NOVEMBER 18, 2012 : THIRTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 158

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.

GOSPELMk 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."

www.usccb.org

Scripture Study

November 18, 2012 Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

This week we celebrate the Thirty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time. This is the second last Sunday of this liturgical year. As we approach the end of the Church's year, she calls upon us to meditate on the great themes of the end time and about the return of Christ in glory. Whether we make it to the end time or not is really not important. Death will eventually come for us all and there will eventually be a final judgment. The real message that the Church wishes to share on this subject is that for those who follow Christ, the end too is a cause for joy. Christians hold that, for us, no destruction is truly final. We shall rise again to be with Christ just as we rose from the waters of Baptism. Do the readings this week speak encouragement to me as they were intended to do or do they spark fear in me? If I don't see them as encouraging, then how should my attitude change so that I will see them in the same light as the early Christians did?

NOTES on First Reading:

* 12:1 This is part of the last and longest of the apocalypses in the book of Daniel. This is the poetic conclusion of the revelation of chapters 10 and 11. The elect of God, whose names are "found written in the book" of life, will survive the terrible sufferings of the eschatological crisis. See Exod 32:32-33; Ps 69:29.

* 12:2 Sleep was a common euphemism for "dead". See John 11:11-13; Acts 7:60; 1 Thess 4:13. Shall awake is a euphemism for "shall come back to life". In this passage we have the earliest clear statement in the Bible of belief in the resurrection of the dead. This passage is also the first Biblical use of the term, "unto everlasting life" which is the literal meaning of the words translated in the NAB as "shall live forever."

NOTES on Second Reading:

* 10:11 The author speaks of "every priest" rather than of the high priest alone and therefore is no longer thinking of the Day of Atonement but of the daily priestly service of the Old Testament.

* 10:12 Although there is a contrast between the seated kingly posture of Christ and the standing posture of the priest, that contrast may not have been the intended thrust of the passage. See also 8:2-3. The images of Christ functioning as King and as Priest overlap. The image of Jesus seated in heaven as king is an application of Ps 110:1 to Jesus. In addition the author may have in mind 2 Sam 7:18 where David prays seated before the Lord, as a claim to the fulfillment of God's covenant promises to David. The understanding of Jesus as the eternal priest before the Father derives from an understanding of eternity as being outside of time rather than simply as time continued forever.

* 10:13 The time of waiting is an allusion to Ps 110:1b. This time stretches from the enthronement of Jesus to His return in glory.

* 10:14 Their consciences having been cleansed, His followers are able to worship the living God, 9:14. So they too have access to the Father and share in the priestly consecration of Jesus.

* 10:15-17 This portion [in brackets above] is not included in the reading this week. Here, the testimony of the Holy Spirit in Scripture is invoked by citing part of the prophecy from Jer 31:31-34 which speaks of a new covenant.

* 10:18 The point is that it is the sacrifice of Jesus that resulted in the forgiveness of sins and thus no further sacrifice is needed.

NOTES on Gospel:

* 13:24-32 This describes the event that makes sense of all human history. The justice and love of God will be made clear. In the traditional language of the prophets, cosmic events are used to describe powerful interventions of God in history and in this case to the messianic crisis, followed by the final triumph of chosen people with the Son of Man at their head. Mark does not tie in the end of the world to this event the way Matthew does.

* 13:26 The term and description comes from Dan 7:13. Jesus referred to the statement in Daniel when He stood before the high priest in Mt 26:64; Mark 14:62; and Lk 22:69.

* 13:27 Here Mark portrays the reversal of Zech 2:10. God gathers the elect in Deut 30:4; Isa 11:11, 16; 27:12; Eze 39:27 and in many other places in the Old Testament. Nowhere in the Old Testament does the Son of Man do it; it is always God. Here the writer ascribes one of the functions of God to the Son of Man. It is a way of indirectly ascribing divinity to Jesus.

