Sunday Readings the Year of Mark

Transcription

1 Sunday Readings the Year of Mark Truly I tell 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." (Mk.13:30-31) 33 rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Sunday 18 th November

2 notes 1. The biblical excerpts are drawn from the New Oxford Annotated Bible, New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), published by Oxford University Press (1994). 2. Cover image: 33 rd Sunday of Ordinary Time image from the Missionaries of Sacred Heart - Peru. 3. Lectio Divina: reading GOD s WORD in a moment of prayer and allowing it to enlighten and renew us: In the presence of GOD, during a recollected reading of the text, it is good to ask, for example: 'LORD, what does this text say to me? What is it about my life that you want to change by this text? What troubles me about this text? Why am I not interested in this?' Or perhaps: 'What do I find pleasant in this text? What is it about this Word that moves me? What attracts me? Why does it attract me? 1 The practise of lectio divina requires a quiet space, a passage of scripture and the willingness to give time to the project. The passage used should be short. For the purpose of this booklet, we suggest using the gospel reading of the up-coming Sunday. There are four steps in the traditional practise of lectio divina. The steps don t have to have the following order: lectio (reading) read the passage of Scripture read slowly - more than once. If a particular word, phrase, or sentence seems signifcant (even if you don t know why) you may want to write it down. meditatio (reflection) let the signifcant words fll your mind without straining to analyse them. We are in GOD s presence and so let the Holy Spirit lead your understanding of the words. oratio (prayer) allow your heart to speak to GOD, in words inspired by the passage of Scripture, or by the thoughts that have come to you, while refecting on it. contemplatio (rest) let go of ideas and words and allow yourself to rest in the presence of GOD, in simple and wordless contemptlation. In order to break open the Word of the Scritures, the following questions may help in approaching the reading. What word or phrase stands out for me? Why? With whom in the reading do I most identify? Why? Do I feel attracted to anything in the reading? Do I feel resistant to anything? Do I know why? We can use these questions to break open any reading. This booklet gives the context and some commentary on each of the readings and the psalm used in the Sunday s liturgy. Familiarity with the texts and the commentary beforehand, can better prepare our hearing and understanding the passages in our worship. Whatever our preparation for doing this exercise and whatever questions we may use to break open the passage, we must be conscious of Christ s promise: Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them Review of the Week at the end of each refection the review examines one of the themes of the readings, usually drawn from the gospel, and provides an opportunity to check our own performance, in the light of the Word and Eucharist that we have previously heard and experienced. 1 From paragraph 153 The Joy of the Gospel (Evangelii Gaudium) Pope Francis (2013) 2 Mt.18:20 2

3 33 rd SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME 18 th November 2018 a gospel of hope introduction The gospel text is difcult. It is often interpreted as announcing the end of the world. The chapter, as a whole, deals with the theme of meaning rather than chronology. Mark borrowed much of the imagery, characters and even plot, of his account of Jesus, from earlier apocalyptic passages in the Israelite Scriptures. Not blessed with a direct vision of the last days, his understanding of the endtimes, like ours, is necessarily vague. Mark was not content, simply to describe these end-time events in his own vision of the last times. He drew lessons for the present from these projections about the future. One touch to his apocalyptic vision does provide us with the spark of hope. "Sky and Earth will pass away, but My (Jesus') words, will not pass away." It brings the whole matter back to trusting GOD's Word in Jesus. first reading Daniel 12 : 1 3 [ the resurrection of the dead ] At that time Michael, the great prince, the protector of your people, shall arise. There shall be a time of anguish, such as has never occurred since nations first came into existence. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. (1) Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.(2) Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.(3) The great prophetic hopes among the Israelites are pushed a step further as prophecy turns apocalyptic. The Book of Daniel is written in the language of poetry rather than hard predictions. The writer details the meaning of trusting in the LORD's dreams (vv.1-3). 3 The account of GOD's dreams does not attempt to give us GOD's blue-print or programme. But it does give the modern reader the most radical evangelical image - the resurrection of the body (vv.2-3). This image afrms that there is a new future. It is not to encourage debate about what has happened or what is promised or whether the promises have been kept. Rather this promissory stuf is designed to evoke amazement - so would-be disciples (adults and children) can be astonished at the dreams that GOD has dreamed over 3 [v.2] The first Israelites who have fallen (Cf. Dn.11:33-35) shall awake, that is, rise to live forever. A resurrection of the wicked as in later, Christian teaching (Jn.5:28-29) is implied here if the others are included in the many; but cf Is.66:24. 3

