Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
(Daniel 12:1-3; Hebrews 18:11-14,18;
Mark 13:24-32)
At the end of the liturgical year,
the readings of the Masses focus on prophecies about the end times. This type
of writing is called “apocalyptic,” a term derived from the Greek word for
“revelation.” Apocalyptic prophecies reveal secrets about the future.
These texts often arise during times
of persecution when people feel afraid and wonder if God truly cares about
their fate. They give hope to the fearful, encouraging them to resist evil and
remain faithful.
Today's first reading was written in
the 2nd century B.C. from the perspective of Daniel, a prophet of the
Babylonian exile. At that time, the Greek tyrant Antiochus IV Epiphanes was
terrorizing the Jewish people, trying to force them into paganism by acts as
heinous as placing pagan idols in the Temple. The reading mentions the
Archangel Michael, whom people today often pray to for defense against evil. It
also contains the Bible's first reference to eternal life, speaking of the
resurrection of the just, fostering hope in life after death.
All four Gospels were written during
a period of persecution. Between 65 and 100 A.D., early Christians were
threatened by both Romans and Jews. The Romans persecuted them for refusing to
worship pagan gods, and the Jews expelled them from synagogues for proclaiming
the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Today, thankfully, we do not face such
persecution, though in some places we may feel uneasy mentioning religion. And
if we declare that God will punish certain actions, such as sex outside
marriage, we may be dismissed quickly.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus has an idea
of the coming persecutions from the hostility he himself has experienced. He tells
his disciples to prepare to be persecuted as he is harassed by the Pharisees
and will be executed by the Romans. Jesus indicates that these persecutions
will not be only bad news; they will also signify that the deliverance of his
followers is near. He will come in the midst of persecution to rescue them and
give them the fullness of life. This is the end of time that we still await
for.
What’s happening, then? Almost two
thousand years have passed, and Jesus has not returned. This is a troubling
question. There are two answers. First, as St. Paul writes that Christ is
present in his life when he is weak (II Corinthians 12:9-10) we find him with
as we pray in need. Second, we believe that at the hour of death, Christ will present
himself to us, delivering us from annihilation if we have been faithful.
The disciples naturally want to know
exactly ill these final events would take place. Jesus is speaking to them of
“the great tribulation” and signs in the heavens but does not provide dates.
They press him to reveal when, so they could prepare well for the great day.
However, Jesus admits that neither
he nor anyone else, except the Father, knows the day. According to Jesus, if
the disciples want to be prepared, they must remain free from sin and active in
good works. Jesus does not want his followers to be fixated on the timing of
his return, but rather to focus on serving the needy. Like ball boys in major
tennis tournaments focus on each errant ball, he wants us to look for
opportunities to help others.
The disciples stop questioning
Jesus. It’s enough for them that he has said, “My words will not pass away.”
We, too, want to accept his word as the foundation of our lives. It is not easy
to be a faithful Catholic today. It’s not just “going with the flow” as it was
a generation or two ago. But we continue to believe, first because of the
disciples' own testimony and then because Jesus’ words have touched our hearts
They have filled us with hope and love.
