(EPISODE:333)
Readings for Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year B
FIRST READING: Dan 12: 1-3
Ps 16: 5+8, 9-10, 11. "Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope."
SECOND READING: Heb 10: 11-14, 18
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Luke 21: 36). Alleluia, alleluia! Be watchful and ready. You know not when the Son of Man is coming.
GOSPEL: Mark 13: 24-32
(Image – licensed Shutterstock ID: 1576586653 - LUND, SWEDEN - NOVEMBER 23, 2019: The roof of the high choir in the Cathedral of Lund is dominated by a six-foot-high absidic mosaic depicting the return of Jesus, shaped like a Christ Pantocrator. -Lund, Sweden --By crimson)
++++
Please listen to the audio recordings of the Mass – (Readings, prayers and homily), for Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year B - Sunday, November 14, 2021, by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-33rd-sunday-ordinary-b-episode-333?si=5f7bcf8bea4b4e3c9727fc570368f836
(EPISODE:333 )
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
* (Prologue: Fr Paul Kelly)
This weekend, Jesus warns his disciples that there are tough, stormy times ahead, not only for him but for all who follow him…
But in the midst of this, he offers hope… 'don't be fooled, the end has not come…..' witness to the truth of my message…. I will be with you,.. I will be faithful to you… even if following me causes hardship.
In some ways, all this talk (in the readings this weekend) of 'end times' and 'the last judgement' and 'the Day of the Lord' and the like, is really about saying 'all things come to an end, except the things that last forever' - the things of abiding (eternal) value. Only that which lasts should be sought after….and the one thing that endures forever is Love; ---For God is love and all who live in love, abide in God, forever.
One of the most unexpected and in many ways unwelcome things that have come out of the covid-crisis is that countless experts in the Book of Revelation and other apocalyptic passages like today's gospel from John. It is as if thousands of people have awarded themselves doctorates in scripture, theology and ecclesiology, without reference to the authentic scholarship and interpretation from the church over thousands of years…. So, all of these experts have come out of the woodwork, and are happy to tell everyone who will listen (and those who would rather not, what the true meaning of those books of the bible are – and of course… as people have done so many times in the past, are telling everyone that these texts are predicting what is happening right now…., they will even lecture lifelong scripture experts and preachers about the meaning, although their information has been cobbled together from youtube and fundamentalistic, non-catholic sources (which in other times has unapologetically been anti-catholic and used those same texts differently, when it suited their argument- to accuse the catholic church of being the enemy predicted in these same texts… which we know is nonsense and grossly lacking in Christ's charity. We cannot say this strongly enough… don't listen to these prophets of doom and misinformation. Let's take our counsel from the two-thousand years of tradition and study and teaching of the catholic church and its teachers, saints and scholars. Really, don't be fooled…it is even in Jesus words in the scriptures.. "do not be misled;… the end has not come near…" - "we do not know the hour or the day.."
There are so many things that we can be tempted to put our trust and energy into…. Things that we value, that are not necessarily of abiding value- which we can try and wrap up and spend so much time protecting and storing away….. but then when we go to check on it, it is gone…. It has slipped through our hands…..
In this weekend's gospel, Jesus is not merely warning about the impending end of the world…. (which two thousand years later has still not come….despite countless predictions to the contrary……).. but rather asking us, his disciples, to make sure our values and actions are directed to the coming of Christ's Kingdom into every aspect of our lives, here and now, and in the future (in its fullness). That's why I love this quote…
"I observe then, that though Christians throughout the centuries may have been mistaken in what they took to be signs of Christ's imminent return in glory, (in the second coming), yet they were not wrong in their state of mind, and they were not mistaken in looking out for Christ and being ready to respond to Christ (in their daily lives)." [John Henry Newman (1801-1890)].
As one scripture scholar points out, (Gustavo Gutierrez), in the context of the whole chapter of this gospel passage… Jesus is speaking about the imminent destruction of the temple, which people had come to take as the "be-all and end-all" of religious experience and achievement. Jesus was saying, it is not the end, even when the temple lies destroyed! His Good news is NOT about turning his word into a safe, secure, exclusive and privileged object for people to get complacent about. His good news is about loving service. The Good News is about paying the price for the values that last. It is about standing with those who are suffering. It is about realising that this is going to come at an enormous cost, not just for Our Lord, but for all who follow his values and his path.
The most reassuring thing about this weekend's gospel is the line by Jesus …. "heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will NEVER pass away." Jesus' words, Jesus Gospel, Jesus values, Jesus Kingdom will never, ever pass away. They are of eternal value. Let us cling to his word, let us nurture his word and values in our daily lives…. Let us build our lives and priorities on his Kingdom values… because these cannot be taken and cannot be destroyed….. investing in other priorities and values is pure folly….
The Lord's word remains forever…. Including these words…
" What good is it if you gain the whole world, and lost your soul?"
And these words too…
Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you…
The greatest among you is the one who serves….
There is more joy in heaven over one repentant sinner than over 99 who did not need to repent…
…..Neither do I condemn you….
Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these other things will be given you…
The law was made for humanity and not humanity for the law…
What I desire is mercy and not sacrifice…
Is it against the law to do good or to do evil….
I tell you solemnly, this poor widow has put in more than all of the treasury…..
Unbind him… set him free...
