BIBLE STUDY #115
OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE
November 25, 2012
READING 1
DANIEL 7:13-14
As the visions during the night continued, I saw
one like a Son of man coming,
on the clouds of heaven;
when he reached the Ancient One
and was presented before him,
the one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship;
all peoples, nations, and languages serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not be taken away,
his kingship shall not be destroyed.
The Word of the Lord
READING 2
REVELATION 1:5-8
Jesus Christ is the faithful witness,
the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,
who has made us into a kingdom, priests for his God and Father,
to him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.
Behold, he is coming amid the clouds,
and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him.
All the peoples of the earth will lament him.
Yes. Amen.
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, " says the Lord God,
"the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty."
The Word of the Lord
GOSPEL
JOHN 18:33B-37
Pilate said to Jesus,
"Are you the King of the Jews?"
Jesus answered, "Do you say this on your own
or have others told you about me?"
Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I?
Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me.
What have you done?"
Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not belong to this world.
If my kingdom did belong to this world,
my attendants would be fighting
to keep me from being handed over to the Jews.
But as it is, my kingdom is not here."
So Pilate said to him, "Then you are a king?"
Jesus answered, "You say I am a king.
For this I was born and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth.
Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
Today’s Gospel is from the trial of Jesus, part of the Passion Narrative. Pilate asks Jesus, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Pilate’s definition of a king is much different than Jesus’ definition. Pilate would have expected Jesus to be his rival for power, even a rival of Caesar. He would expect someone who says he is a king to use military force to subdue and conquer a kingdom, just as the Romans did in conquering the known world. Pilate would have expected a king to be a person of power and authority, lording it over other people, having his own way, getting rid of his enemies in whatever way necessary. This was the way of the world, the way every king acted.
Jesus was a different type of king, although he never claimed this title for himself. The second reading from Revelation calls Jesus “the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth.” He is a king but not in a worldly sense. He is a king in the sense of being a servant, in the sense of a man of peace, and of weakness, not of power.
After Jesus questions Pilate on where he got his information, he never claims the title of king, but says that he does have a kingdom but that it “not belong to this world.” Jesus establishes the kingdom of heaven here on earth not just to get us into heaven, but to impact the way we live on earth. In the story of the rich young man in Mark chapter 10, he asks Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17). It is presumed that people were getting into heaven before Jesus own ministry began. Jesus offers him an opportunity to enter the kingdom now instead of waiting: “Go, sell what you have, and give it to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come follow me (Mark 10:21).
How does living in the kingdom affect our lives? Living in the kingdom is more than believing in Jesus. This is relatively easy and harmless. We can all profess faith, but how does that impact our lives? Can we act like Jesus? That can really be difficult. In order to do this, we’ll need to repent and turn around our lives, making Jesus’ value systems our value systems. We need to make our relationship with God and others the focal point of our lives. In Mark chapter 10 we read: “You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Jesus is a Messiah who is humble and who came to serve us. He did whatever was necessary, including undergoing a horrible death in crucifixion, so that we may be saved and live in the kingdom. He invites us to go out of our way to serve others. In Matthew 25:31-46, we read: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations* will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. h For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous* will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ * Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ l And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
It seems to me that this Solemnity of Christ the King is as much about us as it is about Christ, who is not a king in the worldly sense, but one who is about peace, justice, humility, and service to others. We are called by our baptism to be servants in the same way. I put the rather long quote from Matthew 25 here because this is the type of disciple we are to be. We don’t have to solve any of the world’s problems, but we do need to contribute what we can to the solution of these problems. Helping some one doesn’t mean their problems will go away; it means that we are there to help. If every one does a little, no one has to do a lot.
Let me give you an example. We lost 2 weeks of food collection for our Thanksgiving food baskets because of Hurricane Sandy. Last week, I sent out an email asking for food donations. We collected enough food to make up 54 food baskets for the needy, give 25 turkeys to Straight and Narrow, and go a long way in restocking the Lincoln Park food pantry. This is a modern day Matthew 25.
I think a better title for this solemnity would be Christ the Humble Servant. It’s easy to get lost in the trappings of power and forget what Jesus was all about. The distinctive clerical and religious clothing, the titles, and the respect and authority that comes with being a leader in the Church have their place, as long as we don’t forget our origins in the humble, peaceful, servant named Jesus. Our task as disciples is to love God and each other through serving God and each other.
