November 18, 2018

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time B
Daniel 12: 1-3; Hebrews 10: 11-14, 18; Mark 13: 24-32
When we read the Scriptures for the day, do we realize that there is a specific message for us? I try to ask
myself, ‘What is God telling me today?’ Do I realize that God is asking me to be a positive force of His
love as I go through my day? What happens when I fall into the ‘negative attitude’ because of all the evils,
hurt, anger, violence in the world? Am I an agent of hope ? Do I work harder at being a person of love? I
try to do these things but I fall easily into the ‘poor me’ syndrome of looking at things. This continues with
the question: why…why…and I realize all to well that God just doesn’t answer ‘why’ questions. God does
respond to the ‘what’ questions. Like: what do I believe…what do I hear the Spirit telling me…where is
the Spirit leading me…how can I impact my life in the direction the Spirit is continually leading me?
Today is the second last Sunday in the Liturgical year. It ends with the feast of Christ the King which we
celebrate next week, and begins with the first Sunday of Advent which begins in two weeks. So often in the
readings we see a negative bent in them coupled with the insistence that we change our ways and prepare
for our end days and the end of the world. These are present in the readings but there is much more
insistence in challenging me in forgiving and loving. With these two virtues in tow, I am a forced to change
my world into God’s sweeping future: a world of peace and love, a world of forgiveness and caring, a world
of faith and hope for the future. If I am not an agent in bringing about this ‘new world’ where I am, and
who is?
Todays first reading is from the Book of Daniel. In the book we learn from the examples of Daniel and his
friends how they continued to adhere firmly to God’s teaching of love and forgiveness and how God
protected them. They emerged from the intense flames of a fiery furnace unharmed. (chapter 3) and Daniel
came out of the lion’s pit unharmed. (chapter 6 & 14). The chapters continue to tell us that God will protect
His people from harm. Even through worry and distress over impending harm and cruelty, God will never
forget His people. God has never forgotten me or anyone. I might have given up on God or urgently
wondered where He was or why was He taking so long to help. But the real question that surfaced was
‘Don’t you have faith in Me…don’t you trust Me…when have I ever left you alone? The last sentence today
says it all: “But the wise shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament, and those who lead the many to justice
shall be like the stars forever.”
Paul is taking a little different approach to his readers in reminding them of their Jewish traditions and
practices. In the past ordinary priests had offered daily sacrifices of animals for the forgiveness of sins.
Now Jesus’ one offering of Himself was the ultimate forgiveness made perfect. Now we are to live as a
people who have been redeemed. We feel the pull of sin but are redeemed sinners.
Today’s passage from Mark comes from the thirteenth chapter which is his most difficult because it uses
apocalyptic language describing and prophesying the complete destruction of the world, the end times. It
contains sections on: the foretelling of the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem, the signs that come
before the end times, the coming persecutions, and the presence of what he calls the great tribulation after
which will be the coming of the Son of Man. Now Mark’s gospel was written about the year 70, the very
time that the Jerusalem temple was totally destroyed by the invasion of the Roman army. He concludes
today’s passage with a positive note: “Learn a lesson from the fig tree.” Everything that Jesus is telling us will
happen will usher in a New Age which will be known as the Kingdom of God. Each one of us, everyone,
starting with Jesus’ disciples must learn to read the signs of the times. The example Jesus uses is when fig
trees begin to sprout their leaves, summer is coming. There is a strong sense of urgency throughout this
text. Something tremendous and monumental is coming. Everyone wants to know WHEN this will happen.
Jesus tells us only God knows when this will happen. I have lived through ‘end of the world’ predictions
which brings me back to this passage. So what am I to do: learn a lesson. Am I prepared for the end
times? Do I live today as it could be my last one? No, I don’t. But do I live this knowing that I will be
given very many opportunities to love and many opportunities to forgive? The Spirit is filling me with all
the graces and help I need to live this day with the Lord and for the Lord.
This reminds me of two tremendous books, the absolute best books on forgiveness I have ever read. Written
by Immaculate Ilibagiza, the first book, Left to Tell recounts how absolutely difficult it is to forgive. The
second book, Lead by Faith shares the aftermath of her story. She was hidden in a small bathroom for three
months with seven other women during the 1994 Rwandan civil war. She was unable to speak or make any
noise for fear of the soldiers right outside the house bent on raping, torturing and massacring. She prayed
the Rosary in silence all day but was not able to say, “Forgive those who trespass against us.” God
certainly did not mean that she should forgive those who were murdering her people. Yet as her world was
brutally passing these hours, God was present and helped Immaculee to force herself to say the whole
prayer. On finally being able to say these words of forgiveness she realized the Power of Our Father who
created us in His Divine Image to be brothers and sisters. These books are so powerful, I cried and cried,
often times having to stop reading because I couldn’t see through the tears. It is all about God and God’s
plan. Jesus has saved our world. There is nothing left but to live out God’s plan and show MY world that
God is love.
So I reflect on:
• What events in my life have made me feel as though the end is near?
• What remembrances of God’s presence have helped me continue on with my life?
• What do I think will happen after I die?
• Why do I think God created me to spend eternity with Him and all those who taught and showed me
love?
• What teachings of Jesus help me measure how successful I have been at living a good Christian life?
• How has my faith journey been this year? What are my plans for my faith journey next year?
Sacred Space 2018 shares:
“We frequently hear the phrase, ‘the signs of the times.’ This Gospel passage deals with the signs of the end times
How do you balance, or reconcile the description of these events (taken in part from the Book of Daniel) and the last
verse which states that ‘about that day or hour no one knows…but only the Father’?
Some Christians have been led astray by becoming fixated on signs of various sorts and prophesying the imminent
end of the world. It may be more prudent to expect the unexpected and simply be ready to welcome the Son of Man
whenever He comes. In the meantime, be consoled by Jesus’ words: ‘Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words
will not pass away.’”