Walking with Jesus: 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

For Sunday, November 17, 2024

Daniel 12:1-3; Hebrews 10:11-14, 18; Mark 13:24-32

As we approach the end of the Church year next week on the feast of Christ the King, our readings remind us about the end of time and what our lives are all about. We have been born because God willed it, blessed in abundance with God’s help — which is called grace — to live our lives closer to Him so that we can enjoy everlasting life, heaven, with God and all the angels and saints forever. This has been promised and it has been God’s plan forever. He loves us every moment of our lives, and graced us so that we can love those He placed with us and lead them to heaven to be with all of our loved ones who have lived their lives accordingly and are waiting and praying for us to be with them. The readings today are described in apocalyptic terms so that whatever takes place, with whatever scope and intensity of the devastation that will occur during the last days, good will ultimately triumph. For this reason we and all and have been reminded repeatedly by Jesus to trust in God. He loves each of us all the time; that’s why He created us. Thank You Lord!

The first reading is from Daniel, who is not the author of the book but its hero. The actual author is unknown. Daniel was among the first Jews deported to Babylon where he lived until at least 538 B.C. The book of Daniel is listed among the prophetic writings in the Old Testament but it is not prophetic — it's apocalyptic, pointing ahead to the day of the Lord — the consummation, the finalization of history. Daniel does have the gift of discernment even though he is ridiculed. God reveals hidden things to him. Today an angel begins to tell Daniel of the final deliverance of Israel under the archangel Michael, coming in the form of resurrection in the afterlife. Some will be rewarded and “live forever” with everlasting life, while others will be consigned to “everlasting horror and disgrace.” [Daniel 12:2] The final deliverance of the righteous will come in the form of resurrection in the afterlife — death is not the end.

Paul contrasts the daily sacrifices offered by the levitical priesthood and the unique sacrifice of Christ. The primary purpose of both is the expiation of sin, the atonement and redemption before our Loving God. In the levitical priesthood, the one officiating determined which victim — even, at times, a human victim — was to be offered. The one whose sins were to be expiated played a role in this. It could be a bull — a he-goat for a political dignitary — whereas a common citizen could offer a sheep. Over and over, priests offered sacrifices for their own transgressions and for the transgressions of the people. We look at Jesus: The offenses of sins to God, who is total love … all the time … for ages … is huge. Jesus came to assure us that God loves us. How could He prove this? “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.” [John 15:13-14] Jesus accomplished what the sacrificial system of Israel was unable to accomplish.

Jesus has been walking out of the temple area in Jerusalem and remarks about the destruction of the temple. The apostles want more specifics (read Mark 13:3-24). It’s all there: the destruction of their most beautiful temple; what will happen to His followers; how His followers and believers will go throughout the world and be opposed horribly by unbelievers; and finally The Coming of the Son of Man — the title of today’s readings. Mark emphasizes that Jesus’ words are trustworthy. His readers must not get bogged down in end-times speculation, since ultimately only God knows: “But of that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven nor the Son but only the Father.” [Mark 13:32]

These apocalyptic images are timely. Some may see exaggeration, but it is probably the best way to characterize the situation. The fact that good always triumphs over evil serves to make us remain faithful. The struggle is temporary … the reward is heaven … that is God’s promise. But the moment we are in now is serious; we know this much from our lives lived to this point. The end will come, and God loves us and is giving us the present time to be prepared.

So I reflect on:

• Has anyone ever left you anything, an inheritance that surprised you? Does that control our lives? Where is God’s place with us? How has this affected the person who has died?
• God is waiting for you and for me. He has promised us our inheritance: What have I put off in preparing for this? We might think we have plenty of time — Now really is the time!

Sacred Space 2024 states:

“As we come near the end of the Church’s year, we are reminded of end times, with the Son of Man coming on the clouds with great power and glory. Lord, help us to appreciate the deeper message of  the hope You promise, in gathering the elect from the four winds.”