4 them. The Book of Daniel is literature of hope. It is written to sustain peoples' faith, confdence and resistance, when they are in the midst of persecution. Through the person of Daniel, the great public crisis of Israelite persecution under Antiochus is told as a story. The story-telling concerns individuals and their response of faith to the public crisis. Persecution concerns the resolve of the community of faith. Persecution raises the problem of personhood and identity in an acute and urgent way. Individuals and communities are only able to withstand the pressure of persecution and its depersonalisation because they have an identity that is beyond the reach of their persecutors. The way to humanness available to Daniel and his friends in the narrative, was the path of conformity. But Daniel did not choose to go along this path to success. He chose not to conform. The story-telling proposes that Israelites under threat, do not conform for the sake of their own well-being. When facing the power of death, they are reminded of the LORD's dream for the faithful ones. 4 response Psalm 16(15) : 1, 5, 8 11 [ a song of trust and security in GOD ] Protect me, O GOD, for in you I take refuge.(1).., The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.(5).., I keep the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.(8) Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure.(9) For you do not give me up to Sheol, or let your faithful one see the Pit.(10) You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.(11) The psalmist rejects the futile worship of false gods (vv.2-5), preferring Israel's GOD (v.1), the giver of the land (cf. v.6). The speaker professes faith in the LORD (v.5). The following verses refect on the wise and life-giving presence of GOD (vv.7-11). From GOD delight and blessing fow (vv.9-11). The speaker celebrates fnding the path to newness and life, by afrming that faithful ones will be granted the same privileges that were accorded to Enoch and Elijah that they will not experience the null-point of life (v.10). 5 The LORD will assume the faithful ones to the LORD's Self, without the pain of death. 4 The story-telling reminds us that we know very little about death except for such dreams! That is a reason that the voice of the angel in the Book of Daniel has such authority for modern disciples. 5 [v.10] Do not let... Your faithful one see the pit - in Hebrew shahath means here the pit, a synonym for Sheol, the underworld. The Greek translation derives the word here and elsewhere from the verb shahath, "to be corrupt." On the basis of the Greek, Ac.2:25-32; 13:35-37 apply the verse to Christ's resurrection, "Nor will you sufer your holy one to see corruption." 4

5 In the light of such unshakable, hope-flled belief, sufering does not spread gloom. Belief based on pious obedience and devout trusting in the LORD's reliability is the path to eternal life and peace. This belief in the fnal "unbounded joy in the LORD's presence, at the LORD's right hand..," leads to: "delight for ever!" (v.11). second reading Hebrews 10 : 11 14, 18 [ Christ s sacrifce once for all ] And every priest stands day after day at his service, ofering again and again the same sacrifices that can never take away sins.(11) But when Christ had ofered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, "he sat down at the right hand of GOD,"(12) and since then has been waiting "until his enemies would be made a footstool for his feet."(13) For by a single ofering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.(14).., Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any ofering for sin.(18) The author has been speaking of the world in its need, being visited by GOD (Hb.7:26). GOD is moved from alienation to pity, knowing humankind cannot amend its wrong-doings. Therefore GOD must intercede. Jesus' role exhibits GOD's love in action. He deals with the residue of human guilt. Having explained Jesus' role as the Supreme High Priest in the previous passages, the writer now addresses readers in the expectation that they understand and teach this truth. In the Book of Leviticus, the priest who ofers sacrifce, is left questioning where he shall get an unblemished ram for the sacrifce (cf Lv.6). Everything the Levitical priest has to ofer is blemished in some way. His own life is blemished also. Nothing is exempt! Yet the tradition had long known as Abraham had told his son, "GOD will provide" an adequate animal to serve the reconciliation (cf Gn.22:8). The ofer of an appropriate animal for the sacrifce, is the main point of the letter (cf Hb.9:19-23). The writer urges the faithful, who may be tempted to other ofers of well-being, not to sell out. They must hold on to their hope in the tradition of Abraham! The ground for holding on, is not simply determination and will-power. Their basis for hoping is that humankind's longing for the power-forlife, to which they have no resources of their own to restore access, has been handled in another way. 6 The sacrifce of Jesus has opened a new and living way to the power-for-life (v.12). The priest anticipated in the tradition (Lv.6) now does what humankind cannot do for itself. The priest who ofers the sacrifce in Leviticus, has become, 6 The levitical priesthood ofered daily sacrifces that were inefectual in remitting sin ( v.11), Jesus ofered a single sacrifce that won him a permanent place at GOD's right hand. There he has only to await the fnal outcome of his work (Hb.10:12-13; cf Ps.110:1). Thus he has brought into being in his own person the new covenant prophesied by Jeremiah (cf. Jr.31:33-34) that has rendered meaningless all other oferings for sin (Hb.10:14-18). 5

