Thursday of the Thirty-fourth Week in
Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 506
Lectionary: 506
I, John, saw another angel coming down from heaven,
having great authority,
and the earth became illumined by his splendor.
He cried out in a mighty voice:
"Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great.
She has become a haunt for demons.
She is a cage for every unclean spirit,
a cage for every unclean bird,
a cage for every unclean and disgusting beast."
A mighty angel picked up a stone like a huge millstone
and threw it into the sea and said:
"With such force will Babylon the great city be thrown down,
and will never be found again.
No melodies of harpists and musicians,
flutists and trumpeters,
will ever be heard in you again.
No craftsmen in any trade
will ever be found in you again.
No sound of the millstone
will ever be heard in you again.
No light from a lamp
will ever be seen in you again.
No voices of bride and groom
will ever be heard in you again.
Because your merchants were the great ones of the world,
all nations were led astray by your magic potion."
After this I heard what sounded like
the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying:
"Alleluia!
Salvation, glory, and might belong to our God,
for true and just are his judgments.
He has condemned the great harlot
who corrupted the earth with her harlotry.
He has avenged on her the blood of his servants."
They said a second time:
"Alleluia! Smoke will rise from her forever and ever."
Then the angel said to me, "Write this:
Blessed are those who have been called
to the wedding feast of the Lamb."
having great authority,
and the earth became illumined by his splendor.
He cried out in a mighty voice:
"Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great.
She has become a haunt for demons.
She is a cage for every unclean spirit,
a cage for every unclean bird,
a cage for every unclean and disgusting beast."
A mighty angel picked up a stone like a huge millstone
and threw it into the sea and said:
"With such force will Babylon the great city be thrown down,
and will never be found again.
No melodies of harpists and musicians,
flutists and trumpeters,
will ever be heard in you again.
No craftsmen in any trade
will ever be found in you again.
No sound of the millstone
will ever be heard in you again.
No light from a lamp
will ever be seen in you again.
No voices of bride and groom
will ever be heard in you again.
Because your merchants were the great ones of the world,
all nations were led astray by your magic potion."
After this I heard what sounded like
the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying:
"Alleluia!
Salvation, glory, and might belong to our God,
for true and just are his judgments.
He has condemned the great harlot
who corrupted the earth with her harlotry.
He has avenged on her the blood of his servants."
They said a second time:
"Alleluia! Smoke will rise from her forever and ever."
Then the angel said to me, "Write this:
Blessed are those who have been called
to the wedding feast of the Lamb."
Responsorial
PsalmPS 100:1B-2, 3, 4, 5
R. (Rev. 19: 9a) Blessed
are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
his courts with praise;
Give thanks to him; bless his name.
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
For he is good:
the LORD, whose kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
his courts with praise;
Give thanks to him; bless his name.
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
For he is good:
the LORD, whose kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
AlleluiaLK 21:28
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel LK 21:20-28
Jesus said to his disciples:
"When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies,
know that its desolation is at hand.
Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains.
Let those within the city escape from it,
and let those in the countryside not enter the city,
for these days are the time of punishment
when all the Scriptures are fulfilled.
Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days,
for a terrible calamity will come upon the earth
and a wrathful judgment upon this people.
They will fall by the edge of the sword
and be taken as captives to all the Gentiles;
and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles
until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
"There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on earth nations will be in dismay,
perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will die of fright
in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
But when these signs begin to happen,
stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand."
"When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies,
know that its desolation is at hand.
Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains.
Let those within the city escape from it,
and let those in the countryside not enter the city,
for these days are the time of punishment
when all the Scriptures are fulfilled.
Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days,
for a terrible calamity will come upon the earth
and a wrathful judgment upon this people.
They will fall by the edge of the sword
and be taken as captives to all the Gentiles;
and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles
until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
"There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on earth nations will be in dismay,
perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will die of fright
in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
But when these signs begin to happen,
stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand."
Meditation: "The Son of man is coming with great
glory"
Do you believe that the world as we know it is going
to end just as Jesus foretold? Jesus' prophetic description of the destruction
of the holy city Jerusalem, the destruction of the world, and the day of final
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).
