The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today alert us to the need to be watchful and open to the Spirit to reveal the signs that foretell change in our journey to full life.
Signs of change
The reading from the Book of the Prophet Daniel describes a vision of the Four Beasts and judgement before the Ancient One.
* [7:1–27] This vision continues the motif of the four kingdoms from chap. 2; see note on 2:36–45. To the four succeeding world kingdoms, Babylonian, Median, Persian, and Greek, is opposed the heavenly kingdom of God and the kingdom of God’s people on earth. The beast imagery of this chapter has been used extensively in the Book of Revelation, where it is applied to the Roman empire, the persecutor of the Church.1
The response from the Book of Daniel is from the Prayer of Azariah.
* [3:24–90] These verses are additions to the Aramaic text of Daniel, translated from the Greek form of the book. They were probably first composed in Hebrew or Aramaic, but are no longer extant in the original language. The Roman Catholic Church has always regarded them as part of the canonical Scriptures.2
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus shares the Lesson of the Fig Tree.
* [21:5–36] Jesus’ eschatological discourse in Luke is inspired by Mk 13 but Luke has made some significant alterations to the words of Jesus found there. Luke maintains, though in a modified form, the belief in the early expectation of the end of the age (see Lk 21:27, 28, 31, 32, 36), but, by focusing attention throughout the gospel on the importance of the day-to-day following of Jesus and by reinterpreting the meaning of some of the signs of the end from Mk 13 he has come to terms with what seemed to the early Christian community to be a delay of the parousia. Mark, for example, described the desecration of the Jerusalem temple by the Romans (Mk 13:14) as the apocalyptic symbol (see Dn 9:27; 12:11) accompanying the end of the age and the coming of the Son of Man. Luke (Lk 21:20–24), however, removes the apocalyptic setting and separates the historical destruction of Jerusalem from the signs of the coming of the Son of Man by a period that he refers to as “the times of the Gentiles” (Lk 21:24). See also notes on Mt 24:1–36 and Mk 13:1–37.3
Larry Gillick, S.J. observes that Jesus points out a fig tree and comments that when buds appear, summer is near. This is an image Jesus has of Jerusalem and its religious practices. Jesus predicts that the Kingdom of God is near when the kingdom of death has collapsed. There are new possibilities which will become realities as will the autumn trees and bushes come to life again. The things of creation will go and come, but God’s fidelity remains.
This present pandemic is oppressive of spirit and life, but there still lives the “dearest freshness, deep-down thing.” Some have taken the occurrence of the virus as a punishment and others as an invitation to trust God’s possibilities for life. I would propose that endurance is one of many human possibilities as is grumbling, as well as depression and withdrawal from God. I myself have sipped from such tempting cups. Jesus is always offering the possibility of hope that invites us not just to survive, but to triumph over darkness and self-despair. The most amazing, surprising and life-giving possibility, more than any vaccine, is coming again. We need merely to allow our souls to be “Christianated” these prayerful days of Advent. Watch for the signs and personal invitations to receive the Shots.4
Don Schwager quotes “My words will not pass away,” by an anonymous early author from the early Greek fathers.
"'This generation' refers both to those who suffer temptation and to those who cause it. It refers to sinners among men and to the demons who are at work in them. For neither group will cease being in the world until its consummation. For Christ said, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels' (Matthew 25:41). Moreover, it is necessary that the source of temptation be preserved as long as there is faith which needs testing. It is also possible, however, that 'this generation' refers to those mortal Christians who would not pass over into eternal life and be made immortal and impassible 'until' all the events about which Christ was speaking had taken place. "'Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away' because heaven and earth were created to serve you, but my words were uttered to govern you. Both heaven and earth are subject to vanity, as the apostle said, 'Creation is subject to vanity' (Romans 8:20). Truth, however, is by nature unable to deceive and can never die." (excerpt from INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 49, the Greek fathers).5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 21:29-33 comments that Jesus is coming back. His coming will be marked by some frightening events. We don’t know when it will happen, but when it does, whatever period of darkness precedes it will give way to the brightness and the glory of a new creation. All suffering, fear, pain, and sorrow will be wiped away. Robed in the dignity of the children of God, we will stand before Jesus, the Son of Man (Revelation 21:3-4).
Jesus promised us, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Luke 21:33). Everything around us that we can see and touch today will ultimately fade or dissolve or burn away. But remember the hope and promise contained in that image of a fig tree in full flower. Because in the end, Jesus’ word will still be with us: a word that saves, a word that brings new life, a word that welcomes us into his eternal kingdom. “Jesus, help me to be ready for your return. Come, Lord, and fill me with eager expectation!”6
Friar Jude Winkler notes that the fourth of the beasts in Daniel’s vision refers to the Syrian Empire that persecuted the Jews after 175 BCE. Originally the Son of Man in Daniel referred to the Jewish people who would triumph with power and dominion. In Jesus' time, a Messiah was associated with the Son of Man and Jesus connected His person to the Suffering Servant of Deutro Isaiah. Friar Jude reminds us of the realized eschatology of Luke that the Kingdom of God begins with our surrender to the Will of God.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, elaborates on Carl Jung’s teaching on the importance of inner experience as the only pathway to transformation.
Christianity rarely emphasized the plausibility or power of inner spiritual experience. Catholics were told to believe the pope, the bishops, and the priests. Protestants were told to believe the Bible. The Catholic version has fallen apart with the pedophilia crisis worldwide; Protestantism’s total reliance on preaching the Bible has been undone by postmodern worldviews. But both Catholics and Protestants made the same initial mistake, I’m sorry to say. It’s all about trusting something outside of ourselves. We gave people answers that were extrinsic to the soul and dismissed anything known from the inside out. “Holiness” largely became a matter of intellect and will, instead of a deep inner trust with an inner dialogue of Love. It made us think that the one with the most willpower wins, and the one who understands things the best is the beloved of God—the opposite of most biblical heroes. We’ve been gazing at our own “performance” instead of searching for the Divine in us and in all things.7
Our transformation on our journey in Christ will deepen our awareness of the signs pointing to fullness of life along the Way.
References
No comments:
Post a Comment