In
vv. 24-27, Jesus reveals to us a description of the day of
his Parousia, his manifestation at the end of time. The last
days will give rise to a frightening catastrophe. Throughout
the entire apocalyptic tradition, descriptions of cosmic cataclysms
should not be taken literally, but rather as symbolic of social
cataclysms and upheavals. The sun, the moon and the stars
represent economic, political and social powers that are shaken
and collapse. This social cataclysm gives rise to fright in
all those who participate in those powers, but their downfall
is reason for joy and symbol of hope for those oppressed by
such powers.
The
text goes on to tell us that Jesus does not come for judgment
on the day of his Parousia, but rather to re-unite his elect
from all corners of the earth. The Parousia appears as the
day of the great reunion of God's people. For the saints,
it is a day of immense joy, not fear.
In
vv. 28-32 we examine different attitudes toward the last days.
When faced with the Parousia, which is Jesus' glorious Manifestation,
we must be watchful in order to discern the signs of the time.
Just as the fig tree's first buds signal the approach of summer,
we will be given signs that announce Jesus' coming at the
end of time. Jesus does not ask us to be constantly calculating
the time of the Parousia. He invites us not to calculate,
but rather to discern. Although Jesus' Parousia is at the
end of time, it marks and determines every moment in time;
everything is oriented to that end. It is not important whether
Jesus will come tomorrow, or in a hundred years, or even a
thousand years from now. What really matters is that we live
in conformity with that moment, orienting our lives and all
of history to that Coming of Jesus. That is why Jesus tells
us: "This generation will not pass away until all of this
happens." The present generation is the generation between
Jesus' Resurrection and his Parousia. Generations have lived
before Jesus' Resurrection. The generations that will live
after the Parousia are those who will reign with Christ for
a thousand years (Rev 20).
Jesus’
Parousia, which helps us discern the signs of the times, is
not the same event as the last Judgment, which is entirely
the work of God the Father. Jesus says: "No one knows that
day and hour: not the heavenly angels, not even the Son, but
only the Father" (v. 32). The book of Revelation clearly distinguishes
between Jesus' Parousia and the last Judgment, which is God's
work. The reign of a thousand years will occur between the
Parousia and the Judgment. That will be the utopia of the
realization of God's Reign. The "thousand years" are symbolic.
It may strike us as odd that not even Jesus knows the day
of final Judgment. The fact that only the Father knows emphasizes
even more clearly the distinction between Jesus’ Parousia
and the Father's final Judgment.
In
the book of Daniel, we read about this day of judgment day. In addition,
we have a description of a final day, the day that will put
an end to the present time. This day is in the hands of the
angel Michael, defender of God's people. Daniel indicates
that judgment will be a day of anguish, not for God's people,
but for God's enemies. It is affirmed clearly and with great
certainty: "At that time, your people will be saved." On that
day, all will be raised from the dead, all "those who sleep
in the dust of the earth," some for eternal life, others for
shame and eternal horror. The just are described as the wise
ones who will teach justice to the people. The present time
frame is described as a period of seven years. We would now
be in year number three-and-a-half, i.e., somewhere in the
middle of the present time. That is the announcement made
by the prophet Daniel, quoted by both Jesus and John in Revelation.
From
all of this we conclude that that we must live fully in the
present time, with joyful hope for Jesus' Parousia. We are
preoccupied not with the "when" of Jesus' coming, but rather
with how we are now to meet him, who is always coming to us
in history. Jesus has been raised up, and lives in our midst.
Our hope is not that he "may come," because in reality he
never went away. Our hope is in the glorious manifestation
of this Jesus who is always with us. (In preparation for today’s
homily, you may wish to explore Jesus‚ dynamic four-fold presence
in each eucharistic celebration: in the assembly, in the Word,
in the presider and in the consecrated bread and wine.)
Jesus
is priest, but not in the manner of Jewish priests of his
time. They were required to offer sacrifices day in and day
out. Jesus, on the other hand, offered himself in sacrifice,
once and for all. With his unique sacrifice, his unique self-offering,
he is seated at God's right hand forever, having attained
the perfection of the sanctified. The Holy Spirit witnesses
this to us by engraving God's Word in our hearts and minds.
Since this is Jesus' condition and ours, let us live in this
present age fearlessly, with hope and joy. That is the message
we hear in today's text from the letter to the Hebrews.
For
personal conversion
The
"end of the world" contains a two-fold message: 1) finiteness
(as a human being, I am limited, and my life is moving toward
death); 2) hope (good triumphs over evil; God triumphs over
those who oppose God’s plan of Life). Am I attuned to this
message? Do I integrate in my life the dimension of being
limited, on a relentless journey toward death to this world?
Do I live my life from the perspective of adhering to Life,
the Cause that will ultimately triumph?
For
a community meeting or a meeting of a Bible circle
The
end of this world, as such, is not something that we can really
determine through our human calculations; no one can plan
for the contingencies that one encounters during life. In
this context, what meaning can we find in the gospel (and
other biblical) narratives of the "end of the world"? How
can we carefully interpret these narratives so that they become
"meaningful" for men and women of today?
From
the Middle Ages to even modern times, humankind has been guided
by categories of salvation/condemnation, eternity beyond death,
the end of the global world through global death, and the
end of each person’s world through personal death. Today,
western society and culture intentionally refuse to explore
such dimensions. How can they be addressed? With repetition?
With reinterpretation? With resignation? With neglect?
For
the prayer of the faithful
For
all those who live with no regard for life’s limitations in
their attempt to avoid the inevitable encounter with death;
may we all integrate a more realistic dimension into our own
outlook on life, we pray to the Lord...
For
the sick who accept in their illnesses the undeniable signs
of the menacing approach of death; may their example inspire
in us fearlessness and courage as we accept our own eventual
death as a necessary dimension of living life on life’s terms,
we pray to the Lord...
For
the Church, that it may learn how to present "eternal truths"
in ways that are meaningful to modern women and men, we pray
to the Lord...
For
men and women who live with anxiety and fear of the future
because of their fundamental interpretation of the Bible;
may God open their eyes to a deeper understanding of God’s
Word, we pray to the Lord...
That
we may understand that eschatology consists in the world pressing
onward toward its final end, in accordance with God’s plan,
we pray to the Lord...
That
we may work energetically, lovingly and tirelessly, with dedication
and joy, to fashion our world more in accord with God’s plan,
we pray to the Lord...
That
the world may not be hurled blindly toward early ruin, due
to our careless inattention to environmental degradation,
global warming, destruction of forests, thinning of the ozone
level, elimination of species, and the irrepressible advance
of once fertile lands becoming desert wastes; may we understand
that the Mystery of Life demands that we accept that God has
appointed us stewards of the planet on behalf of future generations,
we pray to the Lord...
Community
Prayer
God,
Father of the Cosmos, Mother of the planet and of humankind:
You are the mysterious origin of the Stars, and the awesome
end of the Universe. Make our hearts more sensitive. Help
us understand that, though our lives are inconspicuous, we
can still be inspired to involve ourselves in the service
of the life that you are, that life to which you call us.
You who live, you who bring everything to life, forever and
ever. Amen