Tribulation in Gentile Times

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, near the end of the Liturgical Year, challenge us to respond to the tribulation in the world and in our environment as we reflect on our own “end time”.

Time and Tribulation

The reading from the Book of Revelation is a vision of the Fall of Babylon (Rome) and the Rejoicing in Heaven.

* [18:1–19:4] A stirring dirge over the fall of Babylon-Rome. The perspective is prophetic, as if the fall of Rome had already taken place. The imagery here, as elsewhere in this book, is not to be taken literally. The vindictiveness of some of the language, borrowed from the scathing Old Testament prophecies against Babylon, Tyre, and Nineveh (Is 23; 24; 27; Jer 50–51; Ez 26–27), is meant to portray symbolically the inexorable demands of God’s holiness and justice; cf. Introduction. The section concludes with a joyous canticle on the future glory of heaven. (Revelation, CHAPTER 18 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 100 declares all Lands are summoned to praise God.

* [Psalm 100] A hymn inviting the people to enter the Temple courts with thank offerings for the God who created them.

* [100:3] Although the people call on all the nations of the world to join in their hymn, they are conscious of being the chosen people of God. (Psalms, PSALM 100 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, the Great Tribulation and the Destruction of Jerusalem are foretold.

* [21:20–24] The actual destruction of Jerusalem by Rome in A.D. 70 upon which Luke and his community look back provides the assurance that, just as Jesus’ prediction of Jerusalem’s destruction was fulfilled, so too will be his announcement of their final redemption (Lk 21:27–28).

* [21:24] The times of the Gentiles: a period of indeterminate length separating the destruction of Jerusalem from the cosmic signs accompanying the coming of the Son of Man.

* [21:26] The powers of the heavens: the heavenly bodies mentioned in Lk 21:25 and thought of as cosmic armies. (Luke, CHAPTER 21 | USCCB, n.d.)

Andy Alexander, S.J. considers these apocalyptic prophesies from the Book of Revelation and from Jesus, offered for our reflection in the last week of the Church year. He tries to open his  heart to hear what the Word is offering today.

It is into this place this week that we are invited to translate this Word into a message of hope and a preparation for the movements of Advent, just a few days away. What we are experiencing is not the end of the story. The forces of darkness and sin will not prevail.The ultimate victory belongs to our God. Jesus is with us. We can dare to reach out for his grace to continue our mission of loving and serving one another and the least of our brothers and sisters. (Alexander, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “The signs have been accomplished,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"The signs given in the Gospel and in prophecy and fulfilled in us show the coming of the Lord... We know that the coming is near by the fact that we see the fulfillment of certain signs of that coming that have been accomplished... The signs that Christ told them to look for are listed in the Gospel of Saint Luke: 'Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the times of the nations are fulfilled.' This has happened and no one doubts that it has happened... It is plain that there is no country or place in our time that is not harassed or humbled according to the words 'for fear and expectation of what will come on the whole world.' All the signs that the gospel describes in the earlier verses have mostly been accomplished." (excerpt from Letter 198) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 21:20-28 comments that It doesn’t take a detailed investigation to see that Jesus’ warning is for us as well. We are all aware of how widespread war, violence, famine, and abuse have become. Even our environment (the frightening “roaring” of the oceans—Luke 21:25) is suffering the effects of human sin! So how should we respond?

Lift up your head! Let your faith and trust in the Lord be visible to the people around you. Join your heart with all believers so you can “shine like lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15). Let your peace draw others to the Lord so they can become instruments of peace as well.

Never forget the love and faithfulness of the Lord. Let him help you stand firm. And for heaven’s sake—and for the sake of everyone else—lift up your head!

“Jesus, help me to keep my eyes fixed on you, no matter what!” (Meditation on Luke 21:20-28, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that in the vision from Revelation, Babylon, representing Rome, is overthrown and the wedding feast of the Lamb is celebrated. The cities in the passage are represented as female, but this is not an anti-woman passage as the heavenly Jerusalem is also represented as female. Friar Jude reminds us that at the end of the world, after the “times of the Gentiles” there will be a separation of good and evil.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces CAC affiliate faculty and Cherokee descendant Rev. Dr. Randy Woodley shares a prayer of Thanksgiving, reminding us of the preciousness of all life in its diversity:

I am thankful for Turtle Island [1], that it can become a place where freedom can take hold and become a place where one day we will all be equal under the law, both under the prevailing social structures, and in our own minds. And for the land itself; may you work through us to restore it to your most beautiful intentions. May all of your creatures, the four-legged, the swimmers, the flying things, the crawling things, and the two-legged creatures all be able to have a home on your land. May we make the water sacred once again, the first medicine that provides life to all your creation. May it not be commodified so as to keep it out of the reaches of any of your creatures, and may it be kept in a way that shows the respect for it that you gave it when you made the water such an important part of this earth. 