Indifference and rejection of the Gospel lead to
destruction
Jesus warns of the imminent destruction of Jerusalem as a consequence of the rejection of the Gospel. According to the historian Josephus, over a million inhabitants died when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem with its temple in 70 A.D. Jerusalem's vengeance resulted from her indifference to the visitation of God in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 19:44).
Jesus warns of the imminent destruction of Jerusalem as a consequence of the rejection of the Gospel. According to the historian Josephus, over a million inhabitants died when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem with its temple in 70 A.D. Jerusalem's vengeance resulted from her indifference to the visitation of God in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 19:44).
Jesus also speaks about the judgment at the end of the
world. Only spiritual blindness can keep us from recognizing the obvious signs
of approaching disaster which awaits the day of judgment for those who refuse
to heed God's word of grace and salvation. Jesus was completely honest. He told
his disciples what it would cost to follow him. And he promised that he would
never leave them alone, even in their time of tribulation. The saints and
martyrs who underwent torment and death made their prisons a temple of praise
and their scaffolds a throne to the glory of God. They knew the saving presence
of Jesus Christ with them in all circumstances. Jesus offers us safety in the
face of earth's threats. Not a hair of your head will perish (Luke
21:18). The disciple who walks with Christ may lose their body but not their
soul.
We hope for what is to come - full redemption of our
bodies and a new heavens and earth
The greatest gift which no one can take from us and which we can be most thankful for is our redemption through the precious blood of Jesus, which was shed on the cross for our sins, and our adoption through Christ as children of God our heavenly Father. Jesus Christ has redeemed us from slavery to sin, from fear of death, and from final destruction. We can be eternally thankful because our hope is anchored in heaven and in the promise that Jesus will return to fully establish his reign of peace and righteousness. The Lord Jesus will raise our lowly bodies to be like his glorious body which is no longer subject to illness, death and corruption.
The greatest gift which no one can take from us and which we can be most thankful for is our redemption through the precious blood of Jesus, which was shed on the cross for our sins, and our adoption through Christ as children of God our heavenly Father. Jesus Christ has redeemed us from slavery to sin, from fear of death, and from final destruction. We can be eternally thankful because our hope is anchored in heaven and in the promise that Jesus will return to fully establish his reign of peace and righteousness. The Lord Jesus will raise our lowly bodies to be like his glorious body which is no longer subject to illness, death and corruption.
Jesus speaks of his second coming as a known fact, a
for certain event which we can confidently expect to take place in the Lord's
time of choosing. This coming will be marked by signs that all will recognize -
signs which will strike terror and grief in those who are unprepared and wonder
and joy in those who are ready to meet the Lord. When the Lord Jesus returns he
will fully establish his kingdom of justice and righteousness and he will
vindicate all who have been faithful to him. His judgment is a sign of hope for
those who have placed their trust in him. Do you hope in God and in the promise
of Christ to return again to create new heavens and a new earth (Isaiah 65:17
and Revelation 21:1)?
"Lord Jesus, fill me with gratitude for the gift
of redemption and increase my hope and longing for your return again in glory.
May that day bring joy to my heart rather than sorrow. Help me to serve you
faithfully and to make the best use of my time now in the light of your coming
again."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: The signs have been accomplished, by
Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"The signs given in the Gospel and in prophecy
and fulfilled in us show the coming of the Lord... We know that the coming is
near by the fact that we see the fulfillment of certain signs of that coming
that have been accomplished... The signs that Christ told them to look for are
listed in the Gospel of Saint Luke: 'Jerusalem will be trampled down by the
Gentiles until the times of the nations are fulfilled.' This has happened and
no one doubts that it has happened... It is plain that there is no country or
place in our time that is not harassed or humbled according to the words 'for
fear and expectation of what will come on the whole world.' All the signs that
the gospel describes in the earlier verses have mostly been
accomplished." (excerpt from Letter 198)
THURSDAY,
NOVEMBER 29, LUKE 21:18-22
Weekday
(Revelation 18:1-2, 21-23, 19:1-3, 9a; Psalm 100)
Weekday
(Revelation 18:1-2, 21-23, 19:1-3, 9a; Psalm 100)
KEY VERSE: "But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand" (v. 28).
