Word to the Wise
Saturday, November 28, 2020 - Saturday in the 34th Week in Ordinary Time
[Rev 22:1-7 and Luke 21:34-36]They will look upon his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. Night will be no more, nor will they need light from lamp or sun, for the Lord God shall give them light, and they shall reign forever and ever. And he said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true, and the Lord, the God of prophetic spirits, sent his angel to show his servants what must happen soon." "Behold, I am coming soon." Blessed is the one who keeps the prophetic message of this book. [Revelation]
We all have our own visions of what heaven must be like. The more popular ones tend toward a pleasant existence without any problems, or being dressed in white robes and playing a harp. These ideas are not new, as the Book of Revelation makes clear. When the New Testament was still in the process of being brought together in the form that we know it, there were many pieces of apocalyptic literature in circulation, The only one accepted as inspired scripture for the Christian community was the Book of Revelation. But some of the others are still available for those who want to do the research.
A community under stress from persecution either by civil or religious authorities would put emphasis on Jesus' return in order that they might be rescued. This hope is clearly expressed in today's passage, but it is combined with visionary language and images that the audience could identify with. Two things happened that have made a difference in how we understand this book. The first is that Jesus' return remains in the future. The second is that the official persecution in the Roman empire eventually eased until Constantine put an end to it in 313 A.D.. But the Christian community recognized the inspired character of the book and included it eventually in the biblical canon of literature.
We continue to wait, in faith, for Jesus' return. We are continually challenged to "stay in shape" until he returns. Tomorrow is the First Sunday of Advent, the beginning of a new liturgical year. We once more begin to tell the story of Jesus' mission - his birth, his life and ministry, and his passion and resurrection. It is our baptismal commission to keep this story alive and "put skin on it." The words from the Book of Revelation, "Come, Lord Jesus!" are not pie in the sky. They are the reason we are Christians! AMEN