I like to think of Matthew 25 as a guideline to living in the kingdom. If we are really loving God and each other then Matthew 25 will be second nature.
Let’s thank Christ the Humble Servant for his presence in our lives, and let’s do our best to imitate Him.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
BIBLE STUDY #116
FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
December 2, 2012
READING 1
JEREMIAH 33:14-16
The days are coming, says the LORD,
when I will fulfill the promise
I made to the house of Israel and Judah.
In those days, in that time,
I will raise up for David a just shoot ;
he shall do what is right and just in the land.
In those days Judah shall be safe
and Jerusalem shall dwell secure;
this is what they shall call her:
"The LORD our justice."
The Word of the Lord
READING 2
1 THESSALONIANS 3:12-4:2
Brothers and sisters:
May the Lord make you increase and abound in love
for one another and for all,
just as we have for you,
so as to strengthen your hearts,
to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father
at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen.
Finally, brothers and sisters,
we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that,
as you received from us
how you should conduct yourselves to please God
and as you are conducting yourselves
you do so even more.
For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
The Word of the Lord
GOSPEL
LUKE 21:25-28, 34-36
Jesus said to his disciples:
"There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on earth nations will be in dismay,
perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will die of fright
in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
But when these signs begin to happen,
stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.
"Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy
from carousing and drunkenness
and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.
For that day will assault everyone
who lives on the face of the earth.
Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man."
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
What is a ‘sign’? A sign is something that points to a greater reality. The sign itself is not important as to what it signifies. An example would be the American Flag. We hold our flag dear to our hearts for what it signifies: freedom and our way of life. Our founding fathers could have picked any arrangement of colors and symbols for our flag, and it would mean the same to us. When someone burns our flag, it is more than the desecration of a symbol, but an attack on our very way of life. The flag burners are saying that they want to destroy us. That’s why a flag burning bothers us so much.
Today’s Gospel has a sign: the universe will be in dismay, “People will die of fright and… the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” This is not just a prediction of a natural disaster such as earthquakes and famines, or the fall of a city, or even wars and revolutions, but is cosmic in nature. The signs will come in “the sun, the moon, and the stars.” Luke talks about the shaking of heavenly powers.
Notice that there is not a timetable for these coming events. The lesson of the fig tree in Mark 13 is eliminated as is any other reference to the timing of these events. The time of final judgment is left undetermined and unattached to any specific events. It will come, but who knows when. They are coming to grips with the delay in the Second Coming.
What is the greater reality of this sign? When all of these things happen, the people will see, “the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”
These events are not to frighten us because we are people of faith, believing in the Second Coming of Jesus. “But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.” These cosmic events point to our liberation from sin and death. They are the sign of our deliverance. That’s why it bothers us when people trash our religion, especially our signs and symbols: they are trashing us and the very core of our beliefs.
Therefore, it is not Rome or any power in our day that will precipitate the end. The future is God’s prerogative, ushered in by the Son of Man, Jesus, appearing in power and glory.
What are we to do in the meantime? Luke does not advocate a wait and see attitude, scanning the horizon waiting for these signs. We are to be prayerful and vigilant. If not, we can get lost in the daily cares and woes of our lives and not be attentive to our spiritual needs, and Jesus coming will surprise us and we will not be ready. Since there is no escape from these events, we must be vigilant and prayerful so we will be ready to stand before Jesus and make an account of ourselves.
To me, the Season of Advent is threefold in nature: it deals with the past, the present, and the future. In Advent, we begin to anticipate the birth of Jesus some 2,000 years ago, that great event of God breaking into human life, one of the pivotal points in our salvation history. We give thanks to God for sending his Son so that we may have eternal life. We also anticipate the future, when Jesus will come again in glory, and also the time when our life here on earth is ended and we go to meet the Lord. We are reminded that we are to be vigilant and prayerful to be ready to meet him when our life ends. Thirdly, we are reminded that Jesus wants to be born in our hearts everyday, if we let him. There is no need to wait to live in the Kingdom; it is here for us now. If we live in the Kingdom on earth, we should welcome the Kingdom of Heaven.
