Word to the Wise
Sunday, November 17, 2024 - 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - B
[Dan 12:1-3; Heb 10:11-14, 18; Mark 13:24-32]"At that time thee shall arise Michael, the great prince, guardian of your people; it shall be a time unsurpassed in distress since nations began until that time. At that time your people shall escape, everyone who is found written in the book. [Daniel] "In those days after that tribulation the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in the clouds' with great power and glory, and then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky....But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." [Mark]
The vivid language from the Gospel According to Mark is accompanied in the first scripture for today by words from the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament. They are examples of a kind of literature that flourished between 200 BC and 200 AD and is called "apocalyptic," from a Greek word meaning "revelation." This kind of writing was meant to comfort people under severe trial and persecution with the hope of ultimate deliverance. The Book of Daniel, in the Old Testament, was written to comfort Jews suffering from persecution by the pro-Greek rulers of Palestine at the time. The Book of Revelation (Apocalypse), in the New Testament, was written to comfort Christians being persecuted by Roman authorities. Jesus uses "apocalyptic" language to convey the truth that he will return at the "end of time." The event is not of a political but rather cosmic nature. What is clear is that the "timing" of this event is UNKNOWN, despite the well-intentioned efforts of many over the centuries who were convinced the timing was "hidden" in the text and could be decoded! Jesus was not kidding when he said the timing of his return would not be known to us until it happens.
What is also clear from the New Testament is that the Christian community, at least initially, thought the Second Coming would occur "soon." And we know that it did not. One of my philosophy professors years ago was known for saying, "It's hard to get the big picture when you're living inside the frame!" Modern astronomy tells us that the universe - the picture we live in - is very large indeed, and there is much left for humans to explore. But the "frame" of time and history and creation belongs to God. We, from the earliest Christian community to our present time, are called to live our faith with hope and love in expectation. AMEN