Friday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 495
Lectionary: 495
All men were by
nature foolish who were in ignorance of God,
and who from the good things seen did not succeed in knowing him who is,
and from studying the works did not discern the artisan;
But either fire, or wind, or the swift air,
or the circuit of the stars, or the mighty water,
or the luminaries of heaven, the governors of the world, they considered gods.
Now if out of joy in their beauty they thought them gods,
let them know how far more excellent is the Lord than these;
for the original source of beauty fashioned them.
Or if they were struck by their might and energy,
let them from these things realize how much more powerful is he who made them.
For from the greatness and the beauty of created things
their original author, by analogy, is seen.
But yet, for these the blame is less;
For they indeed have gone astray perhaps,
though they seek God and wish to find him.
For they search busily among his works,
but are distracted by what they see, because the things seen are fair.
But again, not even these are pardonable.
For if they so far succeeded in knowledge
that they could speculate about the world,
how did they not more quickly find its Lord?
and who from the good things seen did not succeed in knowing him who is,
and from studying the works did not discern the artisan;
But either fire, or wind, or the swift air,
or the circuit of the stars, or the mighty water,
or the luminaries of heaven, the governors of the world, they considered gods.
Now if out of joy in their beauty they thought them gods,
let them know how far more excellent is the Lord than these;
for the original source of beauty fashioned them.
Or if they were struck by their might and energy,
let them from these things realize how much more powerful is he who made them.
For from the greatness and the beauty of created things
their original author, by analogy, is seen.
But yet, for these the blame is less;
For they indeed have gone astray perhaps,
though they seek God and wish to find him.
For they search busily among his works,
but are distracted by what they see, because the things seen are fair.
But again, not even these are pardonable.
For if they so far succeeded in knowledge
that they could speculate about the world,
how did they not more quickly find its Lord?
Responsorial PsalmPS 19:2-3, 4-5AB
R. (2a) The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day,
and night to night imparts knowledge.
R. The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message.
R. The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day,
and night to night imparts knowledge.
R. The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message.
R. The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
GospelLK 17:26-37
Jesus said to his
disciples:
“As it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be in the days of the Son of Man;
they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage up to the day
that Noah entered the ark,
and the flood came and destroyed them all.
Similarly, as it was in the days of Lot:
they were eating, drinking, buying,
selling, planting, building;
on the day when Lot left Sodom,
fire and brimstone rained from the sky to destroy them all.
So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed.
On that day, someone who is on the housetop
and whose belongings are in the house
must not go down to get them,
and likewise one in the field
must not return to what was left behind.
Remember the wife of Lot.
Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it,
but whoever loses it will save it.
I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed;
one will be taken, the other left.
And there will be two women grinding meal together;
one will be taken, the other left.”
They said to him in reply, “Where, Lord?”
He said to them, “Where the body is,
there also the vultures will gather.”
“As it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be in the days of the Son of Man;
they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage up to the day
that Noah entered the ark,
and the flood came and destroyed them all.
Similarly, as it was in the days of Lot:
they were eating, drinking, buying,
selling, planting, building;
on the day when Lot left Sodom,
fire and brimstone rained from the sky to destroy them all.
So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed.
On that day, someone who is on the housetop
and whose belongings are in the house
must not go down to get them,
and likewise one in the field
must not return to what was left behind.
Remember the wife of Lot.
Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it,
but whoever loses it will save it.
I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed;
one will be taken, the other left.
And there will be two women grinding meal together;
one will be taken, the other left.”
They said to him in reply, “Where, Lord?”
He said to them, “Where the body is,
there also the vultures will gather.”
Meditation: "One
will be taken and the other left"
What can
nature teach us about the return of the Lord Jesus on the day of final judgment
at the end of the world? Jesus quoted a familiar proverb to his audience: Where
the body is, there the eagles (or vultures) will be gathered together.
Eagles, like vultures, are attracted to carrion – the carcass of dying or dead
animals. The Book of Job describes the eagle spying out its prey from afar (Job
39:29). The eagles swoop to catch their prey when the conditions are right,
especially if the prey is exposed and vulnerable to a surprise attack. Severely
weakened or dying prey have no chance of warding off forces that can destroy
and kill. What's the point of this analogy? It's inevitable that some
life-threatening or life-changing event or cause will take place when the
necessary conditions are fulfilled. The return of the Lord Jesus is certain,
but the time is unknown. The Day of the Lord's judgment will come swiftly and
unexpectedly. Jesus warns his listeners to not be caught off guard when that
day arrives. It will surely come in God's good time!