In the first reading from Jeremiah, the kings of Israel in Jeremiah’s time (and afterwards) were not very good kings. Jeremiah reminds the people that God promised “a just shoot,” a descendant of David who would do what is just and right. “Just shoot” or “righteous branch” have become classical titles for messiah, or anointed one. Jesus is that just shoot who leads God’s people in a right and just way.
Fr. Phil
FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
December 2, 2012
READING 1
JEREMIAH 33:14-16
The days are coming, says the LORD,
when I will fulfill the promise
I made to the house of Israel and Judah.
In those days, in that time,
I will raise up for David a just shoot ;
he shall do what is right and just in the land.
In those days Judah shall be safe
and Jerusalem shall dwell secure;
this is what they shall call her:
"The LORD our justice."
The Word of the Lord
READING 2
1 THESSALONIANS 3:12-4:2
Brothers and sisters:
May the Lord make you increase and abound in love
for one another and for all,
just as we have for you,
so as to strengthen your hearts,
to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father
at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen.
Finally, brothers and sisters,
we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that,
as you received from us
how you should conduct yourselves to please God
and as you are conducting yourselves
you do so even more.
For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
The Word of the Lord
GOSPEL
LUKE 21:25-28, 34-36
Jesus said to his disciples:
"There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on earth nations will be in dismay,
perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will die of fright
in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
But when these signs begin to happen,
stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.
"Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy
from carousing and drunkenness
and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.
For that day will assault everyone
who lives on the face of the earth.
Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man."
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
What is a ‘sign’? A sign is something that points to a greater reality. The sign itself is not important as to what it signifies. An example would be the American Flag. We hold our flag dear to our hearts for what it signifies: freedom and our way of life. Our founding fathers could have picked any arrangement of colors and symbols for our flag, and it would mean the same to us. When someone burns our flag, it is more than the desecration of a symbol, but an attack on our very way of life. The flag burners are saying that they want to destroy us. That’s why a flag burning bothers us so much.
Today’s Gospel has a sign: the universe will be in dismay, “People will die of fright and… the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” This is not just a prediction of a natural disaster such as earthquakes and famines, or the fall of a city, or even wars and revolutions, but is cosmic in nature. The signs will come in “the sun, the moon, and the stars.” Luke talks about the shaking of heavenly powers.
Notice that there is not a timetable for these coming events. The lesson of the fig tree in Mark 13 is eliminated as is any other reference to the timing of these events. The time of final judgment is left undetermined and unattached to any specific events. It will come, but who knows when. They are coming to grips with the delay in the Second Coming.
What is the greater reality of this sign? When all of these things happen, the people will see, “the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”
These events are not to frighten us because we are people of faith, believing in the Second Coming of Jesus. “But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.” These cosmic events point to our liberation from sin and death. They are the sign of our deliverance. That’s why it bothers us when people trash our religion, especially our signs and symbols: they are trashing us and the very core of our beliefs.
Therefore, it is not Rome or any power in our day that will precipitate the end. The future is God’s prerogative, ushered in by the Son of Man, Jesus, appearing in power and glory.
What are we to do in the meantime? Luke does not advocate a wait and see attitude, scanning the horizon waiting for these signs. We are to be prayerful and vigilant. If not, we can get lost in the daily cares and woes of our lives and not be attentive to our spiritual needs, and Jesus coming will surprise us and we will not be ready. Since there is no escape from these events, we must be vigilant and prayerful so we will be ready to stand before Jesus and make an account of ourselves.
To me, the Season of Advent is threefold in nature: it deals with the past, the present, and the future. In Advent, we begin to anticipate the birth of Jesus some 2,000 years ago, that great event of God breaking into human life, one of the pivotal points in our salvation history. We give thanks to God for sending his Son so that we may have eternal life. We also anticipate the future, when Jesus will come again in glory, and also the time when our life here on earth is ended and we go to meet the Lord. We are reminded that we are to be vigilant and prayerful to be ready to meet him when our life ends. Thirdly, we are reminded that Jesus wants to be born in our hearts everyday, if we let him. There is no need to wait to live in the Kingdom; it is here for us now. If we live in the Kingdom on earth, we should welcome the Kingdom of Heaven.
