Monday of the First Week of Advent

“Healing the Centurion’s Servant”
by Alexandre Bida, c. 1875

 
Readings for Monday of the First Week of Advent [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Isaiah 4:2-6*
 
On that day,
The branch of the Lord will be luster and glory,
and the fruit of the earth will be honor and splendor
for the survivors of Israel.
He who remains in Zion
and he who is left in Jerusalem
Will be called holy:
every one marked down for life in Jerusalem.
When the Lord washes away
the filth of the daughters of Zion,
And purges Jerusalem’s blood from her midst
with a blast of searing judgment,
Then will the Lord create,
over the whole site of Mount Zion
and over her place of assembly,
A smoking cloud by day
and a light of flaming fire by night.
For over all, the Lord’s glory will be shelter and protection:
shade from the parching heat of day,
refuge and cover from storm and rain.
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Commentary on Is 4:2-6
 
The prophet envisions a time when the Lord will give his divine blessing to the faithful who patiently await the moment of God’s great glory. “The ‘branch of the Lord’ (v. 2) is a title belonging to the king in the line of David (cf. Isaiah 11:1). It is not only the ‘remnant’ of Israel that will survive and see the glory of the purified Jerusalem, but also the Messiah, David's son.” [4] This section of Isaiah’s oracle is seen as anticipating the fulfillment of the messianic promise in Jesus Christ.
 
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 Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4b, 4cd-5, 6-7, 8-9
 
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
 
I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
 
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
 
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
 
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
May those who love you prosper!
May peace be within your walls,
prosperity in your buildings.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
 
Because of my relatives and friends
I will say, “Peace be within you!"
Because of the house of the LORD, our God,
I will pray for your good.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
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Commentary on Ps 122:1-2, 3-4b, 4cd-5, 6-7, 8-9
 
Psalm 122 is a song of praise that anticipates the great procession into God’s house. While the Hebrews would have used this as a literal processional song, we see it as anticipating our entry into the New Jerusalem, the Kingdom of God. It supports Isaiah’s vision of the messianic kingdom (Isaiah 2:1-5); it also points to Jerusalem as the center and source of the Law, and the Davidic dynasty to rule the unified kingdom, with the Lord our God providing the source of peace.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 8:5-11
 
When Jesus entered Capernaum,
a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying,
“Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.”
He said to him, “I will come and cure him.”
The centurion said in reply,
“Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;
only say the word and my servant will be healed.
For I too am a man subject to authority,
with soldiers subject to me.
And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes;
and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes;
and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him,
“Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.
I say to you, many will come from the east and the west,
and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven.”
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Commentary on Mt 8:5-11
 
This story of the centurion is shortened by a couple of verses to focus our attention on the authority of Jesus, and the role faith can play in accessing that authority. The centurion’s description of his own understanding of authority translates to his faith that Jesus can command all things without needing to be physically present to that which he commands.
 
Jesus’ response to the centurion is "'I will personally go and heal him.'" [This would have made the centurion and his home instantly famous and satisfied the centurion's request. But instead of simply following the Lord, he replies:] "'O Lord, I am not worthy...': Before he explains his reasoning, the centurion utters the second half of his prayer, which has been immortalized by the Roman liturgy as the exclamation before receiving Holy Communion." [5]
 
In the longer version, Jesus also condemns the Jewish people for their lack of faith and heals the centurion's servant as requested.
 
CCC: Mt 8:8 1386; Mt 8:10 2610; Mt 8:11 543
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Reflection:
 
Our Advent readings start with a vision of what will come as a result of the impending birth of Jesus. Much as parents of a new baby have a vision of what that child will become, Isaiah predicts that Christ, the Messiah, will come to unify God’s children and bring peace. The psalmist envisions that same kingdom, flowing from the dynasty of King David’s throne. And the Gospel shows us that Jesus, Christ the King and Prince of Peace, will command that kingdom. However, he does not tell us how long that will take. God’s time has always been difficult for us.
 
As we begin our spiritual preparation in Advent, we will use the analogy of our preparation for the arrival of a child being born into our homes. We picture our lives in the presence of such a wonder of compassion. As we do so, let us make room in our hearts, creating a warm and inviting place.
 