* 13:32 Here Jesus tells us not to try to figure out God's time schedule because we are not meant to know. This verse was a problem for many of the patristic (early Fathers of the Church) writers. It was sometimes used as evidence by those who denied the divinity of Jesus. Some resolve it by saying that in His Divine Nature Jesus did know the hour but in His human mind and knowledge, which is the way in which He interacted with His disciples He did not know the hour. While this may be true, it does not really explain everything because the real explanation contains something of mystery since the incarnation itself is a mystery. This element of Divine mystery takes Jesus outside of the realm of what can and must be analyzed and calls for faith.

www.st-raymond-dublin.org

Meditation:"The Son of man coming with great glory"

How good are you at reading signs? The people of Jesus' time expected that the coming of the Messiah would be accompanied by extraordinary signs and wonders. Jesus' first coming was clouded in mystery and wonderment – a son of David born in a cave at Bethlehem, magi from the East guided by a star to worship the newborn king of Israel, a carpenter miracle-worker who gave sight to the blind and raised the dead, a Suffering Servant who bore the sins of many upon a cross, a Risen Lord who stormed the gates of Hell to release its captives. Jesus on a number of occasions prophesied that he would return again at the end of the world to finish the work he came to accomplish through his death and resurrection. The image of a "Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory" is taken from the vision of the prophet Daniel (Daniel 7:13-14). Daniel's vision is a royal investiture of a human king before God's throne. This king, whose authority comes from God, is given world-wide rulership and power which lasts forever. The Jews of Jesus' day were looking for a Messianic king who would free them from foreign oppression. Jesus tells them that when he returns he will establish a universal kingdom of peace, righteousness, and justice for all.

Jesus' prophetic description of the end of time and the day of judgment  was not new to the people of Israel. The prophets had foretold these events many centuries before. "Behold the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger to make the earth a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it" (Isaiah 13:9-13; see also  Joel 2:1-2; Amos 5:18-20; Zephaniah 1:14-18). Jesus speaks of the second coming as a known fact, a for certain event we can expect to take place. This coming will be marked by signs that all will recognize; signs which will strike terror in those unprepared and wonder in those who are ready to meet the Lord. When the Lord returns he will establish justice and righteousness and he will vindicate all who have been faithful to him. His judgment is a sign of hope for those who trust in him.

What lesson does the Lord Jesus want us to learn from the parable of the budding fig tree? The fig tree was a common and important source of food for the Jews. It bore fruit twice a year, in the autumn and in the early spring. The prophet Joel mentions its fruitbearing as a sign of favor from the Lord (Joel 2:22). The Talmud said that the first fruit came the day after Passover. The Jews believed that when the Messiah came he would usher in the kingdom of God at Passover time. This parable fortells the joy of God's kingdom – the joy of new life and the promise of a new age of peace and blessing. The signs of spring are evident for all who can see. Just so are the signs of God's kingdom. The "budding" of God's kingdom begins first in the hearts of those who are receptive to God's word. Those who trust in God's word will bear the fruits of his kingdom. And what are the fruits of that kingdom? "The kingdom of God ..is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).

We do not know the day or hour when the Lord will return again in glory. But the Lord does give us signs, not only to "wake us up" as a warning, but also to "rouse our spirits" to be ready and eager to see his kingdom come in all its power and glory. The Lord wants us to be filled with joyful anticipation for his coming again. He surely comes to us each day and speaks to our hearts like a lover who whispers in the ear of the beloved. As he promised, the Lord will surely come again in all his glory. Do you look for the signs pointing to the Lord's return and do you pray that he come quickly to establish peace and justice on the earth?

"Lord Jesus Christ, you are the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end of all history, and the lord of all creation. Give me joyful hope and confidence that I will see you face to face when you return in glory ."

www.dailyscripture.net

Towards Heaven

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.

www.regnumchristi.com

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18
THIRTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
MARK 13:24-32
(Daniel 12:1-3; Psalm 16; Hebrews 10:11-14,18)
KEY VERSE: "But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (v 32).
READING: Mark wrote his gospel to encourage Christians who were suffering persecution for their faith. In chapter 13, Mark used an "apocalyptic" form of writing, which was popular during times of crisis. This style borrowedimages from the Hebrew scriptures (Ezekiel, Daniel, Zechariah) that depicted a time of turmoil and tribulation before the great "Day of the Lord." The author's purpose was not to instill fear, but to inspire hope in Christ's final comingand God's ultimate triumph over evil forces. Christ's followers were encouraged to stand firm in their faith that Godwould intervene and vindicate them. After a period of tribulation in which the very cosmos would be shaken, Christwill come with "great power and glory" (Mk 13:26) to bring salvation to God's creation. The exact "day or hour" (v 32) of Christ's return is not a part of the revelation he came to impart. His followers must be prepared for his coming whenever it might occur. The blooming fig tree, a symbol of Israel's Messianic days, suggested hope in the comingfruitful harvest of justice.
REFLECTING: Do I trust in God's plan for my life despite suffering?
PRAYING: Lord God, help me to be ever ready for the coming of your Son.

APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE 
The word apocalyptic means "unveiling" or "revelation." Apocalyptic literature flourished among persecuted Jews and Christians from the second century BCE to the second century CE. Apocalyptic writing is crisis literature, the product of oppressed peoples. Basic to its belief is that the evil of a particular historical situation is so overwhelming that only God can rescue the victims and set things right. In these hopeless conditions, the apocalyptic author offers hope and encouragement in trying times.

NATIONAL BIBLE WEEK
National Bible Week, which began in the days following the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, is now celebrated each year from Sunday to Sunday of Thanksgiving week. Public libraries, congregations and other organizations schedule community events. Surveys have shown that millions of Americans begin or increase their Bible reading as a result of Bible Week activities. In 2010 National Bible Week will be celebrated from November 21- 28. Through our reading, reflecting and praying of the scriptures, we further the mission of encouraging individuals to read their Bibles.
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

www.daily-word-of-life.com

Hope in Tribulation

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

---

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).

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 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.

 


Yours in Christ,


Scott Hahn, Ph.D.

HOMILY

SUNDAY HOMILY

THIRTY THIRD SUNDAY OF THE YEAR-B

Readings

I Reading  Daniel:12:1-3

II Reading Hebrews:10:11-14,18

Gospel Reading Mark:13:24-32

Those who proclaim the Lord’s name shall be protected by the Lord’s powers. But those who profane the Lord’s name shall perish in the Lord’s time

The Branch Davidians, a Christian sect, which was an off shoot of the Seventh Day Adventist church, firmly believed that the return of Christ was imminent, .but it could not happen until there was a purer Church which could receive Him. Victor Houteff, a Belgian immigrant to the United States founded a church in 1930 called Branch Davidian. Lot of people joined this church, but after his death in 1955, the organization fell apart. His wife Florence took over the church in 1959, she announced on Easter Day that the kingdom of God would come soon. Hundreds of followers across the US sold everything, quit their jobs, and made a trip to Waco for the big event. But on that day nothing happened. All were disappointed. Many left the sect.

In 1988, one David Koresh took charge of this group. He firmly believed that he was the 7th and the final angel destined to be the agent of God who would bring about the end of the world. He began to accumulate arms and ammunition in the ranch where they were staying - Mt Cannel. Their deadly beliefs were tipped off the police. The FBI, ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms) surrounded the building and asked David Koresh to surrender, They lay siege of the building for 51 days beginning From Feb 28, 1993 to April 19, 1993. Gun b0attles followed, in

the end David Koresh and his 80 followers - men, women and children died in the terrible inferno. In today’s Gospel, Jesus talked about the Last days and the accompanying disaster. He also said that the time and the hour of that day no one knows. He said, “But as for that day or hour, nobody knows it, neither the angels of heaven nor the Son; no one but the Father.” Yet time and time again, many falsely presume and claim that they are privy to the timing of the Doomsday. We need to be guarded against such fake claimants. Do not believe them. When Jesus spoke about the last days, He enumerated four signs, which would go before the Doomsday

1) There Will be False Messiahs

Jesus said that there would be not few, but many false messiahs. He warned, “Beware that you are not led astray, because many will come using my name, and say: ‘I am He’ (Lk:21: 8).” When Moses asked God’s name in Exodus, God said, “I Am Who I Am.” Jesus very clearly said that the false messiahs would be claiming that they are gods; that they would falsely claim to be having the essence of God. They would also announce the end of days. Jesus warned us not to be deceived by them. My dear brothers and sisters, we need to be careful of such people. They are very convincing and forceful in their speeches. David Koresh was well versed iٌ the Bible. He was a school dropout. He studied until the ninth grade only, but he could talk on the bible for hours together. Always be careful of such people. Do not get deceived. Jesus warned once, “Watch out for the false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves (Mt 7:15).”