In the first reading from Jeremiah, the kings of Israel in Jeremiah’s time (and afterwards) were not very good kings. Jeremiah reminds the people that God promised “a just shoot,” a descendant of David who would do what is just and right. “Just shoot” or “righteous branch” have become classical titles for messiah, or anointed one. Jesus is that just shoot who leads God’s people in a right and just way.
Fr. Phil
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
BIBLE STUDY #114
THIRTY THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
November 18, 2012
READING 1
DANIELN 12:1-3
In those days, I Daniel,
heard this word of the Lord:
"At that time there 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.
"Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake;
some shall live forever,
others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.
"But the wise shall shine brightly
like the splendor of the firmament,
and those who lead the many to justice
shall be like the stars forever."
The Word of the Lord
READING 2
HEBREWS 10:11-14, 18
Brothers and sisters:
Every priest stands daily at his ministry,
offering frequently those same sacrifices
that can never take away sins.
But this one offered one sacrifice for sins,
and took his seat forever at the right hand of God;
now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool.
For by one offering
he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated.
Where there is forgiveness of these,
there is no longer offering for sin.
The Word of the Lord
GOSPEL
MARK 13:24-32
Jesus said to his disciples:
"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.
"Learn a lesson from the fig tree.
When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves,
you know that summer is near.
In the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that he is near, at the gates.
Amen, I say to you,
this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away.
"But of that day or hour, no one knows,
neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
Mark chapter 13 is sometimes called the “Little Apocalypse” (the Book of Revelation is known as the “Great Apocalypse”) or it is also known as the “Synoptic Apocalypse” because versions of this appear in Matthew’s and Luke’s Gospels. The word “Apocalypse” means “revelation” because the purpose of this genre or literary form of writing is to reveal the mysteries of the future and/or of the heavenly realm. Apocalyptic literature often deals with last things, such as death, resurrection, judgment, rewards, punishments, the after life, and is known as eschatology, meaning the study of the last things. This is a typical Advent theme which we will see in 2 weeks on the First Sunday of Advent.
The setting for this apocalyptic discourse is the Mount of Olives opposite Jerusalem. This discourse begins with Jesus answering questions from his disciples about the last things. It starts with Jesus answering questions about the destruction of the temple, to the course of future events, and the great transformation that accompanies the coming of the fullness of God’s Kingdom.
Today’s gospel reading comes from a section of this chapter known the “Parousia of the Son of Man” and the “Nearness of the Parousia of the Son of Man”; Parousia referring to Jesus’ second coming.
Mark firmly believes in the second coming of Jesus. There will be much destruction and suffering prior to his return. The disciples are urged to bear with the suffering; they are to flee and not to defend the city through misguided messianic hope. The Parousia occurs after the suffering and destruction. These concepts are drawn from the Old Testament, and are a collage of prophetic texts.
Upon his return, it is the same Jesus who suffered, died, and rose form the dead, but now he is seen in his fullness instead of being perceived dimly. He will be seen in the power and glory of the Father. This is a great promise of hope to those who await his return. It is this hope that enables all followers to persevere to the end.
In 8:38 Jesus tells that if we are not ashamed of him we will rejoice in his glorious coming. Mark insists that we watch and be ready for his coming which will be joy indeed for those who believe. Jesus comes not to execute judgment but to gather together the scattered people of God. We are the elect of Jesus, and he will return for us.
Mark did expect an imminent Parousia, coming in the lifetime of the first generation of Christians. Just as the sprouts on a fig tree signal the coming of summer, so the suffering they endure signals the nearness of the Son of Man in his second coming. This is not just his own belief, but is fully consistent with the words of Jesus (see 9:1 and 13:30).
So, was Mark wrong? In a sense, yes, he was: Jesus hasn’t returned. But there are some basic truths to be learned. Jesus death and resurrection did usher in the last age; Jesus is God’s final and definitive revelation of God’s desires for us. God’s definitive act was sending his Son; the Son’s return is the consummation of God’s plan. More importantly for us, I think, is the watching, waiting, and preparing that is important. Jesus comes to us everyday in many ways: through prayer, sacraments, and scripture to name a few. It is in opening our hearts to his love that we prepare ourselves to accept him in our lives. It is in the hope that he will bring us home that we have joy. Neither the date of Jesus second coming nor the date of our death when we go to meet him is not important. What’s important is if we are ready to meet him.