What does
Jesus mean when he says that one person will be taken and another left? God
judges each person individually on how they have responded to his mercy and his
gracious invitation to accept or reject his kingship – to either live as loyal
citizens or as traitors of his kingdom. We cannot pass off personal
responsibility and accountability for how we have lived our lives to someone
else, such as a close friend, spouse, or family member. No one can discharge
his or her duty by proxy or by association with someone else. The good news is
that God gives grace and help to all who seek him with faith and trust in his
mercy. The Lord Jesus freely gives us his Holy Spirit so that we may have the
wisdom, help, and strength we need to turn away from sin and to embrace God's
way of love, righteousness, and holiness. The Lord's warning of judgment is a
cause for dismay for those who have not heeded his warning and are now
unprepared, but it brings joyful hope to those who eagerly anticipate the
Lord's return in glory.
God's
judgment is good news for those who are ready to meet him. Their reward is God
himself, the source and author of all that is good – truth, beauty, love,
and everlasting life. The people in Noah's time ignored the Lord's warning of
impending judgment. They missed the boat, literally! Whose boat are you taking
– the world's boat to short-lived success and happiness or God's boat to an
eternal kingdom and bliss with him? Those whose hope is firmly anchored in
heaven will not be disappointed when God's judgment comes. They rejoice even
now that they will see the Lord in his glory! Is your hope firmly placed in God
and his kingdom?
"Lord
Jesus Christ, I place all my hope in you because you have redeemed the world by
your death on the cross and by your victory over the grave. Help me to never
lose sight of the goal of heaven that I may live each day in joyful
anticipation of your return in glory."
 Living My Encounter with Christ |
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Friday of the
Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time
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Father Edward
Hopkins, LC
Luke 17:26-37
Jesus said to his disciples: "As it was
in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man; they were
eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage up to the day that Noah
entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Similarly, as it
was in the days of Lot: they were eating, drinking, buying, selling,
planting, building; on the day when Lot left Sodom, fire and brimstone rained
from the sky to destroy them all. So it will be on the day the Son of Man is
revealed. On that day, a person who is on the housetop and whose belongings
are in the house must not go down to get them, and likewise a person in the
field must not return to what was left behind. Remember the wife of Lot.
Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will
save it. I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed; one
will be taken, the other left. And there will be two women grinding meal
together; one will be taken, the other left." They said to him in reply,
"Where, Lord?" He said to them, "Where the body is, there also
the vultures will gather."
Introductory Prayer: I believe in you, Lord, my companion and
strength. I believe that you come out to meet me each day, asking me to
depend more on you and less on creatures. I hope in you, Lord, as the one who
fills my longing to love and be loved. I love you here and now with my prayer
and with my desire to be faithful and generous in the little things you ask
of me.
Petition: Lord, help me to put you first in my life.
1. They Were Eating and Drinking: In the time of Noah and of Lot, God’s
judgment was said to come down upon man. Yet the real moment of judgment for
each one of us comes immediately upon our own death. It is then that the
kingdom will be fully revealed to us, and it will be decided whether we will
be part of it or not. But it is in the course of my own life that my option
for being received into the kingdom is decided. God comes to me today. How
will I respond? My response now and each day determines my eternal place in
the kingdom.
2. Do Not Return to What Was Left Behind: In most disasters people have little
chance to collect belongings; those who try are often lost as a result. The
same will be true of the Final Judgment – or at our own death; when Jesus
comes, will I be ready? What do I most cherish? What I must hold on to is my relationship
with Christ. And this implies in so many ways losing “my life” here. Do I
live with the attitude of losing my life a little more each day, detaching
myself from things, activities and people, so as to be freer to love, serve
and be with Christ?
3. Where the Body Is? “Where Lord?” the disciples ask; where will
the day of the Son of man take place? It will take place, says Jesus,
wherever you are. Whether we die and encounter Christ in a personal judgment
or are alive to encounter the Lord at his Second Coming and the Final
Judgment, the reality is the same. Standing next to a saint or a sinner will
not alter our fate. Who we know or what contacts we have will do little.