2) There Will be Conflict of Nations

There will be wars and revolutions, which means tumults, revolts, riots, terrorism, insurrections, and confusions in the governments, but those who believe in God need not be afraid. Our focus should not be on the events that take place, but on God, who changes not. We are called to trust in God’s care and concern. Sometime back, when the Gulf war broke out, many people began to prophesy quoting Nostradamus that the end of the world has come. But what happened? Nothing. The war got over and the world continues as before. Jesus warned that the conflicts between nations would break out, but still the end was not near. These things must happen first. Many a time we live in perpetual fear  fear of the future. We look at uncertain events around and begin to despair. We must trust God. That’s what Jesus says, “Do not be afraid. Do not be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me (Jn 14:1).”

3) There Will be Natural Disasters

There will be earthquakes, famine, pestilence and astronomical events. When these things happen, the children of God are not to be afraid. The Lord promised protection to His faithful people in Psalms, “The young lions may lack and go hungry, but those who seek the Lord, shall not lack any good things (34:10).” The lion is the king of the forest; more so the young lion which is at the height of its strength. How can it go hungry? The Lord says, “ Those who seek the Lord shall never lack any good things.”

4) There Will be Persecutions of the Christians

You will he hated because you are Christians. When there is persecution and discriminations against us, we are always victorious. ‘the church grows from persecutions. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of Christianity. When there is persecution, Jesus promised and said, “Not a hair of yours shall perish.” A Christian is always safe in the everlasting arms of Jesus.

In the context of the end of days, we need to remember three things:

i. The end of the world is certain. One day, the world will come to an end. But when it will end, no one knows. Jesus said, “But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father (Mt: 24:36).” Anyone who speculates and announces about the Doomsday, is a false prophet.

ii. Our business is not to speculate about the Last days. Look! Here it is or there it is. Our business is to be prepared for it whenever it comes.

iii. We should not live in fear. “Trust in God, trust also in me,” said Jesus. We are living in the everlasting and ever- loving arms of Jesus. No harm is going to happen to us. “The young lions may lack and go hungry, but those who seek the Lord shall never lack any good things.”

“Those who righteously proclaim the Lord’s name Shall be protected by the Lord’s power; But those who profane the Lord’s name Shall perish in the Lord’s time.”

Therefore, let us keep proclaiming the Lord’s name.

www.spreadjesus.org

 Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope

‘He will send in his angels to gather his chosen from the four winds.’
Although Mark was mistaken in his conviction that the End Times were imminent, the death and resurrection of Jesus did usher in a last age. God’s saving plan was the sending of his Son, and that plan will be fulfilled when, after this life, we enter into eternal life with God.

Mark’s use of apocalyptic imagery, common in his day, may not appeal to us, but it is not a message of doom and gloom, rather a call to watchfulness, perseverance and hope. Lord, all you ask of me is a contrite heart. Give me the grace to be sorry for my sins and to follow your Way. Then let me live in joyful anticipation of the moment when I stand before you.

www.churchresources.info

November 18
St. Rose Philippine Duchesne
(1769-1852)

St.Rose Philippine Duchesne

Born in Grenoble, France, of a family that was among the new rich, Philippine learned political skills from her father and a love of the poor from her mother. The dominant feature of her temperament was a strong and dauntless will, which became the material—and the battlefield—of her holiness. She entered the convent at 19 and remained despite their opposition. As the French Revolution broke, the convent was closed, and she began taking care of the poor and sick, opened a school for street urchins and risked her life helping priests in the underground.