We suggest that a first step would be reconciliation, cleaning out the old bad things that might crowd the space. It is somewhat ironic that the sacrament of reconciliation is one of the two sacraments of healing.  When asked, most Catholics might say that only anointing of the sick was a healing device.  Yet, here is what the Catechism of the Catholic Church has to say:
 
1422  "Those who approach the sacrament of Penance obtain pardon from God's mercy for the offense committed against him, and are, at the same time, reconciled with the Church which they have wounded by their sins and which by charity, by example, and by prayer labors for their conversion."
 
Once we have fixed the damage, we must put on a new coat of paint. That paint is our prayer life. That room needs many coats to cover the natural tendencies of our human nature that try to bleed through.
 
If we are currently not spending much time in prayer, now is a great time to start. If we are spending some time in prayer each day, let’s see if we can’t add some time or some intentions to our list. Nothing warms the space in our heart like prayer. Prayer, constant, praising, and loving, for ourselves, our families and the world will create a warm space. 
 
Pax
 

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*In Cycle A
[1] The picture used today is “Healing the Centurion’s Servant” by Alexandre Bida, c. 1875.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] The Navarre Bible, Major Prophets (Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002), 60.
[5] Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume I, (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 1996), 516.

First Sunday of Advent

Catechism Links [1]

CCC 668-677, 769: the final tribulation and Christ’s return in glory
CCC 451, 671, 1130, 1403, 2817: “Come, Lord Jesus!”
CCC 2729-2733: humble vigilance of heart

“Advent and Triumph of Christ” (detail)
by Hans Memling, 1480

Readings for the First Sunday of Advent [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
As this Advent season begins, we offer this passage from “The Spirit of Advent” by Mark Searle:[5]
 
“Human beings cannot live without hope.  Unlike the animals, we are blessed -or cursed- with the ability to think about the future and to fear our actions to shaping it.  So essential is this to human life, that human beings cannot live without hope, without something to live for, without something to look forward to.  To be without hope, to have nothing to live for, is to surrender to death in despair.  But we can find all sorts of things to live for and we can hope for almost anything: for some measure of success or security, or for the realization of some more or less modest ambition, for our children, that they might be saved from our mistakes and sufferings and find a better life than we have known; for a better world, throwing ourselves into politics or medicine or technology so that future generations might be better off.  Not all these forms of hope are selfish; indeed, they have given dignity and purpose to the lives of countless generations.
 
But one of the reasons why we read the Old Testament during Advent is to learn what to hope for.  The peoples of the Old Testament had the courage to hope for big things: that the desert would be turned into fertile land; that their scattered and divided people would eventually be gathered again; that the blind would see, the deaf hear, the lame walk; that not only their own people but all peoples of the earth, would be united in the blessings of everlasting peace.  Clearly, their hopes were no different from ours or from any human being’s; lasting peace, tranquil lives, sufficiency of food, an end to suffering, pain and misery.
 
Thus we hope for the same things as the Old Testament people for their hopes are not yet realized.  But we differ from them in two ways.  First, the coming of Jesus in history, as a partial fulfillment of God’s promise, immeasurably confirms and strengthens our hope.  Secondly, we differ from the Old Testament people because Jesus has revealed to us that God is not afar off, but is already in our midst.  Hence the importance in the Advent liturgy of John the Baptist and Mary; because they recognized the new situation, they serve as models for the Church in discerning the presence of our Savior in the world.”
 
Reading 1: Isaiah 2:1-5
 
This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz,
saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In days to come,
the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest mountain
and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it;
many peoples shall come and say:
“Come, let us climb the Lord’s mountain,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may instruct us in his ways,
and we may walk in his paths.”
For from Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and impose terms on many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks;
one nation shall not raise the sword against another,
nor shall they train for war again.
O house of Jacob, come,
let us walk in the light of the Lord!
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Commentary on Is 2:1-5
 
This selection presents Isaiah’s vision of a time of unity, the great messianic destiny. He sees a time when all peoples will recognize God as the one true God and flock to his call. (Isaiah uses the “highest mountain” metaphor in the Hebrew context. High places were places closest to God. Mountain tops frequently were places where altars were built. “Highest” would then be above all others.) The “highest mountain” means that all other beliefs become subservient to the One God. He sees the unity of all the nations under one God and one Messiah.
 