Where we are in our relationship with Christ will be the only real determining
factor. Where am I, Lord, today, in relationship with you? May this be my
only concern!
Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, increase my desire to live my
life in close relation with you. Order all my activities according to your
will, and my relationships according to your heart. “I want whatever you
want, because you want it, the way you want it, as long as you want it”
(Prayer of Pope Clement XI).
Resolution: I will give priority to my relationship with
Christ. I will make prayer my first act today before every meal.
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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, LUKE 17:26-37
(Wisdom 13:1-9; Psalm 19)
(Wisdom 13:1-9; Psalm 19)
KEY VERSE: "Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it" (v 33).
READING: Throughout salvation history, the prophets warned the people of God's imminent judgment, yet they ignored these messengers of God. In Noah's day, the people continued with their ordinary activities right up to the moment the flood engulfed them (Gn 6-7). Abraham's nephew Lot had to be dragged from the city of Sodom because he did not heed the warnings of its impending destruction (19:16). Jesus alerted his followers to flee Jerusalem at the first sign of the city's coming destruction. When Jerusalem fell in 70 CE, thousands died in the siege while those who heeded Jesus' counsel fled to Pella and were saved. God's judgment swiftly separated the righteous from the unjust. Those who trusted in God would find life everlasting.
REFLECTING: Do I heed the warnings of today's prophets?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to place my life in your hands.
November 15, Optional Memorial of Albert the
Great, bishop and doctor of the Church
Albert was one of the early intellectuals of the Dominican
order founded in 1216. He is more traditionally known as Albertus Magnus
(Albert the Great). He was born in Swabia within a few years of 1200, the
eldest son of a family belonging to the equestrian nobility. He was educated at
the University of Padua and joined the Dominicans as a young man. After
completing his studies he taught theology, going to Paris about 1240, where he
took the degree of master in sacred theology. For the next thirty years he led
a life as teacher and administrator, and later as bishop of Ratisbon. His
printed works fill thirty-eight volumes and cover every field of learning. At
Cologne and Paris he had Thomas Aquinas as his pupil, and one of his prophetic
missions was to defend some of Thomas's writings against attacks. He died in
1280 and was canonized and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1931.
The heavens proclaim the glory of
God.
‘Those who seek to preserve their life will lose it.’The disciples must have found these words of Jesus to be particularly obscure. Then he added, ‘Those who loses their life will save it.’ Even more perplexingly, what does this scripture mean to us in today’s society? Surely we are not meant to ignore the care of our bodies, our life. Correct diet, exercise and adequate sleep are essential elements in healthy living. Our bodies are the ‘temple of the Holy Spirit’. Of course, we should maintain them. The problem may be when either our health or our body image becomes our main focus. What is our priority - our bodies or God? Do we spend more time pursuing our creator or what he has created? We are asked to seek first the kingdom of God. How best can we do that today?
November 15
St. Albert the Great
(1206-1280)
St. Albert the Great
(1206-1280)
Albert the Great was a 13th-century German Dominican who
influenced decisively the Church's stance toward Aristotelian philosophy
brought to Europe by the spread of Islam.
Students
of philosophy know him as the master of Thomas Aquinas. Albert’s attempt to
understand Aristotle’s writings established the climate in which Thomas Aquinas
developed his synthesis of Greek wisdom and Christian theology. But Albert
deserves recognition on his own merits as a curious, honest and diligent
scholar.
He was
the eldest son of a powerful and wealthy German lord of military rank. He was
educated in the liberal arts. Despite fierce family opposition, he entered the
Dominican novitiate.
His
boundless interests prompted him to write a compendium of all knowledge:
natural science, logic, rhetoric, mathematics, astronomy, ethics, economics,
politics and metaphysics. His explanation of learning took 20 years to
complete. "Our intention," he said, "is to make all the
aforesaid parts of knowledge intelligible to the Latins."
He
achieved his goal while serving as an educator at Paris and Cologne, as
Dominican provincial and even as bishop of Regensburg for a short time. He
defended the mendicant orders and preached the Crusade in Germany and Bohemia.
