For your reading, reflection, faith-sharing, comments, questions, discussion.

KEYWORDS: catholic; mk13; ordinarytime; prayer;

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From: Daniel 12:1-3

The Resurrection of the Dead

[1] “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your peo-
ple. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was
a nation till that time; but at that time your people shall be delivered, every one
whose name shall be found written in the book. [2] And many of those who sleep
in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame
and everlasting contempt. [3] And those who are wise shall shine like the bright-
ness of the firmament; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars
for ever and ever.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

12:1-4. The prophecy ends by announcing the deliverance of the people of God
through the mediation Michael, the angel protector of Israel. The names written in
the book symbolize those who are truly the people of God — those whom God re-
gards as his people because they have stayed faithful to him. There is no mention
now of the everlasting kingdom on earth that we heard of in 2:44 and 7:14, but
one presumes that there will be one, for those who were dead will rise, either to
have a share in that kingdom or else to suffer the punishment they deserve. The
new situation in which the good and the wicked find themselves will never change
again: it will he forever. Those who will shine brightest are those who knew and
taught the Law — those who “turn many to righteousness” (v. 3), not the martyrs.
The book of Daniel goes further than the prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel went. They
spoke symbolically of a resurgence of the people in terms of a resurrection (cf.
Is 26:19; Ezek 37); in Daniel as in 2 Maccabees 7:14, 29 the resurrection is real,
not symbolic: “God reveals the resurrection of the dead to his people progress-
sively. Hope in the bodily resurrection of the dead established itself as a conse-
quence intrinsic to faith in God as creator of the whole man, soul and body. The
creator of heaven and earth is also the one who faithfully maintains his covenant
with Abraham and his posterity. It was in this double perspective that faith in the
resurrection came to be expressed” (”Catechism of the Catholic Church”, 992).

Moreover, Daniel proclaims the resurrection not only of martyrs (as happens in 2
Maccabees) but of all, for that is what the word “many” (v. 2) means. The Church,
too, in the light of Jesus’ teaching, believes that “all the dead will rise, ‘those who
have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the
resurrection of judgment’ (Jn 5:29; cf. Dan 12:2)” (ibid., 998).

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Hebrews 10:11-14, 18

Christ’s Offering of Himself Has Infinite Value (Continuation)

[11] And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sa-
crifices, which can never take away sins. [12] But when Christ had offered for all
time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, [13] then to
wait until his enemies should be made a stool for his feet. [14] For by a single of-
fering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

[18] Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

11-14. Teaching given elsewhere in the letter (8:5; 9:9-10, 12-13, 25; 10:14) is
now reiterated in order to show the universal efficacy of Christ’s sacrifice. Howe-
ver, here it is expounded by comparing the posture of the Old Testament priests
with that of Christ. They did in fact have to STAND in the presence of Yahweh,
offering victims repeatedly. Standing was the correct posture for servants and
employees. The reference is to Old Testament priests who repeatedly, every
day, went through the same motions and offered the same sacrifices. By con-
trast, Christ, as is stated in Psalm 110:1, after his Ascension is seated at the
right hand of God the Father (see notes on Mt 16:19 and Heb 1:3). In addition to
conveying the idea of repose and rest, being seated would be equivalent to recei-
ving royal investiture or to exercising authority (cf. Heb 7:26; 8:1); also, a king’s
chief minister or heir used to sit on the right of the king, as in a place of special
honor (cf. Mt 26:24; Mk 14: 62; Lk 26:69); and it might be pointed out that David
pitched his tent to the right of the tabernacle: cf. 2 Sam 7:18). What has hap-
pened is that by virtue of the efficacy of his single sacrifice, Christ has taken pos-
session of heaven for ever more and has merited royal dignity; all that remains to
happen, and it shall happen, is for all his enemies to submit to him (cf. 1 Cor 15:
25-28). So fruitful is his sacrifice that those who take part in it, “those who have
been sanctified”, are thereby perfected: they obtain forgiveness of sins, purity of
conscience, access to and union with God. In other words, the source of holi-
ness in men is the sacrifice of Calvary.