The prophet sees the Law of the Lord governing all peoples and a time of great peace as a result of the universal unity of people in faithfulness to God. “O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!” Isaiah implores the faithful of the house of Jacob (the Israelites) to fulfill his vision quickly.
 
CCC: Is 2:2-5 762; Is 2:2-4 64; Is 2:4 2317
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 122: 1-2, 3-4, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
 
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
 
I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the Lord.”
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
 
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
 
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
 
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
May those who love you prosper!
May peace be within your walls,
prosperity in your buildings.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
 
Because of my brothers and friends
I will say, “Peace be within you!”
Because of the house of the Lord, our God,
I will pray for your good.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
 
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 122: 1-2, 3-4, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
 
Psalm 122 is a song of praise that anticipates the great procession into God’s house. While the Hebrews would have used this as a literal processional song, we see it as anticipating our entry into the New Jerusalem, the Kingdom of God. It supports Isaiah’s vision of the messianic kingdom (Isaiah 2:1-5); it also points to Jerusalem as the center and source of the law and David’s as the dynasty of this unified kingdom with the Lord our God providing the source of peace.
 
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Reading II: Romans 13:11-14
 
Brothers and sisters:
You know the time;
it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep.
For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed;
the night is advanced, the day is at hand.
Let us then throw off the works of darkness
and put on the armor of light;
let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day,
not in orgies and drunkenness,
not in promiscuity and lust,
not in rivalry and jealousy.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.
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Commentary on Rom 13:11-14
 
St. Paul calls the Romans to repentance, reminding them that the time of salvation, the day of the Lord’s return, is closer than it was when they first heard the word of God. He calls them to act as children of the light, and to throw off sinfulness. He tells them to put on Christ and become spiritually focused. These verses provide the motivation for the love that he encourages in Romans 13:8-10. "All Christians 'put on' Christ in Baptism (cf. Gal 3:27). Starting with this initial configuration to Christ, they are steadily transformed into him by frequent reception of the sacraments, particularly the sacrament of Penance." [6]
 
CCC: Rom 12-15 1454, 1971
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Gospel: Matthew 24:37-44
 
Jesus said to his disciples:
“As it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
In those days before the flood,
they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage,
up to the day that Noah entered the ark.
They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away.
So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man.
Two men will be out in the field;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Two women will be grinding at the mill;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Therefore, stay awake!
For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.
Be sure of this: if the master of the house
had known the hour of night when the thief was coming,
he would have stayed awake
and not let his house be broken into.
So too, you also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
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Commentary on Mt 24:37-44
 
St. Matthew’s Gospel shows us the Lord reminding his audience that the people of Noah’s time did not heed the warning of the coming flood and were destroyed because they were unprepared. He speaks of the eschaton, the end times when one person will be taken into the Kingdom of God and another, standing next to them, will be doomed to destruction.
 
"By associating the terrible events surrounding his Parousia to the great Flood in the days of Noah, Jesus is evoking the purifying, transformative goal God has in mind when intervening so violently in human history: '. . . when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you' (1 Peter 3:20). Despite their terrifying aspects, both the Flood at the beginning of history and the Parousia at its end are to be read as baptismal events, radically transforming the world so that it becomes holier and more acceptable to God." [7]
 
The second section of the reading gives an analogy of the final judgment being likened to a thief who breaks in at night, unexpected, and makes off with all that is valued. The clear message taken from this reading is the call to preparedness and constant vigilance.
 
