its light. You will become now what you want to be then.

How do you assure that? The significant single word here is the command of Jesus at the end of this chapter of Mark: “Watch! Be on the alert! Keep your eyes open for the constant coming of Christ into your life. He comes to us all the time – each time you come together, each time his word is proclaimed to you; each time his body rests in your hand or on your tongue. Christ comes to you in each person, man, woman, or child, whose eyes meet yours, especially those who hunger for food or love.

My brothers and sisters, it is indeed good to fix your eyes on Christ’s final coming “with great power and glory.” Here, after all, is our Christian hope, But it would be tragic if the far horizon blind us to Christ’s daily coming in rags and tatters, as a lonely, frightened, joyless, sick person, lost in a strange world that does not seem to care. Hence, after all, is our Christian love.

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

 

<< Sunday, November 18, 2012 >>

33rd Sunday Ordinary Time

Daniel 12:1-3
Hebrews 10:11-14, 18
View Readings

Psalm 16:5, 8-11
Mark 13:24-32

STRESS MANAGEMENT?

"It shall be a time unsurpassed in distress since nations began until that time." —Daniel 12:1

 

Today it is popular to talk about "stress management" and being "stressed out." The times in which we live are very stressful. However, the end of the world will be much more stressful. "Those times will be more distressful than any between God's work of creation and now, and for all time to come" (Mk 13:19). The end-time will be more stressful than the atom bombings and concentration camps of World War II, than plagues, earthquakes, and other disasters. "Indeed, had the Lord not shortened the period, not a person would be saved. But for the sake of those He has chosen, He has shortened the days" (Mk 13:20). At the very end, even the strongest Christians will be pushed to their limits.

Why does the Lord tells us about the ultimate stress of the future? He is not trying to increase our stress in the present, but to prepare us for the future and make the present more peaceful. Jesus said: "I tell you all this that in Me you may find peace. You will suffer in the world. But take courage! I have overcome the world" (Jn 16:33). Jesus promised: "My peace is My gift to you; I do not give it to you as the world gives peace. Do not be distressed or fearful" (Jn 14:27). We deal with stress not by getting out of stressful circumstances, but by getting into Jesus. We don't manage stress; we let Jesus our Lord manage us.

 

Prayer: Father, may I come to Jesus, take His yoke on me, and be refreshed (Mt 11:28-29).

Promise: "Jesus offered one sacrifice for sins and took His seat forever at the right hand of God." —Heb 10:12

Praise: Praise You, risen Jesus, Emmanuel, "God with us!" You became flesh and dwelt among us. Praise You for letting us see Your glory (Jn 1:14).

[Salvation]

[Salvation]

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