When the situation cooled, she personally rented her old convent, now a shambles, and tried to revive its religious life. The spirit was gone, and soon there were only four nuns left. They joined the infant Society of the Sacred Heart, whose young superior, St. Madeleine Sophie Barat, would be her lifelong friend. In a short time Philippine was a superior and supervisor of the novitiate and a school. But her ambition, since hearing tales of missionary work in Louisiana as a little girl, was to go to America and work among the Indians. At 49, she thought this would be her work. With four nuns, she spent 11 weeks at sea en route to New Orleans, and seven weeks more on the Mississippi to St. Louis. She then met one of the many disappointments of her life. The bishop had no place for them to live and work among Native Americans. Instead, he sent her to what she sadly called "the remotest village in the U.S.," St. Charles, Missouri. With characteristic drive and courage, she founded the first free school for girls west of the Mississippi.

It was a mistake. Though she was as hardy as any of the pioneer women in the wagons rolling west, cold and hunger drove them out—to Florissant, Missouri, where she founded the first Catholic Indian school, adding others in the territory. "In her first decade in America, Mother Duchesne suffered practically every hardship the frontier had to offer, except the threat of Indian massacre—poor lodging, shortages of food, drinking water, fuel and money, forest fires and blazing chimneys, the vagaries of the Missouri climate, cramped living quarters and the privation of all privacy, and the crude manners of children reared in rough surroundings and with only the slightest training in courtesy" (Louise Callan, R.S.C.J., Philippine Duchesne).

Finally, at 72, in poor health and retired, she got her lifelong wish. A mission was founded at Sugar Creek, Kansas, among the Potawatomi. She was taken along. Though she could not learn their language, they soon named her "Woman-Who-Prays-Always." While others taught, she prayed. Legend has it that Native American children sneaked behind her as she knelt and sprinkled bits of paper on her habit, and came back hours later to find them undisturbed. She died in 1852 at the age of 83.

Comment:

Divine grace channeled her iron will and determination into humility and selflessness, and to a desire not to be made superior. Still, even saints can get involved in silly situations. In an argument with her over a minor change in the sanctuary, a priest threatened to remove her tabernacle. She patiently let herself be criticized by younger nuns for not being progressive enough. For 31 years, she hewed to the line of a dauntless love and an unshakable observance of her religious vows.

Quote:

“We cultivate a very small field for Christ, but we love it, knowing that God does not require great achievements but a heart that holds back nothing for self.... The truest crosses are those we do not choose ourselves.... He who has Jesus has everything.”

November 18
Dedication of Churches of Sts. Peter and Paul

St. Peter’s is probably the most famous church in Christendom. Massive in scale and a veritable museum of art and architecture, it began on a much humbler scale. Vatican Hill was a simple cemetery where believers gathered at St. Peter’s tomb to pray. In 319 Constantine built on the site a basilica that stood for more than a thousand years until, despite numerous restorations, it threatened to collapse. In 1506 Pope Julius II ordered it razed and reconstructed, but the new basilica was not completed and dedicated for more than two centuries.

St. Paul’s Outside the Walls stands near the Abaazia delle Tre Fontane, where St. Paul is believed to have been beheaded. The largest church in Rome until St. Peter’s was rebuilt, the basilica also rises over the traditional site of its namesake’s grave. The most recent edifice was constructed after a fire in 1823. The first basilica was also Constantine’s doing.

Constantine’s building projects enticed the first of a centuries-long parade of pilgrims to Rome. From the time the basilicas were first built until the empire crumbled under “barbarian” invasions, the two churches, although miles apart, were linked by a roofed colonnade of marble columns.

Comment:

Peter, the rough fisherman whom Jesus named the rock on which the Church is built, and the educated Paul, reformed persecutor of Christians, Roman citizen and missionary to the Gentiles, are the original odd couple. The major similarity in their faith-journeys is the journey’s end: Both, according to tradition, died a martyr’s death in Rome—Peter on a cross and Paul beneath the sword. Their combined gifts shaped the early Church and believers have prayed at their tombs from the earliest days.

Quote:

“It is extraordinarily interesting that Roman pilgrimage began at an…early time. Pilgrims did not wait for the Peace of the Church [Constantine’s edict of toleration] before they visited the tombs of the Apostles. They went to Rome a century before there were any public churches and when the Church was confined to the tituli [private homes] and the catacombs. The two great pilgrimage sites were exactly as today—the tombs, or memorials, of St. Peter upon the Vatican Hill and the tomb of St. Paul off the Ostian Way” (H.V. Morton, This Is Rome).