Albert, a
Doctor of the Church, is the patron of scientists and philosophers.
Comment:
An information glut faces us Christians today in all branches of learning. One needs only to read current Catholic periodicals to experience the varied reactions to the findings of the social sciences, for example, in regard to Christian institutions, Christian life-styles and Christian theology. Ultimately, in canonizing Albert, the Church seems to point to his openness to truth, wherever it may be found, as his claim to holiness. His characteristic curiosity prompted Albert to mine deeply for wisdom within a philosophy his Church warmed to with great difficulty.
An information glut faces us Christians today in all branches of learning. One needs only to read current Catholic periodicals to experience the varied reactions to the findings of the social sciences, for example, in regard to Christian institutions, Christian life-styles and Christian theology. Ultimately, in canonizing Albert, the Church seems to point to his openness to truth, wherever it may be found, as his claim to holiness. His characteristic curiosity prompted Albert to mine deeply for wisdom within a philosophy his Church warmed to with great difficulty.
Quote:
"There are some who desire knowledge merely for its own sake; and that is shameful curiosity. And there are others who desire to know, in order that they may themselves be known; and that is vanity, disgraceful too. Others again desire knowledge in order to acquire money or preferment by it; that too is a discreditable quest. But there are also some who desire knowledge, that they may build up the souls of others with it; and that is charity. Others, again, desire it that they may themselves be built up thereby; and that is prudence. Of all these types, only the last two put knowledge to the right use" (St. Bernard,Sermon on the Canticle of Canticles).
"There are some who desire knowledge merely for its own sake; and that is shameful curiosity. And there are others who desire to know, in order that they may themselves be known; and that is vanity, disgraceful too. Others again desire knowledge in order to acquire money or preferment by it; that too is a discreditable quest. But there are also some who desire knowledge, that they may build up the souls of others with it; and that is charity. Others, again, desire it that they may themselves be built up thereby; and that is prudence. Of all these types, only the last two put knowledge to the right use" (St. Bernard,Sermon on the Canticle of Canticles).
Patron Saint of:
Medical technicians
Philosophers
Scientists
Medical technicians
Philosophers
Scientists
LECTIO: LUKE
17,26-37
Lectio:
Friday, November 15, 2013
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
God of power and mercy,
protect us from all harm.
Give us freedom of spirit
and health in mind and body
to do your work on earth.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
protect us from all harm.
Give us freedom of spirit
and health in mind and body
to do your work on earth.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel reading - Luke 17,26-37
Jesus said to his disciples: 'As it was in Noah's day, so will
it also be in the days of the Son of man. People were eating and drinking,
marrying wives and husbands, right up to the day Noah went into the ark, and
the Flood came and destroyed them all.
It will be the same as it was in Lot's day: people were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but the day Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and it destroyed them all. It will be the same when the day comes for the Son of man to be revealed.
'When that Day comes, no one on the housetop, with his possessions in the house, must come down to collect them, nor must anyone in the fields turn back. Remember Lot's wife. Anyone who tries to preserve his life will lose it; and anyone who loses it will keep it safe.
I tell you, on that night, when two are in one bed, one will be taken, the other left; when two women are grinding corn together, one will be taken, the other left.'
The disciples spoke up and asked, 'Where, Lord?' He said, 'Where the body is, there too will the vultures gather.'
It will be the same as it was in Lot's day: people were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but the day Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and it destroyed them all. It will be the same when the day comes for the Son of man to be revealed.
'When that Day comes, no one on the housetop, with his possessions in the house, must come down to collect them, nor must anyone in the fields turn back. Remember Lot's wife. Anyone who tries to preserve his life will lose it; and anyone who loses it will keep it safe.
I tell you, on that night, when two are in one bed, one will be taken, the other left; when two women are grinding corn together, one will be taken, the other left.'
The disciples spoke up and asked, 'Where, Lord?' He said, 'Where the body is, there too will the vultures gather.'
3) Reflection
• Today’s Gospel continues the reflection on the coming of the
end of time and presents to us the words of Jesus about how to prepare
ourselves for the coming of the Kingdom. This was an affair which produced much
discussion at that time. God is the one who determines the hour of the coming
of the end of time. But the time of God (kairós) is not measured according to
the time of our clock (chronos). For God one day can be equal to one thousand
years, and one thousand years equal to one day (Ps 90, 4; 2 P 3, 8). The time
of God goes by invisibly in our time, but independently of us and of our time.
