Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, religious
(Revelation 5:1-10; Luke 19:41-44)
At the beginning of John’s Gospel, John the Baptist calls
Jesus the “Lamb of God.’” He is
prophesying that Jesus will be slain as a sacrifice for the sins of
humanity. It is no accident that the
same evangelist pictures Jesus’ dying on the cross at noon. Exactly at this moment lambs are being
slaughtered in the temple for the Passover feast to atone for the sins of the
people. In today’s first reading the Lamb
appears as uniquely capable of accomplishing another momentous feat.
The scene foreshadows Jesus’ victory over sin and death at
the end of time. The issue is who can
open the scroll in the hand of God. The
scroll contains the narrative of how sin and death will be defeated. The narrative, however, cannot proceed until
the scroll is open. The visionary John
sheds tears because sin and death are wreaking havoc when no one comes forth to
do it. Finally, the spotless Lamb of
God, takes the scroll. He will initiate
the campaign to annihilate evil.
The Book of Revelation was written to assure Christians that
God is in control despite the suffering they experience. The author wanted to tell those under
persecution that their rescue is near.
We too should find hope in the story.
We might have thought that there was a consensus against abortion and
gay marriage despite what the sophisticated say. The recent elections indicate that America
and perhaps the world is deeply divided on these issues. Nevertheless, we should realize that Christ
will see us through the difficult struggle.
His light will remove the darkness that surrounds the globe.