15-18. The last proof of the superiority of Christ’s sacrifice for the forgiveness of
sins is based on this passage of Jeremiah 31:33-34, already quoted in 8: 10-12.
The letter is insisting on the spiritual character of the New Covenant—ratified with
the blood of Christ—which is impressed on the hearts and minds of men. And it
is also emphasizing the effects of this Covenant—forgiveness of sins by God.

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Mark 13:24-32

Signs of the End of the Word and the Coming of the Son of Man

(Jesus said to His disciples,) [24] “But in those days, after that tribulation, the
sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, [25] and the stars will
be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. [26] And
they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. [27]
And then He will send out the angels, and gather His elect from the four winds,
from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

The Time of the Destruction of Jerusalem

[28] “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender
and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. [29] So also, when you
see these things taking place you know that He is near, at the very gates. [30]
Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away before all these things take
place. [31] Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”

[32] “But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in Heaven,
nor the Son, but only the Father.”

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

24-25. It would seem that at the end of time even irrational creatures will shrink
before the Supreme Judge, Jesus Christ, coming in the majesty of His glory,
thus fulfilling the prophecies of the Old Testament (cf., e.g., Isaiah 13:10; 34:4;
Ezekiel 32:7). Some Fathers, such as St. Jerome (”Comm. in Matthew, in loc.”)
and St. John Chrysostom (”Hom. on St. Matthew”, 77) understand “the powers
in the heavens” to mean the angels, who will be in awe at these events. This in-
terpretation is supported by the liturgical use of describing the angels, taken to-
gether, as “virtutes caelorum” (cf. “Roman Missal”, Preface of Martyrs). But
many other commentators think the phrase, like the preceding words in the text,
could mean “cosmic forces” or “stars of the firmament”.

26-27. Christ here describes His Second Coming, at the end of time, as an-
nounced by the prophet Daniel (7:13). He discloses the deeper meaning of the
words of the ancient prophet: the “one like a Son of Man”, whom Daniel saw
and to whom “was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, na-
tions and languages should serve Him,” is Jesus Christ Himself, who will gather
the saints around Him.

28-30. As already pointed out in the note on Mark 13:4, Jesus’ disciples, follo-
wing the ideas current among Jews at the time, could not conceive the destruc-
tion of Jerusalem as separate from the end of the world; and, also, there is a
connection between the two events, in that the former is a prefigurement of the
latter. Our Lord answers His disciples in Mark 13:20 by saying that the destruc-
tion of Jerusalem will happen in the lifetime of their generation (as in fact oc-
curred in the year 70, at the hands of the Roman legions). For further explana-
tion of the ruin of Jerusalem as a figure of the end of the world, cf. note on Mat-
thew 24:32-35.

31. With this sentence our Lord adds a special solemnity to what He is saying:
all this will definitely come to pass.

God has only to speak and His words come true, only He who is Lord of the Uni-
verse has all existence in His power, and Jesus has received from the Father all
power over heaven and earth (cf. Matthew 11:27 and 28:18).

32. Referring to this verse, St. Augustine explains (”On the Psalms”, 36:1): “Our
Lord Jesus Christ was sent to be our Master, yet He declared that even the Son
of Man was ignorant of that day, because it was not part of His office as Master
to acquaint us with it.”

Regarding the knowledge Christ had during His life on earth, see the note on
Luke 2:52.

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible by Darton, Longman & Todd

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Green.

First reading	Daniel 12:1-3 ©

Some will wake to everlasting life, some to shame and disgrace

‘At that time Michael will stand up, the great prince who mounts guard over your people. There is going to be a time of great distress, unparalleled since nations first came into existence. When that time comes, your own people will be spared, all those whose names are found written in the Book. Of those who lie sleeping in the dust of the earth many will awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting disgrace. The learned will shine as brightly as the vault of heaven, and those who have instructed many in virtue, as bright as stars for all eternity.’