TO KNOW: Jesus warned the people about the eventual destruction of Jerusalem. The Holy City would be trampled by non-believers until the times of the Gentiles were fulfilled (Lk 21:24), an indefinite period of time from the beginning of the Church's missionary activity until the final coming of Christ. Many cosmic signs would precede Christ's return, but his followers were not to fear these events. Just as Jesus' words would be fulfilled, so too, the redemption of his followers would be assured. Those who heeded Jesus fled across the Jordan to the city of Pella. The Jews of Jerusalem regarded this as traitorous desertion, and it marked a significant break between Christianity and Judaism.
TO LOVE: Do I work for better relations between Christians and Jews?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to be grateful for your presence in my life.
Thursday 29 November
2018
Apocalypse 18:1-2, 21-23; 19:1-3, 9. Psalm 99(100):2-5. Luke
21:20-28.
Blessed are they who are called to the wedding
feast of the Lamb – Psalm 99(100):2-5. Luke 21:20-28.
‘Alleluia! Salvation and glory and power to our God!’
The terrifying details in Jesus’ apocalyptic description of the
end time were drawn largely from the writings of the prophets and were
doubtless familiar to Jesus’ contemporaries. Whatever we may understand by
these events, we do affirm in the creed: ‘He will come again to judge the
living and the dead.’
Leaving the past to the mercy of God and the future to his
providence, let us focus on the present. The Risen Christ, our hope and pledge
of glory, comes to us every day. Each day is, in some sense, a day of judgment
on which we can humbly acknowledge our infidelities, repent of our sins and
pray for the courage and strength Christ gives.
Saint Clement
Saint of the Day for November 29
(d. 101)
 |
| Pope Saint Clement I | photo by Lawrence | flickr |
Saint Clement’s Story
Clement of Rome was the third successor of Saint Peter, reigning
as pope during the last decade of the first century. He’s known as one of the
Church’s five “Apostolic Fathers,” those who provided a direct link between the
Apostles and later generations of Church Fathers.
Clement’s First Epistle to the Corinthians was
preserved and widely read in the early Church. This letter from the bishop of
Rome to the Church in Corinth concerns a split that alienated a large number of
the laity from the clergy. Deploring the unauthorized and unjustifiable
division in the Corinthian community, Clement urged charity to heal the rift.
Reflection
Today many in the Church experience polarization regarding
worship, how we speak of God, and other issues. We’d do well to take to heart
the exhortation from Clement’s Epistle: “Charity unites us to God.
It knows no schism, does not rebel, does all things in concord. In charity all
the elect of God have been made perfect.”
Rome’s Basilica of St. Clement, one of the city’s earliest
parish churches, is probably built on the site of Clement’s home. History tells
us that Pope Clement was martyred either in the year 99 or in 101. The
Liturgical Feast of Saint Clement is November 23.
Saint Clement is the Patron Saint of:
Marble Workers
Mariners
Tanners
Mariners
Tanners
LECTIO DIVINA: LUKE 21:20-28
Lectio Divina:
Thursday, November 29, 2018
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Lord,
increase our eagerness to do your will
and help us to know the saving power of your love.
You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
increase our eagerness to do your will
and help us to know the saving power of your love.
You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel reading - Luke 21,20-28
Jesus said to his disciples: 'When you
see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you must realise that it will soon be
laid desolate. Then those in Judaea must escape to the mountains, those inside
the city must leave it, and those in country districts must not take refuge in
it. For this is the time of retribution when all that scripture says must be
fulfilled.
Alas for those with child, or with babies at the breast, when those days come! 'For great misery will descend on the land and retribution on this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive to every gentile country; and Jerusalem will be trampled down by the gentiles until their time is complete.
'There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars; on earth nations in agony, bewildered by the turmoil of the ocean and its waves; men fainting away with terror and fear at what menaces the world, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
When these things begin to take place, stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand.'
Alas for those with child, or with babies at the breast, when those days come! 'For great misery will descend on the land and retribution on this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive to every gentile country; and Jerusalem will be trampled down by the gentiles until their time is complete.
'There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars; on earth nations in agony, bewildered by the turmoil of the ocean and its waves; men fainting away with terror and fear at what menaces the world, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
When these things begin to take place, stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand.'