CCC: Mt 24:44 673
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Reflection:
 
Happy New Year!  Indeed, this is what we celebrate today as the old liturgical year ends, and we begin once more the march through the seasons of Christ’s life. We will be walking with him from those first infant steps in Bethlehem and Nazareth to his agonizing trail from Gethsemane to Golgotha.  Like the New Year celebration that marks the end of our calendar year, we begin this new liturgical year with hopes and promises.   The enormity of what takes place is beautifully captured in our Catechism of the Catholic Church:
 
522 The coming of God's Son to earth is an event of such immensity that God willed to prepare for it over centuries. He makes everything converge on Christ: all the rituals and sacrifices, figures and symbols of the "First Covenant".195 He announces him through the mouths of the prophets who succeeded one another in Israel. Moreover, he awakens in the hearts of the pagans a dim expectation of this coming.
 
This eternal announcement is epitomized in the statement found in the Book of Isaiah: “the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills. All nations shall stream toward it.” From far back in our memory, as a people of God, constituted as Christ's living body on earth, we celebrate this season with acts of piety centered on three major efforts:
 
1.  To prepare ourselves worthily to celebrate the anniversary of the Lord's coming into the world as the incarnate God of love.
 
2.  Thus to make our souls fitting abodes for the Redeemer, coming in Holy Communion, and through grace.
 
3. Thereby to make ourselves ready for his final coming as judge, at death and at the end of the world.[8]
 
Once again the more modern expression of our Advent mission comes from the Catechism of Catholic Church:
 
524 When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Savior's first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming.²⁰⁰ By celebrating the precursor's birth and martyrdom, the Church unites herself to his desire: "He must increase, but I must decrease."201
 
With luck in the United States, the orgy of the commercialization of the season known as “Black Friday” has blunted our focus on the secularization of the season, and we can now focus on what is truly important, our spiritual growth toward becoming a vessel fitting for the Holy Spirit, and a resting place of Christ himself.  Our celebration of this festival day surely marks the beginning of our new pledge of fidelity, and our hopes for the year to come.  Yet, hopes and faith alone will not accomplish what the Lord wants from us.  We must search our hearts and our actions of the past year and select from among our many sinful actions those which, in this year of grace, we will correct.  Like a pot used over many years, the stains of use are upon us.  We must choose which of those stains to scour clean.
 
Today, on this solemn feast, let us rejoice with the ancient song “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.”  Our Advent season has begun, and our time of introspection is at hand as we await the glorious coming of our Savior and Lord.
 
Pax
 

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[1] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2] The picture used today is “Advent and Triumph of Christ” by Hans Memling, 1480.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio
[4] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[5] Searle, Mark, The Spirit of Advent  (Assembly V. 7-1, © Notre Dame Center for Liturgy, Notre Dame, IN).
[6] The Navarre Bible, Letters of St. Paul  (Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003), 127.
[7] Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume III, (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 2012), 735
195  Hebrews 9:15.
[8] Mershman, Francis. "Advent." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. (New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 27 Nov. 2010) <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01165a.htm>.
²⁰⁰  Cf. Revelation 22:17.
201 John 3:30.

Saturday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Optional Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary
 
On Saturdays in Ordinary Time when there is no obligatory memorial, an optional memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary is allowed.[1] Mass texts may be taken from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, from a Votive Mass, or from the special collection of Masses for the Blessed Virgin Mary. (USCCB recommends: #28. The Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary or #37. The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Divine Hope)

“Heavenly Charity”
by Simon Vouet, c. 1640

 
Readings for Saturday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible  [3]

Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading 1: Daniel 7:15-27
 
I, Daniel, found my spirit anguished within its covering of flesh,
and I was terrified by the visions of my mind.
I approached one of those present
and asked him what all this meant in truth;
in answer, he made known to me the meaning of the things:
“These four great beasts stand for four kingdoms
which shall arise on the earth.
But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingship,
to possess it forever and ever.”
 