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 15(16):5,8-11 ©

Preserve me, God, I take refuge in you.

O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup;

it is you yourself who are my prize.

I keep the Lord ever in my sight:

since he is at my right hand, I shall stand firm.

Preserve me, God, I take refuge in you.

And so my heart rejoices, my soul is glad;

even my body shall rest in safety.

For you will not leave my soul among the dead,

nor let your beloved know decay.

Preserve me, God, I take refuge in you.

You will show me the path of life,

the fullness of joy in your presence,

at your right hand happiness for ever.

Preserve me, God, I take refuge in you.

Second reading
Hebrews 10:11-14,18 ©

When all sins have been forgiven, there can be no more sin-offerings

All the priests stand at their duties every day, offering over and over again the same sacrifices which are quite incapable of taking sins away. He, on the other hand, has offered one single sacrifice for sins, and then taken his place forever, at the right hand of God, where he is now waiting until his enemies are made into a footstool for him. By virtue of that one single offering, he has achieved the eternal perfection of all whom he is sanctifying. When all sins have been forgiven, there can be no more sin offerings.

Gospel Acclamation	Mt24:42 44

Alleluia, alleluia!

Stay awake and stand ready,

because you do not know the hour

when the Son of Man is coming.

Alleluia!

Or:	Lk21:36

Alleluia, alleluia!

Stay awake, praying at all times

for the strength to stand with confidence

before the Son of Man.

Alleluia!

Gospel	Mark 13:24-32 ©

The stars will fall from heaven and the powers in the heavens will be shaken

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘In those days, after the time of distress, the sun will be darkened, the moon will lose its brightness, the stars will come falling from heaven 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; then too he will send the angels to gather his chosen from the four winds, from the ends of the world to the ends of heaven.

‘Take the fig tree as a parable: as soon as its twigs grow supple and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. So with you when you see these things happening: know that he is near, at the very gates. I tell you solemnly, before this generation has passed away all these things will have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

‘But as for that day or hour, nobody knows it, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son; no one but the Father.’

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Jesus, High Priest

We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.

Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.

Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.

Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.

Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.

Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.

O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.

Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests

This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.

The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.

The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.

Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem. He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.

St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)

5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

6. Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.

Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.

End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

The Mysteries of the Rosary By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary. The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.

The Glorious Mysteries
(Wednesdays and Sundays)
1.The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-18, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29) [Spiritual fruit - Faith]
2. The Ascension (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:6-11) [Spiritual fruit - Christian Hope]
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-13) [Spiritual fruit - Gifts of the Holy Spirit]
4. The Assumption [Spiritual fruit - To Jesus through Mary]
5. The Coronation [Spiritual fruit - Grace of Final Perseverance]

(For if he had not hoped that they that were slain should rise again, it would have seemed superfluous and vain to pray for the dead,) And because he considered that they who had fallen asleep with godliness, had great grace laid up for them. It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins." II Maccabees 12

November Devotion: The Holy Souls in Purgatory

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. As a reminder of our duty to pray for the suffering faithful in Purgatory, the Church has dedicated the month of November to the Holy Souls. The Holy Souls are those who have died in the state of grace but who are not yet free from all punishment due to their unforgiven venial sins and all other sins already forgiven for which satisfaction is still to be made. They are certain of entering Heaven, but first they must suffer in Purgatory. The Holy Souls cannot help themselves because for them the night has come, when no man can work (John 9:4). It is our great privilege of brotherhood that we can shorten their time of separation from God by our prayers, good works, and, especially, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

To Help the Holy Souls in Purgatory:

1. Have the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass offered up for them.

2. Pray the Rosary and or the Chaplet of Divine Marcy for them, or both.

3. Pray the Stations of the Cross.

4. Offer up little sacrifices and fasting.

5. Spread devotion to them, so that others may pray for them.

6. Attend Eucharistic Adoration and pray for them.

7. Gain all the indulgences you can, and apply them to the Holy Souls

8. Visit to a Cemetery

Litany for the Holy Souls in Purgatory

The just shall be in everlasting remembrance;

He shall not fear the evil hearing.