3) Reflection
• In today’s Gospel we have the
continuation of the Apocalyptic Discourse which gives two signs, the 7th and
the 8th, which should take place before the end of time or better before the
coming of the end of this world in order to give place to the new world, to the
“new Heavens and the New Earth” (Is 65, 17). The seventh sign is the
destruction of Jerusalem and the eighth is the upsetting of the old creation.
• Luke 21, 20-24. The seventh sign: the destruction of Jerusalem. Jerusalem was for them the Eternal City. And now it was destroyed! How can this fact be explained? Is it possible that God is not aware of this? It is difficult for us to imagine the trauma and the crisis of faith that the destruction of Jerusalem caused in the communities both of the Jews and of the Christians. Here it is possible to make an observation on the composition of the Gospel of Luke and of Mark. Luke writes in the year 85. He uses the Gospel of Mark to compose his narrative on Jesus. Mark writes in the year 70, the same year in which Jerusalem was surrounded and destroyed by the Roman armies. This is why Mark writes giving an indication to the reader: “When you see the appalling abomination set up where it ought not to be – (and here he opens a parenthesis and says) “let the reader understand!”) (he closes the parenthesis) - then those in Judaea must escape to the mountains” (Mk 13, 14). When Luke mentions the destruction of Jerusalem, for the past fifteen years Jerusalem was in ruins. This is why he omits the parenthesis of Mark and Luke says: “When you will see Jerusalem surrounded by the army, then you must realize that it will soon be laid desolate. Then those in Judaea must escape to the mountains, those inside the city must leave it, and those in country districts must not take refuge in it; for this is the time of retribution when all that Scripture says must be fulfilled. Alas for those with child, or with babies at the breast, when those days come. For great misery will descend on the land and retribution on this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive to every gentile country; and Jerusalem will be trampled down by gentiles until their time is complete”. Hearing Jesus who announces persecution (6th sign) and the destruction of Jerusalem (7th sign), the readers of the persecuted communities in the time of Luke concluded saying: “This is our day! We are in the 6th and 7th signs!”
• Luke 21, 25-26: The eighth sign: changes in the sun and in the moon. When will the end come? At the end, after having spoken about all these signs which had already been realized, there was still the following question: “God’s project is very much advanced and the stages foreseen by Jesus are already being realized. We are in the sixth and the seventh stages, how many stages or signs are still lacking until the end arrives? Is there much lacking?” The response is now given in the 8th sign: "There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on earth nations in agony, bewildered by the turmoil of the ocean and its waves; men fainting away with terror and fear at what menaces the world, for the powers of heaven will be shaken”. The 8th sign is different from the other signs. The signs in heaven and on earth are an indication of what is taking place, at the same time, at the end of the old world, of the ancient creation, it is the beginning of the coming of the new Heaven and the new earth. When the shell of the egg begins to crack it is a sign that the novelty is about to appear. It is the coming of a New World which is provoking the disintegration of the ancient world. Conclusion: very little is lacking! The Kingdom of God is arriving already!
• Luke 21, 27-28: The coming of the Kingdom of God and the appearance of the Son of Man. “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand erect; hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand”. In this announcement, Jesus describes the coming of the Kingdom with images taken from the prophecy of Daniel (Dn 7, 1-14). Daniel says that, after the misfortunes caused by the kingdoms of this world, the Kingdom of God will come. The kingdoms of this world, all of them, had the figure of an animal: lion, panther, bear, and ferocious beast (Dn 7, 3-7). These are animal signs which dehumanize life, like it happens with the neo-liberal kingdom, today! The Kingdom of God then appears with the aspect of the Son of Man, that is, with a human aspect (Dn 7, 13). It is a human kingdom. To construct this kingdom which humanizes is the task of the persons of the community. It is the new history that we have to take to fulfilment and which brings together people from the four corners of the earth. The title Son of Man is the name that Jesus liked to use. In the four Gospels this name appears more than 80 times (eighty)! Any pain which we bear from now, any struggle in behalf of life, any persecution for the sake of justice, any birth pangs, are a seed of the Kingdom which will come in the 8th sign.