But I wished to make certain about the fourth beast,
so very terrible and different from the others,
devouring and crushing with its iron teeth and bronze claws,
and trampling with its feet what was left;
about the ten horns on its head, and the other one that sprang up,
before which three horns fell;
about the horn with the eyes and the mouth that spoke arrogantly,
which appeared greater than its fellows.
For, as I watched, that horn made war against the holy ones
and was victorious until the Ancient One arrived;
judgment was pronounced in favor of the holy ones of the Most High,
and the time came when the holy ones possessed the kingdom.
He answered me thus:
 
“The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth
different from all the others;
It shall devour the whole earth,
beat it down, and crush it.
The ten horns shall be ten kings
rising out of that kingdom;
another shall rise up after them,
Different from those before him,
who shall lay low three kings.
He shall speak against the Most High
and oppress the holy ones of the Most High,
thinking to change the feast days and the law.
They shall be handed over to him
for a year, two years, and a half-year.
But when the court is convened,
and his power is taken away
by final and absolute destruction,
Then the kingship and dominion and majesty
of all the kingdoms under the heavens
shall be given to the holy people of the Most High,
Whose Kingdom shall be everlasting:
all dominions shall serve and obey him.”
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Commentary on Dn 7:15-27
 
This selection from the Book of Daniel contains the interpretation of his dream which was described in the first fifteen verses of this chapter. Much of this imagery is consistent with, but had different meanings from, what was later used by St. John in his Revelation (see Revelation 11:2;  Revelation 12:14ff).
 
The four kingdoms were those described by Daniel 2:36-45 in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. They represent the Babylonian (gold), the Median (silver), the Persian (bronze), and the Hellenistic (iron) kingdoms. The image of the final kingdom is interpreted in St. John’s Revelation as being the Roman Empire; in this instance it refers to Alexander’s kingdom.
 
“Alexander's empire was different from all the others in that it was Western rather than Oriental in inspiration. The ten horns represent the kings of the Seleucid dynasty, the only part of the Hellenistic empire that concerned the author. The little horn is Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175-163 B.C.), the worst of the Seleucid kings, who usurped the throne.” [5]
 
The reference to the persecutions of the holy ones by the “fourth beast” points at Antiochus IV. He attempted to force the Jews to give up their customs and adopt Hellenistic traditions (1 Maccabees 1:33-34). The Ancient One in this setting refers to God the Father. We might also interpret these remarks prophetically as referring to the Christ, the Son, eternally begotten of the Father. In the final verses, the heavenly court is convened, and God’s eternal reign is promised.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Daniel 3:82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87
 
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
 
“You sons of men, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
 
“O Israel, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
 
“Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
 
“Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
 
“Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
 
“Holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
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Commentary on Dn 3:82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87
 
The selection from Daniel, used as a psalm response, is once more taken from the chant by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. This long hymn of praise (from verse 24 to verse 90) is broken into three litanies. This selection begins the third.  It is a blessing on those faithful to God.  We note with interest that earlier in this series of litanies, humankind was also blessed, but distinct from the faithful.  The authors clearly classified Gentiles and pagans as separate from the faithful ones of Israel.
 
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Gospel: Luke 21:34-36
 
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy
from carousing and drunkenness
and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.
For that day will assault everyone
who lives on the face of the earth.
Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man.”
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Commentary on Lk 21:34-36
 
This selection is the end of Jesus' final public exhortation before his passion and death.  Some scholars have speculated that the Gospel author could be using a fragment of some forgotten scroll from St. Paul because the Hellenistic form is so similar (see 1 Thessalonians 5:4).
 
"It is clear from this short section that Luke (different from 1 Thessalonians) eliminated the idea of an immediate parousia.  Sudden trials will strike everyone, and so there is need of continual vigilance.  Everyone, however, will eventually take part in the parousia.  How a person lives now determines how he will 'stand before the Son of Man.'" [6] Jesus reminds his disciples not to become complacent in their practice of the faith. It is one of his sternest warnings that the end will come without notice and judgment will be immediate.
 
CCC: Lk 21:34-36 2612
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Reflection:
 
On this last day of the liturgical year, please forgive me as I preach to myself. Those of us who are fervent in the practice of our faith face a great danger.  The danger is that the practice of our faith becomes an end in itself. This is not a new notion.  C.S. Lewis makes the same point in his wonderful novel, The Screwtape Letters.  We fall into the trap the Pharisees fell into, where the rigor we apply to insuring we are true to our traditions [and rubrics] becomes an object of pride. Or we have given so much to trying to follow God’s word that the acts of charity to which we have obligated ourselves have begun to seem like a job, rather than a joyful sacrifice to him who has given us everything.
 