V. Absolve, O Lord, the souls of the faithful departed

from every bond of sin,

R. And by the help of Thy grace

may they be enabled to escape the avenging judgment,

and to enjoy the happiness of eternal life.

Because in Thy mercy are deposited the souls that departed

in an inferior degree of grace,

Lord, have mercy.

Because their present suffering is greatest

in the knowledge of the pain that their separation from Thee is causing Thee,

Lord, have mercy.

Because of their present inability to add to Thy accidental glory,

Lord, have mercy.

Not for our consolation, O Lord;

not for their release from purgative pain, O God;

but for Thy joy

and the greater accidental honour of Thy throne, O Christ the King,

Lord, have mercy.

For the souls of our departed friends, relations and benefactors,

grant light and peace, O Lord.

For those of our family who have fallen asleep in Thy bosom, O Jesus,

grant light and peace, O Lord.

For those who have gone to prepare our place,

grant light and peace, O Lord.

(For those who were our brothers [or sisters] in Religion,)

grant light and peace, O Lord.

For priests who were our spiritual directors,

grant light and peace, O Lord.

For men or women who were our teachers in school,

grant light and peace, O Lord.

For those who were our employers (or employees),

grant light and peace, O Lord.

For those who were our associates in daily toil,

grant light and peace, O Lord.

For any soul whom we ever offended,

grant light and peace, O Lord.

For our enemies now departed,

grant light and peace, O Lord.

For those souls who have none to pray for them,

grant light and peace, O Lord.

For those forgotten by their friends and kin,

grant light and peace, O Lord.

For those now suffering the most,

grant light and peace, O Lord.

For those who have acquired the most merit,

grant light and peace, O Lord.

For the souls next to be released from Purgatory,

grant light and peace, O Lord.

For those who, while on earth,

were most devoted to God the Holy Ghost,

to Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament,

to the holy Mother of God,

grant light and peace, O Lord.

For all deceased popes and prelates,

grant light and peace, O Lord.

For all deceased priests, seminarians and religious,

grant light and peace, O Lord.

For all our brethren in the Faith everywhere,

grant light and peace, O Lord.

For all our separated brethren who deeply loved Thee,

and would have come into Thy household had they known the truth,

grant light and peace, O Lord.

For those souls who need, or in life asked, our prayers,

grant light and peace, O Lord.

For those, closer to Thee than we are, whose prayers we need,

grant light and peace, O Lord.

That those may be happy with Thee forever,

who on earth were true exemplars of the Catholic Faith,

grant them eternal rest, O Lord.

That those may be admitted to Thine unveiled Presence,

who as far as we know never committed mortal sin,

grant them eternal rest, O Lord.

That those may be housed in glory,

who lived always in recollection and prayer,

grant them eternal rest, O Lord.

That those may be given the celestial joy of beholding Thee,

who lived lives of mortification and self-denial and penance,

grant them eternal rest, O Lord.

That those may be flooded with Thy love,

who denied themselves even Thy favours of indulgence

and who made the heroic act

for the souls who had gone before them,

grant them eternal rest, O Lord.

That those may be drawn up to the Beatific Vision,

who never put obstacles in the way of sanctifying grace

and who ever drew closer in mystical union with Thee,

grant them eternal rest, O Lord.

V. Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord,

R. And let perpetual light shine upon them.

Let Us Pray

Be mindful, O Lord,

of Thy servants and handmaids,

N. and N.,

who are gone before us

with the sign of faith

and repose in the sleep of grace.

To these, O Lord,

and to all who rest in Christ,

grant, we beseech Thee,

a place of refreshment,

light and peace,

through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen

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November, 2018

The Holy Father's Prayer Intention

Universal – In Service of Peace, That the language of love and dialogue may always prevail over the language of conflict.

'If he be blind who refuses to believe in the truths of the Catholic faith, how much blinder is he who believes, and yet lives as if he did not believe!'