In the first reading from the Book of Daniel, the Israelites are in the midst of a persecution inflicted by the Syrian Emperor Antiochus IV in the second century B.C. In the midst of great persecution, Daniel directs the people to look to the future when Michael, Israel’s guardian angel, will liberate them from their persecutors. He encourages them to persevere since, as is usual in apocalyptic writing, things will get worse before they get better. However, those who develop proper relationships with God and others will find themselves in a future, liberated world. In perhaps the first reference to resurrection from the dead, "Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake; some shall live forever, others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.”
Fr. Phil
THIRTY THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
November 18, 2012
READING 1
DANIELN 12:1-3
In those days, I Daniel,
heard this word of the Lord:
"At that time there 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.
"Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake;
some shall live forever,
others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.
"But the wise shall shine brightly
like the splendor of the firmament,
and those who lead the many to justice
shall be like the stars forever."
The Word of the Lord
READING 2
HEBREWS 10:11-14, 18
Brothers and sisters:
Every priest stands daily at his ministry,
offering frequently those same sacrifices
that can never take away sins.
But this one offered one sacrifice for sins,
and took his seat forever at the right hand of God;
now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool.
For by one offering
he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated.
Where there is forgiveness of these,
there is no longer offering for sin.
The Word of the Lord
GOSPEL
MARK 13:24-32
Jesus said to his disciples:
"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.
"Learn a lesson from the fig tree.
When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves,
you know that summer is near.
In the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that he is near, at the gates.
Amen, I say to you,
this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away.
"But of that day or hour, no one knows,
neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
Mark chapter 13 is sometimes called the “Little Apocalypse” (the Book of Revelation is known as the “Great Apocalypse”) or it is also known as the “Synoptic Apocalypse” because versions of this appear in Matthew’s and Luke’s Gospels. The word “Apocalypse” means “revelation” because the purpose of this genre or literary form of writing is to reveal the mysteries of the future and/or of the heavenly realm. Apocalyptic literature often deals with last things, such as death, resurrection, judgment, rewards, punishments, the after life, and is known as eschatology, meaning the study of the last things. This is a typical Advent theme which we will see in 2 weeks on the First Sunday of Advent.
The setting for this apocalyptic discourse is the Mount of Olives opposite Jerusalem. This discourse begins with Jesus answering questions from his disciples about the last things. It starts with Jesus answering questions about the destruction of the temple, to the course of future events, and the great transformation that accompanies the coming of the fullness of God’s Kingdom.
Today’s gospel reading comes from a section of this chapter known the “Parousia of the Son of Man” and the “Nearness of the Parousia of the Son of Man”; Parousia referring to Jesus’ second coming.
Mark firmly believes in the second coming of Jesus. There will be much destruction and suffering prior to his return. The disciples are urged to bear with the suffering; they are to flee and not to defend the city through misguided messianic hope. The Parousia occurs after the suffering and destruction. These concepts are drawn from the Old Testament, and are a collage of prophetic texts.
Upon his return, it is the same Jesus who suffered, died, and rose form the dead, but now he is seen in his fullness instead of being perceived dimly. He will be seen in the power and glory of the Father. This is a great promise of hope to those who await his return. It is this hope that enables all followers to persevere to the end.
In 8:38 Jesus tells that if we are not ashamed of him we will rejoice in his glorious coming. Mark insists that we watch and be ready for his coming which will be joy indeed for those who believe. Jesus comes not to execute judgment but to gather together the scattered people of God. We are the elect of Jesus, and he will return for us.
Mark did expect an imminent Parousia, coming in the lifetime of the first generation of Christians. Just as the sprouts on a fig tree signal the coming of summer, so the suffering they endure signals the nearness of the Son of Man in his second coming. This is not just his own belief, but is fully consistent with the words of Jesus (see 9:1 and 13:30).
So, was Mark wrong? In a sense, yes, he was: Jesus hasn’t returned. But there are some basic truths to be learned. Jesus death and resurrection did usher in the last age; Jesus is God’s final and definitive revelation of God’s desires for us. God’s definitive act was sending his Son; the Son’s return is the consummation of God’s plan. More importantly for us, I think, is the watching, waiting, and preparing that is important. Jesus comes to us everyday in many ways: through prayer, sacraments, and scripture to name a few. It is in opening our hearts to his love that we prepare ourselves to accept him in our lives. It is in the hope that he will bring us home that we have joy. Neither the date of Jesus second coming nor the date of our death when we go to meet him is not important. What’s important is if we are ready to meet him.