We cannot interfere in time, but we have to be prepared for the moment in which
the hour of God becomes present in our time. It could be today, it could be in
one thousand years. What gives us security is not to know the hour of the end
of the world, but the certainty of the presence of the Words of Jesus present
in our life. The world will pass, but the word of God will never pass (cf. Is
40, 7-8).
• Luke 17, 26-29: “As it was in the day of Noah and of Lot. Life goes by normally: eating, drinking, getting married, buying, selling, sowing, harvesting. Routine can include so much that we do not succeed to think about anything else. And the consumerism of the neo-liberal system contributes to increase in many of us that total lack of attention to the more profound dimensions of life. We allow the moths to enter into the beam of faith which holds up the more profound dimensions of life. When the storm destroys the house, many of us blame the carpenter: “It was badly made!” In reality, it crumbled down due to our continual lack of attention. The reference to the destruction of Sodom, as a figure of what will happen at the end of time, is a reference to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in the years 70’s AD (cf. Mk 13, 14).
• Luke 17, 30-32: So it will also be in the days of the Son of Man. “So it will be in the days when the Son of Man will reveal himself”. It is difficult for us to imagine the suffering and the trauma that the destruction of Jerusalem caused in the communities, both of the Jews and of the Christians. In order to help them to understand and to face this suffering Jesus uses a comparison taken from life: “When that Day comes, no one on the housetop, with his possessions in the house, must come down to collect them, nor must anyone in the fields turn back”. The destruction will take place so rapidly that it is not worth while to go down to look for something in the house (Mk 13, 15-16). “Remember Lot’s wife” (cf. Gn 19, 26), that is do not look back, do not lose time, decide and advance, go ahead: it is a question of life or death.
• Luke 17, 33: To lose one’s life in order to save it. “Anyone who tries to preserve his life will lose it, and anyone who loses it will keep it safe”. Only the person who has been capable of giving himself/herself completely to others will feel totally fulfilled in life. Anyone who preserves life for self alone loses it. This advice of Jesus is the confirmation of the most profound human experience: the source of life is found in the gift of life. In giving one receives. “In all truth I tell you: unless a wheat grain falls into the earth and dies, it remains only a single grain, but if it dies it yields a rich harvest”. (Jn 12, 24). The motivation which Mark’s Gospel adds is important: “for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel” (Mk 8, 35). Saying that no one is capable of preserving his life by his own efforts, Jesus recalls the Psalm in which it is said that nobody is capable of paying the price for the ransom of his life: “No one can redeem himself or pay his own ransom to God. The price for himself is too high, it can never be that he will live on for ever and avoid the sight of the abyss”. (Ps 49, 8-10).
• Luke 17, 34-36: Vigilance. “I tell you, on that night, when two are in one bed, one will be taken, the other left; when two women are grinding corn together one will be taken, the other left”. This recalls the parable of the ten Virgins. Five were prudent and five were foolish (Mt 25, 1-11). What is important is to be prepared. The words “One will be taken and the other left” recall the words of Paul to the Thessalonians (1Th 4, 13-17), when he says that with the coming of the Son of Man, we will be taken to Heaven at the side of Jesus. These words “left behind” furnished the title of a terrible and dangerous romance of the fundamentalist extreme right of the United States: “Left Behind! This is a romance which has nothing to do with the real sense of the words of Jesus.
• Luke 17, 37: Where and when? “The disciples asked: Where, Lord?” “And Jesus answered: Where the body is, there too will the vultures gather”. This is an enigmatic response. Some think that Jesus recalled the prophecy of Ezekiel, taken up in the Apocalypse, in which the prophet refers to the final victorious battle against the force of evil. The birds of prey or the vultures will be invited to eat the flesh of the bodies (Ez 39, 4. 17-20; Rv 19, 17-18). Others think that it is a question of the Valley of Jehoshaphat, where the final judgment will take place according to the prophecy of Joel (Ga 4, 2.12). Others think that it is simply a question of a popular proverb which meant more or less what our proverb says: “Where there is smoke, there is also fire!”