As I look around this circle we call Mother Earth, I am thankful to you that it is a sacred circle and in the circle no one is more, nor less, than the other. As I look around the sacred circle, I see that I am related to all your creation and that each one in the circle is as sacred as me. You have given us all stories to tell but in all our stories we find you. It is the you in the other that I most value Great Mystery. Please teach me about myself in this sacred circle so I may know you and reflect you more on this good earth, the whole community of creation, including humans. Thank you! (Rohr, n.d.)

We are approaching the end of the liturgical year and the Church reminds us of the trials and tribulations that are the consequence of the injustice and hatred that we witness in the “time of the Gentiles” that is contrary to Jesus Way.

References

Alexander, A. (n.d.). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. Creighton University's Online Ministries, from  https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/112824.html 

Luke, CHAPTER 21 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved November 28, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/21?20 

Meditation on Luke 21:20-28. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved November 28, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/11/28/1138294/ 

Psalms, PSALM 100 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved November 28, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/100?1 

Revelation, CHAPTER 18 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved November 28, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/revelation/18?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). A Simple Prayer of Thanksgiving. CAC Daily Meditations. https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-simple-prayer-of-thanksgiving/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). The Son of Man Is Coming with Great Glory. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved November 28, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=nov28 

Bringing Gifts to Fruition

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today remind us of our gifts and the prompting of the Spirit to use these gifts to restore relationships with God.

Gifts in the Community

The Letter to the Ephesians presents the Diversity of Gifts in the Body of Christ.

* [4:12] The ministerial leaders in Eph 4:11 are to equip the whole people of God for their work of ministry.

* [4:13] Mature manhood: literally, “a perfect man” (cf. Col 1:28), possibly the “one new person” of Eph 2:15, though there anthrōpos suggests humanity, while here anēr is the term for male. This personage becomes visible in the church’s growing to its fullness in the unity of those who believe in Christ.

* [4:15–16] The head, Christ: cf. Col 1:18 and contrast 1 Cor 12:12–27 and Rom 12:4–5 where Christ is identified with the whole body, including the head. The imagery may derive from ancient views in medicine, the head coordinating and caring for the body, each ligament (perhaps the ministers of Eph 4:11) supporting the whole. But as at Eph 2:19–22, where the temple is depicted as a growing organism, there may also be the idea here of growing toward the capstone, Christ. (Ephesians, CHAPTER 4, n.d.)

Psalm 122 is a Song of Praise and Prayer for Jerusalem.

* [Psalm 122] A song of Zion, sung by pilgrims obeying the law to visit Jerusalem three times on a journey. The singer anticipates joining the procession into the city (Ps 122:1–3). Jerusalem is a place of encounter, where the people praise God (Ps 122:4) and hear the divine justice mediated by the king (Ps 122:5). The very buildings bespeak God’s power (cf. Ps 48:13–15). May the grace of this place transform the people’s lives (Ps 122:6–9)! (Psalms, PSALM 122, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree is a Call to Repent or Perish.

 

* [13:4] Like the incident mentioned in Lk 13:1 nothing of this accident in Jerusalem is known outside Luke and the New Testament.

* [13:6–9] Following on the call to repentance in Lk 13:1–5, the parable of the barren fig tree presents a story about the continuing patience of God with those who have not yet given evidence of their repentance (see Lk 3:8). The parable may also be alluding to the delay of the end time, when punishment will be meted out, and the importance of preparing for the end of the age because the delay will not be permanent (Lk 13:8–9). (Luke, CHAPTER 13, n.d.)

David Crawford comments that it can be tempting to judge others for any number of reasons, including to make ourselves look better by comparison. How often do we feel joy or satisfaction when someone we don’t like – a criminal, a political figure, a rival sports team, perhaps someone who has a bumper sticker espousing an opinion we find offensive – suffers misfortune?