In the first reading from the Book of Daniel, the Israelites are in the midst of a persecution inflicted by the Syrian Emperor Antiochus IV in the second century B.C. In the midst of great persecution, Daniel directs the people to look to the future when Michael, Israel’s guardian angel, will liberate them from their persecutors. He encourages them to persevere since, as is usual in apocalyptic writing, things will get worse before they get better. However, those who develop proper relationships with God and others will find themselves in a future, liberated world. In perhaps the first reference to resurrection from the dead, "Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake; some shall live forever, others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.”
Fr. Phil
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
BIBLE STUDY #112
THIRTY SECOND SUNDAY
IN ORDINARY TIME
November 11, 2012
1 Kings 17:10-16
In those days, Elijah the prophet went
to Zarephath.
As he arrived at the entrance of the city,
a widow was gathering sticks there; he called out to her,
"Please bring me a small cupful of water to drink."
She left to get it, and he called out after her,
"Please bring along a bit of bread."
She answered, "As the LORD, your God, lives,
I have nothing baked; there is only a handful of flour in my jar
and a little oil in my jug.
Just now I was collecting a couple of sticks,
to go in and prepare something for myself and my son;
when we have eaten it, we shall die."
Elijah said to her, "Do not be afraid.
Go and do as you propose.
But first make me a little cake and bring it to me.
Then you can prepare something for yourself and your son.
For the LORD, the God of Israel, says,
'The jar of flour shall not go empty,
nor the jug of oil run dry,
until the day when the LORD sends rain upon the earth.'"
She left and did as Elijah had said.
She was able to eat for a year, and he and her son as well;
the jar of flour did not go empty,
nor the jug of oil run dry,
as the LORD had foretold through Elijah.
As he arrived at the entrance of the city,
a widow was gathering sticks there; he called out to her,
"Please bring me a small cupful of water to drink."
She left to get it, and he called out after her,
"Please bring along a bit of bread."
She answered, "As the LORD, your God, lives,
I have nothing baked; there is only a handful of flour in my jar
and a little oil in my jug.
Just now I was collecting a couple of sticks,
to go in and prepare something for myself and my son;
when we have eaten it, we shall die."
Elijah said to her, "Do not be afraid.
Go and do as you propose.
But first make me a little cake and bring it to me.
Then you can prepare something for yourself and your son.
For the LORD, the God of Israel, says,
'The jar of flour shall not go empty,
nor the jug of oil run dry,
until the day when the LORD sends rain upon the earth.'"
She left and did as Elijah had said.
She was able to eat for a year, and he and her son as well;
the jar of flour did not go empty,
nor the jug of oil run dry,
as the LORD had foretold through Elijah.
The Word of the Lord
Hebrews 9:24-28
Christ did not enter into a sanctuary
made by hands,
a copy of the true one, but heaven itself,
that he might now appear before God on our behalf.
Not that he might offer himself repeatedly,
as the high priest enters each year into the sanctuary
with blood that is not his own;
if that were so, he would have had to suffer repeatedly
from the foundation of the world.
But now once for all he has appeared at the end of the ages
to take away sin by his sacrifice.
Just as it is appointed that human beings die once,
and after this the judgment, so also Christ,
offered once to take away the sins of many,
will appear a second time, not to take away sin
but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him.
a copy of the true one, but heaven itself,
that he might now appear before God on our behalf.
Not that he might offer himself repeatedly,
as the high priest enters each year into the sanctuary
with blood that is not his own;
if that were so, he would have had to suffer repeatedly
from the foundation of the world.
But now once for all he has appeared at the end of the ages
to take away sin by his sacrifice.
Just as it is appointed that human beings die once,
and after this the judgment, so also Christ,
offered once to take away the sins of many,
will appear a second time, not to take away sin
but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him.
The Word of the Lord
Gospel
Mark 12:38-44
In the course of his teaching Jesus
said to the crowds,
"Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes
and accept greetings in the marketplaces,
seats of honor in synagogues,
and places of honor at banquets.
They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext
recite lengthy prayers.