Anyone who is not against us is for us….
Whatsoever you do to the least of these brothers and sisters of mine… you do it to me….
In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
The one who is forgiven a little, loves little.
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? ……. And if you greet only your brothers and sister, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."
These words and so many more of Christ's words which we are so privileged to have preserved in the living word of the Scriptures…. will NEVER pass away.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Homily: Fr Peter Dillon).
Every time we recite the Creed, often fairly mechanically, we say that we believe that Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead, and we profess our faith in the resurrection of the body and in an everlasting life that follows death. Today's readings invite us to reflect on these articles of the Creed.
Death, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, is the natural end of our earthly life. We are born. We live. We die - and the grave marks the end of all our worldly hopes and longings. But our Christian hope introduces a new element to the horizon. Again the Catechism: 'God, in his almighty power, will definitely grant incorruptible life to our bodies by uniting them with our souls through the power of Jesus' Resurrection'. How this will come about, we do not know, and it is pointless to speculate.
WE are not just travelling along a road that leads nowhere. Our existence has a destination rather than a mere termination. All that we do has meaning and value because it prepares us for the moment when the final Judge will decide our destiny in the afterlife. This though gives us the incentive to strive always for the noble and the worthy in life, and to check the selfish and sinful tendencies that can deflect us from the straight and narrow path of virtue.
As we approach the end of the liturgical year, our readings are a reminder that we will one day sleep in the dust of the earth and that human existence has radical finitude. Of course, they may be very confronting to contemplate, but it can be unwise to look too far into the future, particularly when we might just be speculating on what might occur. As scripture tells us "today has enough troubles of its own"
However, within his description of the end of the physical world, Jesus yet again offers something to hope for. The sun will be darkened, the moon will lose its brightness, the stars will come falling from heaven and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away.
Mind you, Jesus does add that his followers will be persecuted for their beliefs. He never suggested that following him would be a bloodless affair, but he sees in suffering an opportunity for the courage of witness. Our whole community of faith lives in awe of the men and women who value their faith over their life, who refuse to change their commitment to the Gospel for the sake of their own survival. They live the truth not only of the words of Jesus but the pattern of his life.
In the face of such finality, you might wonder where to turn for comfort. Where is the joy and hope that was so dominant in the teachings of Jesus? Always the realist, Jesus is trying to make faith face the reality of suffering in the world and not turn its back on the evil and suffering in the world. His is not a faith that refuses to pay attention to the difficult questions.
Be it Star-wars, nuclear war, greenhouse effect, acid rain, destruction of the ozone layer., the possibilities are endless. Jesus words speak to us of a possible present reality. The end of the physical world has always has been a present reality – every epoch has predicted the immediate end, as seen in the destruction of Jerusalem thought to be the final destruction of the world. Most probably our own evil will well up and destroy our world and ourselves. Although the known world will be altered beyond recognition, one thing will be constant throughout - the word of God will never pass away.
It may seem that there are no ready answers to the questions posed in the Gospel because they are our questions as well. There are times when all our faith can do is endure, and that is what Jesus seems to be asking of his disciples: to endure in spite of horror and suffering, because if we had the answers then our faith would not need to endure, we would have no need to pray for the strength of our faith.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
References:
SHARING THE WORD THROUGH THE LITURGICAL YEAR. GUSTAVO GUTIERREZ.
My Daily Visitor reflections, Nov/Dec 2010.
Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year B (Sunday, November 14, 2021) (EPISODE: 333)
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (or/ The Lord be with You)
+++++++++++++
{{Kindness and grace to you all}} welcome everyone, we gather - To offer or praise, prayers and intercessions to our loving God
Coming together as Gods family, let us call to mind our sins.
+++++++++++++++++++++
Memorial Acclamation
3. Save us, Saviour of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ps 16: 5+8, 9-10, 11. "Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope."
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Luke 21: 36). Alleluia, alleluia! Be watchful and ready. You know not when the Son of Man is coming.
++++++++++++++++
PREFACE: Sundays II
EP I
(theme variation: 3 )
++++
{Thanks everyone, and have a grace-filled and compassion-filled week. }
Go forth, the Mass is ended.
++++++++
Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com
To listen to our weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks
You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address: paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com
Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly
Prayers and chants — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)
Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)
"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009, The Grail - Collins publishers.
Prayers of the Faithful - " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'. E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993) . (Sydney Australia).
Sung "Mass In Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" - By Jeffrey M. Ostrowski. The Gloria, Copyright © 2011 ccwatershed.org.
- "Faith, Hope and Love" theme hymn - in memory of William John (Bill) Kelly (1942-2017) - Inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Music by Paul W. Kelly. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.
"Quiet Time." Instrumental Reflection music. Written by Paul W Kelly. 1988, 2007. & This arrangement: Stefan Kelk, 2020.
- "Today I Arise" - For Trisha J Kelly. Original words and music by Paul W. Kelly. Inspired by St Patrick's Prayer. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.
Sound Engineering and editing - P.W. Kelly.
v Microphones: - RODE-NT-USB-mini
v Editing equipment: NCH software - MixPad Multitrack Studio Recording Software
v NCH – WavePad Audio Editing Software. Masters Edition v 12.44
v Sound Processing: iZotope RX 6 Audio Editor
May God bless and keep you.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
No comments:
Post a Comment