When we begin embracing the practice of our faith or obsessing on some part of our ministry for the sake of that ministry, something very important is lost – we stop being present to God. That may sound cliché, but it simply means we have become so self-involved that the spirit is no longer being considered, only the activity.
 
Let’s look at this time of year from a secular perspective as our extreme example. These past few days in the United States are the busiest shopping days of the year. The malls and shops are packed with people shopping for gifts – looking for bargains so that on Christmas morning (whether they are Christian or not) they might have that special gift (at the best possible price) for a friend or family member. For many who were out at 4:00 AM on Black Friday morning it was the act of shopping that was the object of attraction – not the love of the person for whom they were buying (although in many cases they were shopping for themselves so that does break down a little). Does that not happen to us as well? Does the act of worship become more important than the object of our worship?
 
There are different ways of becoming complacent about our faith. We can make prayer a rote activity we have pledged to do, and we can take for granted that we will go to Mass. We may even take pride in a perfect act of contrition or in the fact that we visited twenty-six infirm people in one week. We must step back and ask ourselves – but are we present to Christ in these activities? For whom did we do these things?
 
Tomorrow, we begin our Advent season and look joyfully to the Nativity of Jesus the Christ and his return in glory. Let us pledge to make this season one in which we reestablish our unity with Christ in worship and join him in our humble praise of our Heavenly Father, who sent us such a gift.
 
Pax

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[1] General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar Miscellaneous Notes no. 5.
[2] The Picture is “Heavenly Charity” by Simon Vouet, c. 1640.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio
[4] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[5] NAB footnote on Daniel 7:7-8.
[6] Jerome Biblical Commentary (Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968), 44:149, p. 155.

Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

“The Vision of Daniel” (detail)
by  Willem Drost, 1650

 
Readings for Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Daniel 7:2-14
 
In a vision I, Daniel, saw during the night,
the four winds of heaven stirred up the great sea,
from which emerged four immense beasts,
each different from the others.
The first was like a lion, but with eagle’s wings.
While I watched, the wings were plucked;
it was raised from the ground to stand on two feet
like a man, and given a human mind.
The second was like a bear; it was raised up on one side,
and among the teeth in its mouth were three tusks.
It was given the order, “Up, devour much flesh.”
After this I looked and saw another beast, like a leopard;
on its back were four wings like those of a bird,
and it had four heads.
To this beast dominion was given.
After this, in the visions of the night I saw the fourth beast,
different from all the others,
terrifying, horrible, and of extraordinary strength;
it had great iron teeth with which it devoured and crushed,
and what was left it trampled with its feet.
I was considering the ten horns it had,
when suddenly another, a little horn, sprang out of their midst,
and three of the previous horns were torn away to make room for it.
This horn had eyes like a man,
and a mouth that spoke arrogantly.
As I watched,
 
Thrones were set up
and the Ancient One took his throne.
His clothing was snow bright,
and the hair on his head as white as wool;
His throne was flames of fire,
with wheels of burning fire.
A surging stream of fire
flowed out from where he sat;
Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him,
and myriads upon myriads attended him.
 
The court was convened, and the books were opened.
I watched, then, from the first of the arrogant words
which the horn spoke, until the beast was slain
and its body thrown into the fire to be burnt up.
The other beasts, which also lost their dominion,
were granted a prolongation of life for a time and a season.
As the visions during the night continued, I saw
 
One like a son of man coming,
on the clouds of heaven;
When he reached the Ancient One
and was presented before him,
He received dominion, glory, and kingship;
nations and peoples of every language serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not be taken away,
his kingship shall not be destroyed.
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Commentary on Dn 7:2-14
 
This selection from the Book of Daniel, called "Daniel’s dream," is the first of four apocalyptic visions presented. Scripture scholars agree that the vision of the four beasts represents four successive pagan empires: the Babylonians, the Medes, the Persians, and the Greeks. These kingdoms are represented by different metals (see Daniel 2) and the numeric value of the horns represents the numbers of rulers in the various kingdoms.
 