They will receive a very severe condemnation."
He sat down opposite the treasury
and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury.
Many rich people put in large sums.
A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.
Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them,
"Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more
than all the other contributors to the treasury.
For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had,
her whole livelihood."
"Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes
and accept greetings in the marketplaces,
seats of honor in synagogues,
and places of honor at banquets.
They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext
recite lengthy prayers.
They will receive a very severe condemnation."
He sat down opposite the treasury
and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury.
Many rich people put in large sums.
A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.
Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them,
"Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more
than all the other contributors to the treasury.
For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had,
her whole livelihood."
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
Scribes were proficient in reading and
writing contracts and other administrative documents. They were also experts in
the Jewish Law. Therefore, they took the roles of both lawyer and theologian. Scribes
are linked with the Pharisees and chief priests and usually were the opponents of Jesus such
as the plot to kill Jesus in 14:1 (An exception is 12:28-34).
The scribes are criticized here because
of their ostentationess. They want to attract the attention of others to
impress them and make a display of themselves. They greet others in the market
place so they can be seen.
The synagogue is the place where Jews gathered for
Scripture readings and prayer as well as for cultural events. It is thought
that the first seats in the synagogue would face the crowds and they could be seen. These seats are closest to the Torah
scrolls so they could feel important. At banquets, the bests seats were near
the host. The closer to the host you sit, the more the host thought of you.
Widows at that time had no protection.
When her husband died, she could return to her family if her dowry could be
paid to her husband's heirs. She could also be sold into slavery to repay past
debts. A priests daughter could be returned to father's home. The only other protection was a levirate marriage (see
Deuteronomy 25:5-10) and that wasn't always enforceable. Widows relied on their
children or on charity. Scribes would have themselves appointed as trustees
over the estates of widows to gain a share on the inheritance. The scribes are
accused by Jesus of preying on the most vulnerable of society for a profit.
Many Old Testament texts present God as
the ultimate defender of widows and orphans (Deuteronomy 14:29 and Jeremiah 49:11, for example). Old Testament
prophets frequently criticized the exploitation of widows (Isaiah 1:17,
Jeremiah 7:6).
The scribes recite lengthy prayers in
public to be seen as holy in front of the people. Their hypocrisy is obvious.
In Matthew 6:5, Jesus says that, "they have received their reward,"
that is, the adulation of the people but not of God. Here, in Mark 12:40, Jesus
says, " They will receive a very severe condemnation."
The Temple Temple
A widow comes along and puts in 2 coins
that were the smallest monetary denomination in circulation. Jesus tells his disciples
that she was more generous than anyone because she gave everything she had to
the treasury, while the rich weren't hurt by their donations.
This widow stands in contrast to the
scribes who spent their time promoting themselves and looking for opportunities
for financial gain. Remember, though, not to categorize all the scribes in this
way. It can lead to anti Semitism, and there were scribes who weren't like
this.
The widow gave all she had to the
support of the temple, an incredible act of generosity applauded by Jesus and
held up as an example to his disciples. She is much more generous than the
scribes who probably didn't miss the amount of their donation.
A few scholars, however, look on this
poor woman as a victim of an institutional religion that manipulated this
generous women into giving all she had. Usually looked upon as an example of
generosity, she can also be pitied as a victim of religious exploitation.
In the first reading from 1 Kings, we
have another example of a generous woman, the widow of Zarephath. Elijah served
in the 9th century as a prophet in a struggle to preserve the knowledge and
worship of God against the pagan worship of Baal introduced by Jezebel, the
pagan wife of King Ahab. The Elijah cycle of narratives includes today's story,
miracles, denunciation of kings, and Elijah's role as the forerunner of the
Messiah.
There was a drought, and this widow was
almost out of supplies. Elijah tells her to bake him a cake. She gives all he
has for him, and God rewards her: " the jar of flour did not go empty, nor
the jug of oil run dry" and they were able to eat for year. She trusted in God through believing in
God's prophet Elijah, as opposed to King Ahab, who refused to believe in Elijah
and was later punished.
This story was meant to encourage faith
and confidence in God's word.
In the second reading, the sacrifice of
Jesus is compared to the sacrifice in the Temple
on the Day of Atonement, where animals were sacrificed in the Temple
Fr. Phil
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