St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28)

"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb"
(Lk 1:42).

Zenit.org

Archbishop Follo: Not the End of Everything but the Encounter with the One who is All

With the invitation to believe that the end of the world and ours is the encounter with God who loves us with a love which gives us life forever.

November 16, 2018 16:33Francesco FolloSunday Readings

XXVIII Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year B – November 15, 2018

Roman Rite
Dn 12, 1-3; Ps 16; Heb 10: 11-14. 18; Mk 13.24 – 32

Ambrosian Rite
Is 13.4 to 11; Ps 67; Eph 5, 1-11a; Lk 21.5 -28?
First Sunday of Advent
The coming of the Lord

1) A future marked by the certainty of a definitive encounter.

The liturgical year is about to end. Next Sunday we will celebrate the solemnity of Christ the King and the following Sunday will be the First of Advent and the beginning of the new liturgical year.

Today, the Church invites us to pay attention not so much at the end of this liturgical year, but at the end of the world, which for us ends with our earthly life. It is on this last point that the Church invites everyone to give the greatest possible attention because afterward we will be subject to judgment.

The end of the world is not the destruction of everything, but the final encounter with God, the All that meets us by welcoming us in his mercy. We meet with Christ, the Good Face of Destiny, the Son of Man. He is the Lord who forgives, the Bridegroom who loves us, the Lord of the Sabbath: He is the one who puts himself in our hands and gives everything, even his life, to us.

Is the end of the world a thief who steals everything or an encounter with the Bridegroom who gives us everything? This question is answered by the passage of the discourse of Jesus proposed by the Liturgy of today and that has a language that the experts call “apocalyptic”. This adjective comes from the noun “apocalypse”, which literally means revelation. However, in the common speech the term has lost its original meaning of “revelation” and, especially outside a religious context, indicates everything from a great calamity to a succession of disastrous events. This has happened because it is a language rich in strong and often disturbing images that, because tinged with fear, are intended to elicit a listening respectful and attentive.

In fact, in today’s Gospel Jesus says, “The sun and moon will be darkened and the stars will fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. Then shall they see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. He (Jesus, the Son of Man) will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the earth to the ends of the sky”(Mk 13: 24-26).

With the apocalyptic (literally revealing) words of verses 24 and 25 of the thirteen chapter of Mark’s Gospel, Christ tells us that the world and the humanity that lives in it are fragile. In those days the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give light anymore, and the stars will fall from the sky. But in verses 26 and 27 Jesus infers that, if there is a dying world, there is also a new world born for him and in him. We are not going to the end or to a nowhere, but we are preparing for the final encounter with Christ, who is the final purpose of life and the fulfillment of the world. Implicitly, we think that we are going to end badly because we are afraid, and do not count our days because after them there is only the end. On the contrary, in this narration, fundamental to the Christian faith, the end of history, the whole history, and the end of our personal story are presented as the encounter with the Lord. The purpose of the whole history is the encounter with Him and creation is on the way to this meeting. The whole human history, our own and that of the Universe, are nothing else than a going forward further and further until the glory of the Son will shine in the world. We are children. What will be at the end is our glory: then shall they see the Son of man coming with great power and glory. The sense of history is the revelation of the Son of Man and, in him, of every person, in the full power of life and in the very glory of God.

The Messiah does not wish only to tell the end of the world, but to reveal the meaning of history. He tells us that the end of the world is not the destruction of everything, but the encounter of all with the Son of Man. He is the Lord who forgives, the Bridegroom who loves us, the Lord of the Sabbath. He is the one who puts himself in our hands and gives us everything, even his life for us. The end of the world is not like the arrival of a thief that robs us, but the encounter with the Bridegroom who gives us everything because on the cross of Jesus the old world is already over – the sun was obscured – and the new one was born.