6 for the writer of Hebrews, the one who gives self on humankind's behalf (Hb.10:18). The new One's self-giving is a gesture of GOD's own Self-giving. gospel Mark 13 : [ the coming of the Son of man; the lesson of the fg tree; the need to e watchful ] But in those days, after that sufering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light,(24) and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.(25) Mark introduces the destruction of the Jerusalem temple. 7 The disciples don t understand that Jesus practise of love replaces the temple practices. Jesus uses images of destruction. He is saying that the world is going to change profoundly. But rather than speaking about the ruin of the world, Jesus speaks about the ruin of the status quo. The present arrangements will be turned upside down. Great changes will be seen. Earlier he had said that humankind would sufer as never before and would not have to sufer like that ever again. The prophets had spoken of the distress nations or governments would experience. They called it the weeping of conversion. The distress Jesus speaks of, can be understood in that way. All the nations will beat their breasts. Somewhere else he says that the only sign or miracle that he would give, would be the sign of Jonah. Jonah was in the belly of the whale and came out alive. It s a sign of resurrection. Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in clouds' with great power and glory.(26) Jesus called himself, the Human One. In Hebrew and Aramaic the term means simply the man. But it is also the name that is given in the Book of Daniel to one sent by GOD who comes to defeat the empires of the Earth (described by Daniel as beasts). Against the empires is set someone with a human likeness that is, with a human face. Human beings in the Israelite Scriptures, are the image of GOD. From that comes the prohibition of having other images. Ezekiel describes the glory of GOD as a likeness of a human one. Although Jesus didn t want to give himself the name messiah (for the Israelites of his time, the messiah was a leader with political power) in the Book of Daniel, the Human One or, Son of man defeats the beasts of political power. Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.(27) Angel in the Israelite and Christian Scriptures means a messenger. GOD has messengers. The Human One also has messengers. With these, he will gather his chosen ones. The world is not being destroyed. The Prophets had said that in the messianic era, all the oppressed Israelites scattered throughout the world, would 7 Cf. Mk.13:1-12 6

7 be gathered together from the four winds. Jesus refers to that gathering, but it s not for the Israelites alone. It is for all oppressed people now. The Prophets when they announced the fall of a great enemy empire, speak of trumpets. The work of angels is to summon all to liberation with blast of trumpets. From the fig tree learn its lesson as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near.(28) So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates.(29) The fg tree is no longer an image of the old Israelite nation. 8 It is now an image of the new Israel (a fruitful plant). The sprouting fg tree is an image of maturing humanity. 9 The image of the fg tree is not an image of destruction of humanity, but about its maturing. The image is taken from the Song of Songs, where the lover tells the beloved to rise, for the winter is over, the rains have stopped, the fowers appear, the time for singing has come, the cooing of the turtle-dove is heard and the sprouts of the fg tree are beginning to blossom. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.(30) Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.(31) Could it be that Jesus was wrong? In the time of the apostles, communities were starting, in which they held everything in common, where they truly practised love. According to Jesus, the end of the old world the end of the system of injustice was starting from that time. We re in the end of the world era. We have been in it for some timea. The word generation of Jesus lips always means evil people. Elsewhere Jesus talks of a perverse and adulterous generation. Jesus sufers and sacrifces himself for what was to follow. People saw the start of this liberation, because they saw his death. Jesus was saying to those who were listening, that they were beginning to see what we now see more clearly. This was the beginning of the fall of the empires. It was the beginning of the end of the old world. Now we are fully into it. Jesus says his word will be fulflled and his word is the liberation of the oppressed and the triumph of the poor. But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.(32) There are people who speed up this liberation, the coming of GOD s reigning. There are others who oppose it and delay its arrival. Jesus seems to expect it to come very soon. Following Jesus can t be a blind imitation of him. The triumph of 8 Cf. Mk.11:30 9 The young around the world have the same ideas. They are the signs, says Jesus, of the power for life. That maturing is the practise of love. 7

8 the practise of love when everyone will be united, is the triumph over death the resurrection. The Human One resurrected, is coming to bring resurrection to all the body to all humanity. sharing Like most dreamers, Daniel performed his necessary difcult work, he waited, trusting GOD s words, Blessed is the one who persevers (Dn.12 12). Comment on Daniel 12 : 1-3 The need for making amends and the self-giving by GOD are the central insight of the gospel. Real guilt requires real repentence. In Hebrews 10 the residue of the power for death is repaired in the only way it can be by GOD who generously overrides the guilt at the great risk and cost of GOD s very own Self. Comment on Hebrews 10 : 11 14, 18 Since the reigning of GOD has been so long delayed, we Christians today, are in a diferent situation from Jesus. We have to make social and political analyses that Jesus didn t make. Comment on Mark 13 : prayer Your creation, O GOD, runs its appointed course, as from the ends of the earth you gather a people you call your own. Confirm us in the strength of your abiding word. Steady our hearts in the time of trial, so that on the day of the Son of Man we may without fear rejoice to behold his appearing. We ask this through our LORD Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, GOD for ever and ever. Amen. review Mark adds one touch to his apocalyptic portrait that does porvide us would-be disciples with the spark of hope. Sky and Earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. (v.31) It brings the matter back to a trust in Jesus. Do we really believe that Jesus promise can survive; can overcome the multiple destructions that life ofers? Will the Word of Jesus remain meaningful despite threat, pain, terror, and persecution? To answer such questions, we would have to look not forward, but backward, at our actual experiences of Jesus and what they have meant to us. The next chapter of Mark s gospel deals with Jesus Passion. Jesus faces his own historical apocalypse of pain, destruction, and judgement. Anyone s death comes down to the collapse of one s personal world. But in the midst of sufering, Jesus Word of promise and fdelity to his disciples, remains the same. 8