The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to seek signs of Divine Presence as we ponder our path in life.
The reading from the Book of Revelation is a vision of Thousand Years prior to when the Dead Are Judged.
* [20:1–6] Like the other numerical values in this book, the thousand years are not to be taken literally; they symbolize the long period of time between the chaining up of Satan (a symbol for Christ’s resurrection-victory over death and the forces of evil) and the end of the world. During this time God’s people share in the glorious reign of God that is present to them by virtue of their baptismal victory over death and sin; cf. Rom 6:1–8; Jn 5:24–25; 16:33; 1 Jn 3:14; Eph 2:1. (Revelation, CHAPTER 20, n.d.)
Psalm 84 praises the Joy of Worship in the Temple.
* [Psalm 84] Israelites celebrated three pilgrimage feasts in Jerusalem annually. The Psalm expresses the sentiments of the pilgrims eager to enjoy the divine presence. (Psalms, PSALM 84, n.d.)
The Gospel of Luke 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. (Luke, CHAPTER 21, n.d.)
Jay Carney comments that as the responsorial psalm reminds us today, “God lives among his people,” and ultimately God will reign. Why, then, is such a message couched in such violent language? Perhaps because the principalities and powers are eternally in rebellion against God’s loving will. Nearly two millennia after the apocalyptic revelation to John of Patmos, we too live in a world marked by destructive war, refugee displacement, disregard for human dignity, religious persecution, political corruption and deceit, and an unprecedented climate crisis. If our souls are not “yearning and pining for the courts of the Lord,” we must not be paying attention.
Advent gives us a chance to wake up. This liturgical season, so often overlooked in the rush to Christmas, is marked by a fervent spirit of eschatological longing, hope, and expectation. And to echo today’s gospel, this season is now near! May today’s readings help us prepare our hearts for Advent and for the coming of Jesus, for our redemption really is at hand. (Carney, n.d.)
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). (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Revelation 20:1-4, 11–21:2 asserts that God is with us, even while we wait for his Second Coming. So how does God dwell with us now—and how can we experience it?
First, God dwells with us by the Holy Spirit. When we were baptized, the Spirit took up residence within us. …
Second, God dwells with us in the sacraments. …
Finally, God dwells with us in our ordinary human interactions. He reveals his faithful love to us through our families. He demonstrates his closeness through the kindness of a friend who listens to our worries. And he shows us his mercy when someone forgives us for having sinned against them.
One day, we will see God face-to-face in the new heaven and earth. But until that day, God mercifully lives among us. Right here. Right now.
“Thank you, Lord, that you are with me.” (Meditation on Revelation 20:1-4, 11–21:2, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the thousand year interval in Revelation that is sometimes connected with the idea of “rapture” and symbolically the time between the Cross and the End Time. The names of all people are written in the Book of Life, yet we are capable of rejection that cancels our name. Friar Jude reminds us of Karl Rahner SJ ‘s quote “Without a body you are nobody.”
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Kristi Nelson,director of A Network for Grateful Living, founded by Benedictine Brother David Steindl-Rast and friends. She shares her own story of learning to embrace gratitude as a way of life.
“Being grateful the first few years was relatively easy and revelatory. I would wake up in a room bathed in light, hear birds singing, and notice I was still breathing. . . . I could put both feet on the floor and walk freely to a kitchen where I could make a cup of tea. It was enough to make me start each day with tears of joy. Being alive was enough.”
Perhaps like many of us, as her health stabilized, Nelson became “immune” to spontaneous daily gratitude:
“But over time, all those amazing reasons to feel grateful joined the ranks of the taken-for-granted. I got healthy and busy. I began chasing goals and the fulfillment they promised. I martyred myself to a job, complained about things like traffic, my weight, and colds. I ruthlessly compared myself to others, succumbed to retail therapy and debt, and suffered from stress. Each year that passed, I built up a kind of gratitude tolerance—what used to be enough got left in the dust in the pursuit of having more. Having cheated death, I began cheating life.
After some challenging years, dramatic wake-up calls, and my share of spiritual suffering, I came to realize that maintaining a grateful perspective is a true practice. . . . This capacity for grateful perspective is a muscle I needed to build and use, and it is still something I need to nurture and tend daily. . . . The practice of looking at the world through grateful eyes and with a grateful heart is an exquisite end in itself.” (Rohr, n.d.)
We are easily made aware of the disasters and evil events in the world even as the Spirit prompts us to live in love and gratitude.
References
Carney, J. (n.d.). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved November 25, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/112522.html
Home. (n.d.). YouTube. Retrieved November 25, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/
Luke, CHAPTER 21. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 25, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/21?29
Meditation on Revelation 20:1-4, 11–21:2. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved November 25, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/11/25/543346/
Psalms, PSALM 84. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 25, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/84?3
Revelation, CHAPTER 20. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 25, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/revelation/20?1
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved November 25, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/gratitude-is-a-practice-2022-11-25/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). My Words Will Not Pass Away. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved November 25, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=nov25
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