• Luke 21, 20-24. The seventh sign: the destruction of Jerusalem. Jerusalem was for them the Eternal City. And now it was destroyed! How can this fact be explained? Is it possible that God is not aware of this? It is difficult for us to imagine the trauma and the crisis of faith that the destruction of Jerusalem caused in the communities both of the Jews and of the Christians. Here it is possible to make an observation on the composition of the Gospel of Luke and of Mark. Luke writes in the year 85. He uses the Gospel of Mark to compose his narrative on Jesus. Mark writes in the year 70, the same year in which Jerusalem was surrounded and destroyed by the Roman armies. This is why Mark writes giving an indication to the reader: “When you see the appalling abomination set up where it ought not to be – (and here he opens a parenthesis and says) “let the reader understand!”) (he closes the parenthesis) - then those in Judaea must escape to the mountains” (Mk 13, 14). When Luke mentions the destruction of Jerusalem, for the past fifteen years Jerusalem was in ruins. This is why he omits the parenthesis of Mark and Luke says: “When you will see Jerusalem surrounded by the army, then you must realize that it will soon be laid desolate. Then those in Judaea must escape to the mountains, those inside the city must leave it, and those in country districts must not take refuge in it; for this is the time of retribution when all that Scripture says must be fulfilled. Alas for those with child, or with babies at the breast, when those days come. For great misery will descend on the land and retribution on this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive to every gentile country; and Jerusalem will be trampled down by gentiles until their time is complete”. Hearing Jesus who announces persecution (6th sign) and the destruction of Jerusalem (7th sign), the readers of the persecuted communities in the time of Luke concluded saying: “This is our day! We are in the 6th and 7th signs!”
• Luke 21, 25-26: The eighth sign: changes in the sun and in the moon. When will the end come? At the end, after having spoken about all these signs which had already been realized, there was still the following question: “God’s project is very much advanced and the stages foreseen by Jesus are already being realized. We are in the sixth and the seventh stages, how many stages or signs are still lacking until the end arrives? Is there much lacking?” The response is now given in the 8th sign: "There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on earth nations in agony, bewildered by the turmoil of the ocean and its waves; men fainting away with terror and fear at what menaces the world, for the powers of heaven will be shaken”. The 8th sign is different from the other signs. The signs in heaven and on earth are an indication of what is taking place, at the same time, at the end of the old world, of the ancient creation, it is the beginning of the coming of the new Heaven and the new earth. When the shell of the egg begins to crack it is a sign that the novelty is about to appear. It is the coming of a New World which is provoking the disintegration of the ancient world. Conclusion: very little is lacking! The Kingdom of God is arriving already!
• Luke 21, 27-28: The coming of the Kingdom of God and the appearance of the Son of Man. “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand erect; hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand”. In this announcement, Jesus describes the coming of the Kingdom with images taken from the prophecy of Daniel (Dn 7, 1-14). Daniel says that, after the misfortunes caused by the kingdoms of this world, the Kingdom of God will come. The kingdoms of this world, all of them, had the figure of an animal: lion, panther, bear, and ferocious beast (Dn 7, 3-7). These are animal signs which dehumanize life, like it happens with the neo-liberal kingdom, today! The Kingdom of God then appears with the aspect of the Son of Man, that is, with a human aspect (Dn 7, 13). It is a human kingdom. To construct this kingdom which humanizes is the task of the persons of the community. It is the new history that we have to take to fulfilment and which brings together people from the four corners of the earth. The title Son of Man is the name that Jesus liked to use. In the four Gospels this name appears more than 80 times (eighty)! Any pain which we bear from now, any struggle in behalf of life, any persecution for the sake of justice, any birth pangs, are a seed of the Kingdom which will come in the 8th sign.
4) Personal questions
• Persecution of the communities,
destruction of Jerusalem. Lack of hope. Before the events which today make
people suffer, do I despair? Which is the source of my hope?
• Son of Man is the title which Jesus liked to use. He wants to humanize life. The more human it is the more divine as Pope Leo the Great said. Am I human in my relationships with others? Do I humanize?
• Son of Man is the title which Jesus liked to use. He wants to humanize life. The more human it is the more divine as Pope Leo the Great said. Am I human in my relationships with others? Do I humanize?
5) Concluding prayer
For Yahweh is good,
his faithful love is everlasting,
his constancy from age to age. (Ps 100,5)
his faithful love is everlasting,
his constancy from age to age. (Ps 100,5)
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