Jesus challenges these ways of thinking when He calls on the crowd (and us) to repent because we are no less guilty than the individuals who were killed by Pilate or the tower at Siloam.  Our Alleluia verse reminds us that God “takes no delight in the death of the wicked,” nor should we delight when bad happens to others.  It helps me to remember that we are all sinners (Romans 3:23) relying on God’s mercy, not our own goodness, for salvation (Titus 3:5). (Crawford, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “The Lord's three visits through the Patriarchs, Prophets, and the Gospel,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"The Lord also has something very fitting to say about a fruitless tree, 'Look, it is now three years that I have been coming to it. Finding no fruit on it, I will cut it down, to stop it blocking up my field.' The gardener intercedes... This tree is the human race. The Lord visited this tree in the time of the patriarchs, as if for the first year. He visited it in the time of the law and the prophets, as if for the second year. Here we are now; with the gospel the third year has dawned. Now it is as though it should have been cut down, but the merciful one intercedes with the merciful one. He wanted to show how merciful he was, and so he stood up to himself with a plea for mercy. 'Let us leave it,' he says, 'this year too. Let us dig a ditch around it.' Manure is a sign of humility. 'Let us apply a load of manure; perhaps it may bear fruit.' Since it does bear fruit in one part, and in another part does not bear fruit, its Lord will come and divide it. What does that mean, 'divide it'? There are good people and bad people now in one company, as though constituting one body." (excerpt from Sermon 254.3) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us comments that people are similar to ligaments in a body. As St. Paul says, they join and hold together the body of Christ so that it can build itself up in love (Ephesians 4:16). Someone might be doing something no one else wants to do, or bringing people together, or smoothing over conflict with a cheerful disposition. Obviously, anyone can have this effect, including a pastor, principal, or CEO. No matter who is doing them, these more hidden tasks, done without fanfare, are essential to building up the body of Christ.

So spend a moment thinking about someone who plays a hidden but vital role in your family, community, or church. Thank God for that person and pray for them. Thank them too if you have a chance. Then be willing to imitate their thoughtfulness and humility when the opportunity arises.

“Jesus, thank you for each person who helps build up your people and hold them together. Help me to do the same.” (Meditation: Ephesians 4:7-16, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler understands the descent of Jesus to refer to His taking on humanity and suffering on the Cross. Our spiritual gifts call us to greater conversion as we understand that those who experience disasters or death are not less holy than those who do not know these disasters. Friar Jude connects the life of the fig tree to the perfect number and the mercy of God as he reminds us to be ready as our time will run out.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces mindfulness teacher Rhonda V. Magee who shares that the most effective and long-lasting approach to racial justice work is the fruit of individuals who do their own inner healing work as well. She offers this guided meditation in her book The Inner Work of Racial Justice.

Take a few moments to reflect on what you view as some of the many positive aspects of our shared human inheritance. Consider anything from language, to the capacity to cultivate and share the foods we eat, to music, and to the various ways we have learned to thrive.

What are some of the things that the broad family of human beings have passed down through the ages that you value most?

What have you been given as a result?

What more are you willing to give back?

Now allow this inquiry to dissolve, and as you do so, let your awareness expand. Drop into the silence and let go, as best you can, of the sense of yourself, of your efforts and needs as apart from others. Allow your sense of self to soften. As you breathe in and out, imagine your human life story as a river, flowing into the ocean of humanity, all a part of the more than human world. Rest in the ocean of awareness, and all of its powerful possibilities from here.

Now allow yourself to return to the feeling of yourself in this body, in this place, in this very moment. Gather and center the sense of yourself as a body and being with lived experience that matters, in a world of others. Allow yourself to feel strong in your being and gifts, even as you interconnect with the experiences and heritages of others. Separate individuality and common humanity may come together in your awareness now. Gently allow yourself to feel the “both/and” of your own deep identity. (Rohr, 2022)

We are grateful that the Spirit prompts us to be aware of our need to grow in faith and mercy even as we invite others to the fullness of life. 

References

Crawford, D. (n.d.). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved October 22, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/102222.html 

Ephesians, CHAPTER 4. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 22, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ephesians/4?7 

Luke, CHAPTER 13. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 22, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/13?1 

Meditation: Ephesians 4:7-16. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved October 22, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/10/22/518555/ 

Psalms, PSALM 122. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 22, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/122?1 

Rohr, R. (2022, October 22). Love and Justice: Weekly Summary — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 22, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/love-and-justice-weekly-summary-2022-10-22/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 22, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=oct22