The last horn of the fourth beast, the final ruler (a little horn, sprang out of their midst) is considered to be Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the final Greek ruler who persecuted the Hebrews before that kingdom collapsed (see 1 Maccabees 1:41-64). The vision of the heavenly court that follows describes how two of the beasts (the Medes and the Persians, now greatly diminished) are allowed to survive for a period. The Messianic King (“One like a son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven”) comes from above, whereas the four beasts come from below. This kingdom is established for all eternity: “his kingship shall not be destroyed.”
 
CCC: Dn 7:10 678; Dn 7:13 440; Dn 7:14 664
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Responsorial Psalm: Daniel 3:75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81
 
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
 
“Mountains and hills, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
 
“Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
 
“You springs, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
 
“Seas and rivers, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
 
“You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
 
“All you birds of the air, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
 
“All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
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Commentary on Dn 3:75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81
 
The selection from Daniel used as a psalm response is once more taken from the chant by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego still singing from the furnace. This long hymn of praise (from verse 24 to verse 90) is broken into three litanies. This selection begins the second.  It praises God's creation of the earth and the life that flourishes by his will.  Subsequent sections praise humankind in its various categories.
 
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Gospel: Luke 21:29-33
 
Jesus told his disciples a parable.
“Consider the fig tree and all the other trees.
When their buds burst open,
you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near;
in the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that the Kingdom of God is near.
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.”
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Commentary on Lk 21:29-33
 
As part of his discourse on the destruction of Jerusalem, St. Luke’s Gospel gives us the parable of the fig tree (see also Mark 13:28-32 and Matthew 24:32-35). In Palestine, nothing looks as dead in the winter as a fig tree. However, in the spring fig trees bloom to new life (see also Joel 2:22). This imagery is seen at two levels. First, the Lord himself must undergo his passion before taking his place at the right hand of the Father. Second, more prophetically, the Christian community must also undergo trials before coming to its own springtime of rebirth, alluding to the persecutions to come.
 
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Reflection:
 
One of the greatest barriers to manned interplanetary travel is the fact that when exposed to weightlessness, the human body loses bone mass at an alarming rate.  Astronauts who serve six months at the international space station expect to lose ten percent of their bone density in that time.  When they come back, they must go through rigorous rehabilitation to recover from these effects in spite of the fact that they work out every day when they are off world.
 
Why is this?  It is because gravity is absent.  The lack of gravity tells the body it does not need all that structural support, so it erodes, as do the muscles that drive them. In the Gospel, the parable of the fig tree does not speak to this phenomenon, but it does prove the same point.  When we as Christians are not challenged, when we simply take for granted that our faith is unopposed, it erodes just like bone density in an astronaut.
 
The worst part of the erosion of our faith is we may not notice it until we really need strength of faith.  When we reach out for those reserves of strength that flow from faith and find that they have been depleted we may find ourselves in real trouble.  It is for this reason that we should rejoice when we are persecuted and thank those who challenge our beliefs.  We recently took a fairly hard shot at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).  Given that they challenge Christians in a society that was until recently the majority religion in our country (now it’s the “none’s,” those who have no religious preference, the spiritually bereft), they provide a valuable service.  They make sure we do not become complacent and find our faith weakened to a point of non-existence. (Given recent developments such as the Supreme Court decision to redefine marriage and the persecution of the Church by LGBT supporters it looks like we may be in for some serious muscle-building.)
 
Today’s selections tell us that our period of testing is not over and that we should expect even stronger pressure against our fundamental beliefs and morals.  Expecting this challenge, we must make the effort now to strengthen our spiritual core.
 
As we think about all of the visions we are given in Scripture of the trials and persecutions the Church and its Hebrew ancestors underwent, let us thank God for that resistance. Those times of testing gave us strength.  As we recall the lives of martyrs, we give thanks to God because they showed us how to endure the trials that may come.  The Lord tells us in parable that a grain of wheat must fall to the ground and die if it is to have new life.  Let us accept the trials that come our way, welcoming them as a chance to exercise our faith and grow stronger in it.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “The Vision of Daniel” (detail) by  Willem Drost, 1650.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, apart from the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.