Saturday, November 17, 2012
33RD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – B
NOVEMBER 18, 2012
33RD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – B
Dn 12:1-3 / Heb 10:11- 14, 18 / Mk 13:24-32
DANIEL 12:1-3
At that time, Michael will rise, the Great Commander who defends your people. It shall be a time of anguish as never before since the nations first existed until this very day. Then all those whose names are written in the Book will be saved. Many of those who sleep in the Region of the Dust will awake, some to everlasting life but others to eternal horror and shame. Those who acquired knowledge will shine like the brilliance of the firmament; those who taught people to be just will shine like the stars for all eternity.
HEBREWS 10:11- 14, 18
So, whereas every priest stands daily by the altar offering repeatedly the same sacrifices that can never take away sins, Christ has offered for all times a single sacrifice for sins and has taken his seat at the right hand of God, waiting until God puts his enemies as a footstool under his feet. By a single sacrifice he has brought those who are sanctified to what is perfect forever. So, if sins are forgiven, there is no longer need of any sacrifice for sin.
MARK 13:24-32
Later on in those days, after that disastrous time, the sun will grow dark, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall out of the sky, and the whole universe will be shaken. Then people will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And he will send the angels to gather his chosen people from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the sky. Learn a lesson from the fig tree: as soon as its branches become tender and it begins to sprout leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things happening, know that the time is near, even at the door. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all this has happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But, regarding that day and that hour, no one knows when it will come, not even the angels, not even the Son, but only the Father.
REFLECTION
Today's readings from Daniel and Mark lead liturgically to the end of the Church year, to next Sunday's celebration of Christ the King, when the whole of creation will be subjected to the Lord of heaven and earth, when Jesus Christ will be all in all. Let us look at three aspects of the liturgical assembly, namely: the Church's liturgy, the word of God, and the needs of the people. In other works, we consider what the Church is celebrating in today's liturgy; what the Gospel is describing; and how liturgy and Gospel might touch our human and Christian concerns.
In the Church liturgy, a major element is God's word. Year after year, the readings recapture the movement of our salvation. Advent represents the world's waiting for its Savior. We welcome the Lord as he came to us at Christmas, surprisingly in the form of an infant. We grow to manhood with him, walk in his footsteps through Galilee and Judea. We recapture his dying-rising through Lent and Easter. His Ascension lifted all of us with him to the Father; his Spirit descended not only on the disciples, but also on each believer. And since Pentecost we have heard and lived the mission of the Church, its ups and downs, its pride and passion, its agony and its ecstasy, its ceaseless struggle to grow into the fullness of its Lord, its living in hope for the final coming of the Savior.
Now, we reach the end of the Liturgical year. Next week we will crown Christ the King. On that Sunday, the liturgy celebrates what will be the high point of creation, when humankind and all it possesses will be subjected to Christ, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. Today we celebrate the beginning of that end; today we live in anticipation the end of the world, as we know it. If Advent was prologue to the Christian mystery, we now sneak a preview into its finality.
In the word of God: What is the Gospel describing? In short, three inter-related realities: the end of this world as we know it, the coming of Christ, this time not as a helpless baby, but "with great power and glory," and the assembling into one place of all who are saved.
There is a danger here. In each of these three powerful prophecies we can be misled by images, distracted by the description. The writers, seeing in vision the final struggle to establish God's kingdom, used incredibly vivid images and symbols, to convey realities beyond their experience.
Lastly, how might today's liturgy and Gospel touch our human and Christian concerns? To begin with, there are two concerns we can only be curious about: When will the world end, and how? Is the last day tomorrow or thousands of years from now? Will it all end in ice or in fire? Despite the books and predictions of the prophets of doom, we simply do not know. Remember what Jesus Himself said: "But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the Son, but only the Father."
But such ignorance should not immobilize us or leave us complacent. Whenever and however the world will end, the second coming of Jesus is our ceaseless hope. For without his second coming, his first makes little sense.
Since that is so, let us affirm Christ's final coming with the intensity of the early Christians, who expected him to return within their lifetime. It is indeed good to fix our eyes on Christ's final coming "with great power and glory." It is our Christian hope. It would be tragic if the far horizon blinds us to Christ's daily coming in rags and tatters, as a lonely, frightened, joyless, sick person, lost in a strange world that does not seem to care.
PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Mon Torres
- Fleur Torres
- Ditas dela Paz
- Micole Guingon
- Lianne, Jeanella Mae and Jazmine
- Zhoey Marquez
… for the personal intentions of
- Emma
- Andrew
… In Memoriam: Maximino, Luciana and Rosita Ilagan. Hermogenes and Natividad Diangkinay, Clarita and Baby Quicho
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Ehman G. Rioveros
- Birthday: Sr. Joselina Bonono SPC
- Birthday: Fely S. Quiambao
- In Memoriam (+): Victor Ebarle
… for families who are in need of healing
… for world peace and reconciliation.
Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.
Have a good day!
**************************************************
These reflections are distributed free and are for personal use only. Feel free to send the Daily Prayer reflections to your friends, colleagues and relatives; however, if you do, please include the following:
+================================================+
| The Daily Prayer, a service and an apostolate of the
| priests, laity and friends of Mary the Queen Parish
| http://www.marythequeen.org
| Distributed free and for personal use only.