• Luke 17, 26-29: “As it was in the day of Noah and of Lot. Life goes by normally: eating, drinking, getting married, buying, selling, sowing, harvesting. Routine can include so much that we do not succeed to think about anything else. And the consumerism of the neo-liberal system contributes to increase in many of us that total lack of attention to the more profound dimensions of life. We allow the moths to enter into the beam of faith which holds up the more profound dimensions of life. When the storm destroys the house, many of us blame the carpenter: “It was badly made!” In reality, it crumbled down due to our continual lack of attention. The reference to the destruction of Sodom, as a figure of what will happen at the end of time, is a reference to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in the years 70’s AD (cf. Mk 13, 14).
• Luke 17, 30-32: So it will also be in the days of the Son of Man. “So it will be in the days when the Son of Man will reveal himself”. It is difficult for us to imagine the suffering and the trauma that the destruction of Jerusalem caused in the communities, both of the Jews and of the Christians. In order to help them to understand and to face this suffering Jesus uses a comparison taken from life: “When that Day comes, no one on the housetop, with his possessions in the house, must come down to collect them, nor must anyone in the fields turn back”. The destruction will take place so rapidly that it is not worth while to go down to look for something in the house (Mk 13, 15-16). “Remember Lot’s wife” (cf. Gn 19, 26), that is do not look back, do not lose time, decide and advance, go ahead: it is a question of life or death.
• Luke 17, 33: To lose one’s life in order to save it. “Anyone who tries to preserve his life will lose it, and anyone who loses it will keep it safe”. Only the person who has been capable of giving himself/herself completely to others will feel totally fulfilled in life. Anyone who preserves life for self alone loses it. This advice of Jesus is the confirmation of the most profound human experience: the source of life is found in the gift of life. In giving one receives. “In all truth I tell you: unless a wheat grain falls into the earth and dies, it remains only a single grain, but if it dies it yields a rich harvest”. (Jn 12, 24). The motivation which Mark’s Gospel adds is important: “for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel” (Mk 8, 35). Saying that no one is capable of preserving his life by his own efforts, Jesus recalls the Psalm in which it is said that nobody is capable of paying the price for the ransom of his life: “No one can redeem himself or pay his own ransom to God. The price for himself is too high, it can never be that he will live on for ever and avoid the sight of the abyss”. (Ps 49, 8-10).
• Luke 17, 34-36: Vigilance. “I tell you, on that night, when two are in one bed, one will be taken, the other left; when two women are grinding corn together one will be taken, the other left”. This recalls the parable of the ten Virgins. Five were prudent and five were foolish (Mt 25, 1-11). What is important is to be prepared. The words “One will be taken and the other left” recall the words of Paul to the Thessalonians (1Th 4, 13-17), when he says that with the coming of the Son of Man, we will be taken to Heaven at the side of Jesus. These words “left behind” furnished the title of a terrible and dangerous romance of the fundamentalist extreme right of the United States: “Left Behind! This is a romance which has nothing to do with the real sense of the words of Jesus.
• Luke 17, 37: Where and when? “The disciples asked: Where, Lord?” “And Jesus answered: Where the body is, there too will the vultures gather”. This is an enigmatic response. Some think that Jesus recalled the prophecy of Ezekiel, taken up in the Apocalypse, in which the prophet refers to the final victorious battle against the force of evil. The birds of prey or the vultures will be invited to eat the flesh of the bodies (Ez 39, 4. 17-20; Rv 19, 17-18). Others think that it is a question of the Valley of Jehoshaphat, where the final judgment will take place according to the prophecy of Joel (Ga 4, 2.12). Others think that it is simply a question of a popular proverb which meant more or less what our proverb says: “Where there is smoke, there is also fire!”
4) Personal questions
• Am I from the time of Noah or from the time of Lot?
• A Romance of the extreme right. How do I place myself before this political manipulation of the faith in Jesus?
• A Romance of the extreme right. How do I place myself before this political manipulation of the faith in Jesus?
5) Concluding prayer
How blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the Law of Yahweh!
Blessed are those who observe his instructions,
who seek him with all their hearts. (Ps 119,1-2)
who walk in the Law of Yahweh!
Blessed are those who observe his instructions,
who seek him with all their hearts. (Ps 119,1-2)
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