Like every human being, Christians know that one day the sun will go out, but they also know that God’s light will shine forever. The end of the world is not the destruction of everything, but our meeting with the Son of Man, the Redeemer of humanity and of the world. He is the Lord who forgives. He is the one placed in our hands, and who gives us everything, even his life for us. In short, the end of the world is not a theft who steals everything. It is the encounter with the Bridegroom who gives us everything. It is not that we go nowhere into space. The Book of Revelation, in the last two chapters, presents the meeting just like that of the bride with the groom. The Church is the bride who awaits the arrival of the Bridegroom. We should not be afraid of meeting the Love that comes for us.

2) Not when, but how.

The Church continues to proclaim, especially at the end of the liturgical year, the fact of this meeting of love that has to be lived in expectation. Giving weight to the words of Christ “As though that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father” (Mk 13: 32), the liturgy reminds us that we are faithfully called to be always waiting for him who came centuries ago and that will come at the end of time. He also comes today and every day in our lives. For this reason, a hymn of the Breviary makes us sing “Night, darkness and fog flee: light enters, Christ the Lord is coming. The Sun of justice transfigures and lightens the waiting universe”. Office of Lauds, Wednesday of the second week).

In fact, in this transfiguration of the world, our heart is enlarged so that Heaven will find more space and we can have a keener attention (in the most literal sense of the term attention as of constant tension toward the Lord). He comes always but often the meeting does not take place because we live a life that is superficial on a spiritual level. Earthly things attract us so much so to make the soul unavailable for this wonderful meeting. Only rarely do we find ourselves in the right spiritual condition to perceive this “coming” of God. What should we do? Certainly, the Lord will not change, because He always manifests himself, but our soul should change so to always live in expectation and hope.

The question is not so much on “when” (because God comes to us in every moment) but on “how”. Today I dare to propose how to answer the question “How to await the final coming of the Kingdom?”

There are two possible attitudes, that of fear and that of hope.

If we stop at the drama of certain images of today’s Gospel, it would seem that fear should prevail. But Christ adds: “Learn from the fig tree: When its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that ” summer is near” (Mk 13: 28). If on the one hand there is the description of destruction, on the other hand there is the promise of a tender and new life, symbolized by the image of the fig tree whose new leaves teach that the death of winter is defeated and the life of summer is about to flourish and bear fruit in life.

Fear and hope alternate always in human life, even in the one of the believer, to form an ambiguous and unresolved situation.

Human hope is to wait for something but no human being can have the future.

Jewish hope was to wait for the coming of the Messiah.

Christian hope makes already present the kingdom of God within us. It already implies the presence of God in our hearts and God’s presence in us makes us capable of eternal life. “Through hope, we are already in heaven, even if our hearts are still afraid” (Divo Barsotti).

To defeat this fear, we can go back to the many passages in the Bible where there is an invitation not to be afraid and not to fear. For example, let’s think of Peter walking on waters to meet Jesus. At a certain point, he gave in to the fear of the wind and the waves and started sinking. Then, he found the outstretched hand on him that raised him up, forgave him and gave him new strength

All this encourages us to have hope and not fear, trust and not despair.

One way to experience this important “how”, this hope, is the one of the Consecrated Virgins in the world. These women are committed to live their virginity because in this way they wait for Christ with full hope. In love with Christ, like “wives” who have not seen the bridegroom for a long time, wait for him every day not only with hope but also with anxiety and passion. Every day they pray to see Him return and to meet Him forever. These women live virginity with a complete dedication because virginity keeps the soul awake and tense to Christ. They engage in frequent prayer, made in silence, to keep a watchful heart. Doing so, they show us how our whole person should reach out to the Lord, who comes to us, gives himself to us and revives us.

November 18, 2018

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Dn 12:1-3

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

Reading 2 Heb 10:11-14, 18

Alleluia Lk 21:36

Gospel Mk 13:24-32

Readings at Mass

November Devotion: The Holy Souls in Purgatory

Litany for the Holy Souls in Purgatory

November, 2018

The Holy Father's Prayer Intention

Universal – In Service of Peace, That the language of love and dialogue may always prevail over the language of conflict.

Archbishop Follo: Not the End of Everything but the Encounter with the One who is All