+================================================+
--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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To subscribe from this free mailing service, send email to: dailyhomily@earthlink.net
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© 2012 Daily-Homily
33RD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – B
Dn 12:1-3 / Heb 10:11- 14, 18 / Mk 13:24-32
DANIEL 12:1-3
At that time, Michael will rise, the Great Commander who defends your people. It shall be a time of anguish as never before since the nations first existed until this very day. Then all those whose names are written in the Book will be saved. Many of those who sleep in the Region of the Dust will awake, some to everlasting life but others to eternal horror and shame. Those who acquired knowledge will shine like the brilliance of the firmament; those who taught people to be just will shine like the stars for all eternity.
HEBREWS 10:11- 14, 18
So, whereas every priest stands daily by the altar offering repeatedly the same sacrifices that can never take away sins, Christ has offered for all times a single sacrifice for sins and has taken his seat at the right hand of God, waiting until God puts his enemies as a footstool under his feet. By a single sacrifice he has brought those who are sanctified to what is perfect forever. So, if sins are forgiven, there is no longer need of any sacrifice for sin.
MARK 13:24-32
Later on in those days, after that disastrous time, the sun will grow dark, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall out of the sky, and the whole universe will be shaken. Then people will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And he will send the angels to gather his chosen people from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the sky. Learn a lesson from the fig tree: as soon as its branches become tender and it begins to sprout leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things happening, know that the time is near, even at the door. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all this has happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But, regarding that day and that hour, no one knows when it will come, not even the angels, not even the Son, but only the Father.
REFLECTION
Today's readings from Daniel and Mark lead liturgically to the end of the Church year, to next Sunday's celebration of Christ the King, when the whole of creation will be subjected to the Lord of heaven and earth, when Jesus Christ will be all in all. Let us look at three aspects of the liturgical assembly, namely: the Church's liturgy, the word of God, and the needs of the people. In other works, we consider what the Church is celebrating in today's liturgy; what the Gospel is describing; and how liturgy and Gospel might touch our human and Christian concerns.
In the Church liturgy, a major element is God's word. Year after year, the readings recapture the movement of our salvation. Advent represents the world's waiting for its Savior. We welcome the Lord as he came to us at Christmas, surprisingly in the form of an infant. We grow to manhood with him, walk in his footsteps through Galilee and Judea. We recapture his dying-rising through Lent and Easter. His Ascension lifted all of us with him to the Father; his Spirit descended not only on the disciples, but also on each believer. And since Pentecost we have heard and lived the mission of the Church, its ups and downs, its pride and passion, its agony and its ecstasy, its ceaseless struggle to grow into the fullness of its Lord, its living in hope for the final coming of the Savior.
Now, we reach the end of the Liturgical year. Next week we will crown Christ the King. On that Sunday, the liturgy celebrates what will be the high point of creation, when humankind and all it possesses will be subjected to Christ, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. Today we celebrate the beginning of that end; today we live in anticipation the end of the world, as we know it. If Advent was prologue to the Christian mystery, we now sneak a preview into its finality.
In the word of God: What is the Gospel describing? In short, three inter-related realities: the end of this world as we know it, the coming of Christ, this time not as a helpless baby, but "with great power and glory," and the assembling into one place of all who are saved.
There is a danger here. In each of these three powerful prophecies we can be misled by images, distracted by the description. The writers, seeing in vision the final struggle to establish God's kingdom, used incredibly vivid images and symbols, to convey realities beyond their experience.
Lastly, how might today's liturgy and Gospel touch our human and Christian concerns? To begin with, there are two concerns we can only be curious about: When will the world end, and how? Is the last day tomorrow or thousands of years from now? Will it all end in ice or in fire? Despite the books and predictions of the prophets of doom, we simply do not know. Remember what Jesus Himself said: "But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the Son, but only the Father."
But such ignorance should not immobilize us or leave us complacent. Whenever and however the world will end, the second coming of Jesus is our ceaseless hope. For without his second coming, his first makes little sense.
Since that is so, let us affirm Christ's final coming with the intensity of the early Christians, who expected him to return within their lifetime. It is indeed good to fix our eyes on Christ's final coming "with great power and glory." It is our Christian hope. It would be tragic if the far horizon blinds us to Christ's daily coming in rags and tatters, as a lonely, frightened, joyless, sick person, lost in a strange world that does not seem to care.
PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Mon Torres
- Fleur Torres
- Ditas dela Paz
- Micole Guingon
- Lianne, Jeanella Mae and Jazmine
- Zhoey Marquez
… for the personal intentions of
- Emma
- Andrew
… In Memoriam: Maximino, Luciana and Rosita Ilagan. Hermogenes and Natividad Diangkinay, Clarita and Baby Quicho
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Ehman G. Rioveros
- Birthday: Sr. Joselina Bonono SPC
- Birthday: Fely S. Quiambao
- In Memoriam (+): Victor Ebarle
… for families who are in need of healing
… for world peace and reconciliation.
Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.
Have a good day!
**************************************************
These reflections are distributed free and are for personal use only. Feel free to send the Daily Prayer reflections to your friends, colleagues and relatives; however, if you do, please include the following:
+================================================+
| The Daily Prayer, a service and an apostolate of the
| priests, laity and friends of Mary the Queen Parish
| http://www.marythequeen.org
| Distributed free and for personal use only.
+================================================+
--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GoogleGroup Address: http://groups.google.com/group/daily_homily
To subscribe from this free mailing service, send email to: dailyhomily@earthlink.net
To unsubscribe: daily_homily-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
© 2012 Daily-Homily