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LECTIO: 33RD SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME (B)

Lectio: 

 Sunday, November 18, 2012  

Last Discourse
Mark 13,24-32

1. Opening prayer

Shaddai, God of the mountain,
You who make of our fragile life
the rock of your dwelling place, 
lead our mind 
to strike the rock of the desert, 
so that water may gush to quench our thirst. 
May the poverty of our feelings
cover us as with a mantle in the darkness of the night 
and may it open our heart to hear the echo of silence 
until the dawn, 
wrapping us with the light of the new morning, 
may bring us, 
with the spent embers of the fire of the shepherds of the Absolute
who have kept vigil for us close to the divine Master,
the flavour of the holy memory.

2. Lectio

a) The text:

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 then 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.
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

b) A moment of silence:

Let the sound of the Word echo in us.

3. Meditatio

a) A few questions:

- After that tribulation. Life bears the signs of labour, the seal of a death pregnant with new life. Can we count ourselves among the elect gathered from the four winds? 
- The Son of man coming in the clouds: Will we be capable of raising our eyes from our miserable things so as to see him coming on the horizon of our story?
- From the fig tree learn: We have so much to learn and we need not look far. Nature is the first book of God. Are we willing to go through its pages or do we tear its pages thinking that we own it? 
- All things pass away, only the Word of God remains forever. How many are the vain words, the dreams and pleasures inexorably swallowed by time that carries away everything that has an end! Is the rock on which we have built our lives the rock of the Word of the living God? 
- Of that day or that hour no one knows: it is not for us to know. The Father knows. Are we open to put our trust in him?

b) A key to the reading:

The great change of the cosmos described by Mark lies between metaphor and reality and proclaims the imminence of the end of time as an introduction to an immensely new world. The coming of the Son in the clouds opens up for humanity a heavenly dimension. He is not an intransigent judge, but a powerful Saviour who appears in the splendour of divine glory to reunite the elect, to make them share in eternal life in the blessed reign of heaven. Mark does not mention a judgement, threat or sentence…so as to bring hope and increase the expectation, he proclaims the final victory.

v. 24-25. After that tribulation the sun will be darkened… a new reality is contrasted with the great tribulation. The Evangelist thinks that the parousia is near at hand, even though the hour of its coming is uncertain. The confusion of the cosmos is described in terms typical of apocalyptic language, in a stylised and accurate form: the four elements are ranged two by two in a parallel manner. The reference to Is 13:10 is clear when he speaks of the sun and the moon being darkened and to Is 34:4 when he speaks of the shaking of the powers in heaven.

v. 26. Then they will see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory. This is the peak of Mark’s eschatological discourse. The time of expectation is over, this is the time for restoring everything in Christ. The end of the world is no more than the promise of the glorious parousia of the Son foreseen by Dn 7:13. The clouds point to the presence of God who in all his self-revelations uses clouds to come down to earth. The attributes of divine sovereignty, power and glory, mentioned by Jesus before the Sanhedrin (14:62), are not a threat to humankind, but the solemn proclamation of the messianic dignity that transcends the humanity of Christ.

v. 27. And then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of heaven. By this first act of the Son of man, the meaning of the true parousia is made clear: the eschatological salvation of the people of God spread throughout the world. All the elect will be reunited. No one will be forgotten. There is no mention of punishment of enemies nor of punitive catastrophes, but only of unification. It will be the only place because from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven the angels will gather people around Christ. This, indeed, is a glorious meeting.

v. 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. The parable of the fig tree points to the certainty and nearness of the proclaimed events, especially the coming of the Son of man, prefigured in the imminent passion, death and resurrection. The imperative addressed to the listeners: Learn!reveals the implied meaning of the similitude: it is an invitation to penetrate deeply into the meaning of Jesus’ words in order to understand God’s plan for the world. When fig tree loses it leaves in late autumn, later than other plants, even past springtime, it announces the coming of summer.

v. 29. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Human beings may know God’s plan from the events that take place. What are the things that have to take place? Mark spoke of the abomination of desolation in v. 14. That is the sign, the sign of the end that is the parousia, the coming of the Son of man. Those things that are the beginning of woes will bring humankind to a new birth, because He is near, at the very gates.

