Readings for Saturday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: Revelations 22:1-7
Then an angel showed me (John) the river of life-giving water,
sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God
and of the Lamb down the middle of the street,
On either side of the river grew the tree of life
that produces fruit twelve times a year, once each month;
the leaves of the trees serve as medicine for the nations.
Nothing accursed will be found there anymore.
The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it,
and his servants will worship him.
They will look upon his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.
Night will be no more, nor will they need light from lamp or sun,
for the Lord God shall give them light,
and they shall reign forever and ever.
And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true,
and the Lord, the God of prophetic spirits,
sent his angel to show his servants what must happen soon.”
“Behold, I am coming soon.”
Blessed is the one who keeps the prophetic message of this book.
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Commentary on Rev 22:1-7
This final vision of the heavenly kingdom provides us with the ultimate peaceful seating. God and the Christ, the Lamb of God presiding over the water of life flowing through a land filled with an abundance of good things and nothing evil present.
When the reference is made to the name inscribed on their foreheads; “They will look upon his face, and his name will be on their foreheads” it is a direct corollary to the Hebrew Phylactery, small, black leather, cube-shaped cases containing Torah texts written on parchment worn on the forehead to symbolize they had internalized God’s law. (Note; the sign of the beast is in the same place for those who are thrown down.)
Our passage ends, appropriately; “Behold, I am coming soon.” Advent begins tomorrow.
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Responsorial Psalm:[4] Psalm 95:1-2, 3-5, 6-7ab
R. (1 Cor 16: 22b, see Rev. 22: 20c) Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
R. Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!
For the LORD is a great God,
and a great king above all gods;
In his hands are the depths of the earth,
and the tops of the mountains are his.
His is the sea, for he has made it,
and the dry land, which his hands have formed.
R. Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!
Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
R. Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!
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Commentary on Ps 95:1-2, 3-5, 6-7ab
This psalm again points forward to the new liturgical year. It is a touch of liturgical irony since this is the psalm recited each morning as the Invitatory, “Come, let us sing to the Lord and shout for joy to the rock who saves us…” A psalm of thanksgiving, it is the beginning of prayer.
The response itself is explained thus; “Marana tha: an Aramaic expression, probably used in the early Christian liturgy. As understood here ("O Lord, come!"), it is a prayer for the early return of Christ. If the Aramaic words are divided differently (Maran atha, "Our Lord has come"), it becomes a credal declaration. The former interpretation is supported by what appears to be a Greek equivalent of this acclamation in Rev 22:20 "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!"[5]
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Gospel: Luke 21:34-36
“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.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Lk 21:34-36
Jesus again finds it necessary to remind 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.
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: Revelations 22:1-7
Then an angel showed me (John) the river of life-giving water,
sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God
and of the Lamb down the middle of the street,
On either side of the river grew the tree of life
that produces fruit twelve times a year, once each month;
the leaves of the trees serve as medicine for the nations.
Nothing accursed will be found there anymore.
The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it,
and his servants will worship him.
They will look upon his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.
Night will be no more, nor will they need light from lamp or sun,
for the Lord God shall give them light,
and they shall reign forever and ever.
And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true,
and the Lord, the God of prophetic spirits,
sent his angel to show his servants what must happen soon.”
“Behold, I am coming soon.”
Blessed is the one who keeps the prophetic message of this book.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Rev 22:1-7
This final vision of the heavenly kingdom provides us with the ultimate peaceful seating. God and the Christ, the Lamb of God presiding over the water of life flowing through a land filled with an abundance of good things and nothing evil present.
When the reference is made to the name inscribed on their foreheads; “They will look upon his face, and his name will be on their foreheads” it is a direct corollary to the Hebrew Phylactery, small, black leather, cube-shaped cases containing Torah texts written on parchment worn on the forehead to symbolize they had internalized God’s law. (Note; the sign of the beast is in the same place for those who are thrown down.)
Our passage ends, appropriately; “Behold, I am coming soon.” Advent begins tomorrow.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm:[4] Psalm 95:1-2, 3-5, 6-7ab
R. (1 Cor 16: 22b, see Rev. 22: 20c) Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
R. Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!
For the LORD is a great God,
and a great king above all gods;
In his hands are the depths of the earth,
and the tops of the mountains are his.
His is the sea, for he has made it,
and the dry land, which his hands have formed.
R. Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!
Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
R. Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 95:1-2, 3-5, 6-7ab
This psalm again points forward to the new liturgical year. It is a touch of liturgical irony since this is the psalm recited each morning as the Invitatory, “Come, let us sing to the Lord and shout for joy to the rock who saves us…” A psalm of thanksgiving, it is the beginning of prayer.
The response itself is explained thus; “Marana tha: an Aramaic expression, probably used in the early Christian liturgy. As understood here ("O Lord, come!"), it is a prayer for the early return of Christ. If the Aramaic words are divided differently (Maran atha, "Our Lord has come"), it becomes a credal declaration. The former interpretation is supported by what appears to be a Greek equivalent of this acclamation in Rev 22:20 "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!"[5]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: Luke 21:34-36
“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.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Lk 21:34-36
Jesus again finds it necessary to remind 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.
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Reflection:
It is almost like those who assembled our reading could not wait for Advent to begin. The passage from St. John’s Revelations ends with; “Behold, I am coming soon.” The Psalm response is “Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus!” and it is interspersed with Psalm 95, the invitatory psalm we use in the Divine Office. And finally we are given a Gospel that has Jesus telling us that we must hold ourselves in consent preparation because we do not want to be caught unawares when the Lord comes again.
On this last day before the season of Advent begins, it is good to think about this past year and what we have done – right and wrong; “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil.” (
Let’s think about our interactions at work or school; were we living God’s law of love as best we could? Did we consciously hurt or degrade a person? Do we need to make amends and apologize to anyone specifically?
What about in our family; did we set the good example that we are asked to? Did we show those we love the most that God does rule in our hearts? (This is one of the most difficult!)
And finally, in our solitude, have we worked hard at allowing the Lord to guide our inmost thoughts and therefore drive our actions with those about us? Have we been diligent in our prayer; in praise of the one who saves us all; for ourselves; and for the world? Have we been faithful in our participation in the sacraments of Eucharist, Reconciliation, and, as needed Anointing? Have we allowed God’s grace to buoy us up and give us strength?
As we think through this short list most of us will find ways to improve, to grow closer to God in the coming new year of grace. Let us add a prayer for strength that we might walk hand in hand with the Lord through out the year.
Pax
[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used today is “The River and the Tree of Life” by an UNKNOWN; Illustrator of 'Bamberg Apocalypse', Reichenau, 1000-20
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana
[4] Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved
[5] See NAB footnote on 1 Cor 16:22
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