v. 30. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away before these things take place. Many hypotheses have been put forward concerning the meaning of this generation. It is more a Christological expression than a chronological affirmation. The early Church kept affirming the uncertainty of the precise moment, even though it held on to the hope that the Lord would come soon. Every believer, in any age, who reads this passage, can think of him/herself as being part of this generation.

v. 31. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.The certainty that the words of the Lord will never pass away, add confidence to whoever reflects on the decline of the world and the things of the world. To build on the Word of God means that the abomination of desolation will not last and that the sun, moon and stars will not lose their splendour. The present time of God becomes for human beings the only way to their own being because, if in their speech the present never becomes the past, then they need not fear death.

v. 32. But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. The end is certain, but the knowledge as to when it will come is reserved to the Father. Jesus never made any precise statement on this matter. Thus, anyone who pretends to have some presumed teaching of his own, he is lying. The end is one of the many unfathomable secrets that belong to the Father. The mission of the Son is to establish the kingdom, not the revelation of the fulfilment of human history. Thus Jesus shares deeply in our human condition. Through his voluntary kenosis, he even complies with the possibility of not knowing the day or the hour of the end of the world.

c) Reflections:

Tribulation is like daily bread in human life and it is the sign of the coming of the Son of God. A life pregnant with a new face, cannot not know the pain of childbirth. The children of the Most High, dispersed to the ends of the earth, far from one another, will be gathered from the four winds by the divine breath that breathes over the earth. The Son of man comes in the clouds whereas our eyes are fixed on the ground, on our puny works, lost between the tears of delusion and those of failure. If we could raise our eyes from our miserable things to see him coming on the horizon of our history, then our life will be filled with light and we shall learn to read his writing in the sand of our thoughts and will, of our falls and dreams, of our attitudes and learning. If we have the courage to leaf through the pages of daily life and there gather the seeds fallen into the furrows of our being, then our hearts will find peace. Then vain words, pleasures swallowed by time, will only be a lost memory because the rock on which we would have built will be the rock of the Word of the living God. If no one knows the day or the hour, then it is not for us to go guessing. The Father knows and we trust in him

4. Oratio

Wisdom 9.1-6.9-11

O God of my fathers and Lord of mercy,
who hast made all things by thy word,
and by thy wisdom hast formed man,
to have dominion over the creatures thou hast made,
and rule the world in holiness and righteousness, 
and pronounce judgment in uprightness of soul,
give me the wisdom that sits by thy throne, 
and do not reject me from among thy servants.
For I am thy slave and the son of thy maidservant, 
a man who is weak and short-lived,
with little understanding of judgment and laws;
for even if one is perfect among the sons of men, 
yet without the wisdom that comes from thee
he will be regarded as nothing.
With thee is wisdom, 
who knows thy works and was present when thou didst make the world, 
and who understand what is pleasing in thy sight 
and what is right according to thy commandments.
Send her forth from the holy heavens,
and from the throne of thy glory send her, 
that she may be with me and toil,
and that I may learn what is pleasing to thee.
For she knows and understands all things, 
and she will guide me wisely in my actions 
and guard me with her glory.

5. Contemplatio

Lord, I gaze upon the tender branch of the fig tree that is my life and I wait. As the shadows of evening lengthen along my path, I think back on your words. What peace floods my heart when my thoughts dwell on you! In your own good time, my waiting for you will be fulfilled. In my time your expectations of me will be fulfilled. What a mystery is time, past, future and the eternal present! Today’s waves break on the burning experience of your Presence and remind me of games in the sand that are always washed away by the sea. And yet, I am happy. Happy that I am nothing, happy with the sand that will not last, because once more your Word goes on writing. We seek to pause in time, writing and talking, achieving excellent works that stand the ravages of centuries. You, however, pause to write on sand to achieve works of love that have the perfume of a caressed gazelle standing still, that have the sound of formless voices that are the basis of daily life, the taste of a doused vendetta of a returned embrace… works that do not last except in the heart of God and in the memory of the living who are sensitive to the flight of a dove in the heaven of their existence. Tender love of my soul, may I, each day, look up to the clouds and be consumed by the nostalgia of your return. Amen.

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