By Fr Francis Gonsalves SJ –
33rd Sunday of the Year: Cycle B – 14 November 2021
Readings: Dan 12:1-3; Heb 10:11-14, 18; Mk 13:24-32.
“You will show me the path of life, O Lord” (Ps 16:11).
Homily Hint: Synodal journeying together has its ups and downs, its times of stress and distress, as the readings of today reveal. We tend to lose our way; but ought not to lose sight of The Way, Jesus (Jn 14:6). Among the three ‘actors’ — Jesus, the crowd and the disciples — despite the failures of the two (crowd and disciples), we know for sure that He, Jesus, will be there to help us to endure all stress and sufferings with faith. It is important, then, to look with our eyes, to listen
with our ears to read the ‘signs of the times’ and also to say with hope and trust like the psalmist:
“You will show me the path of life, O Lord” (Ps 16:11).
Signs of Last Times from Time to Time
- The book of Daniel from which the first reading is taken says, “There shall be a time
of anguish …” (12:1) This ominous tone instils fear in the reader, who might find it
difficult to understand today’s first and third readings, which contain ‘apocalyptic
terminology’ or what we more commonly call ‘end-time language’. The book of Daniel
has vague historical references, but its main purpose is to point to the future. In other
words, history will give way to eschatology (last ages) and deliverance will take the
form of the resurrection. Today’s passage is one of the earliest First Testament passages
speaking about the resurrection. “Those who lie sleeping in the dust” (v.2) refers to the
dead since ‘sleep’ is a euphemism for death. The resurrection referred to, here, is a total
transformation since the redeemed will “shine as bright as stars for all eternity.”
Mention of “Michael, the great prince, the protector,” refers to Archangel Michael who
guards us from the snares of the Evil One. There is use of poetic and symbolic language
to convey a deep truth about death and resurrection -
The Second Coming of the Son of Man: The gospel passage from Mark mentions a
series of cosmic events—sun darkened, moon fading, stars falling from heaven—to
show that history will end and human beings will be judged by the “Son of Man”. This
“Son of Man” language points back to the book of Daniel with Jesus as the Great Judge
at his Second Coming. The apocalyptic language can create grave apprehension among
believers. Most scholars agree that Mark wrote his Gospel for Christians living in and
around Rome about 30 to 40 years after Jesus’ death. This was a time of political
upheaval in Rome. Some Christians experienced persecutions by the Romans during
the reign of the Emperor Nero (about 64 A.D.). Jewish revolutionaries rebelled against
the Roman powers, which led the Romans to destroy the Temple in Jerusalem in 70
A.D. In this context of political turmoil and religious persecution, many in Mark’s
community probably felt that the end-times foretold by Jesus were, indeed, quite near.
Mark quells their fears and advises them to be prepared for Jesus’ second coming. -
Look at the signs, listen to the sounds: Jesus uses the fig tree as an illustration from
Nature to exhort us to read the ‘signs of the times’ and the ‘signs of places’. Most of
us—especially those close to nature residing in rural areas—are good in reading the
moods and rhythms of mother earth so as to foretell the coming of rain, strong winds,
storms or drought. Why can’t we decipher contextual happenings around us and
correlate them with God’s word in Scripture, in order to be prepared to welcome Jesus
when he does, indeed, return?
A Psalm of Promise and Hope: Today’s psalm (16) expresses the believer’s trust and hope in
God to deliver him/her from death and the grave. “You shall not leave my soul among the
dead” does not refer to the resurrection as vaguely understood in the Bible, but is used in the
liturgy to highlight hope in the unique resurrection promised by Jesus alone.
An Insight from the Second Reading:
The passage from the Letter to the Hebrews speaks about the centrality of Christ’s priestly,
‘eternal covenant’: “But this one [Christ, our High Priest,] offered one sacrifice for sins, and
took his seat forever at the right hand of God.” Christians have nothing to fear about the last
days since Jesus is the merciful judge who will invite us into his kingdom if we live in right
relationship with God, with others—especially with the poor (Mt 25:31ff)—and with the earth.
Christ is our doorway to heaven, so to say.
Two Texts from Tradition:
The ‘Hail Mary’ – The “Pray for us, sinners, now, and at the hour of our death, Amen,” is the
most consoling reassurance that Holy Mother, the Church, gives us that we have a Holy
Mother, Mary, interceding for us. So, we needn’t be afraid of death if we live as her children.
St Aloysius Gonzaga (1568-91) – always asked himself: “What will this profit me for eternity?”
before doing anything, so as to be always prepared for Christ’s Second Coming.
St John Henry Newman (1801-1890) wants us to remember three things: “life is short; death is
certain; eternity is long”.
Three Ways to View End-times:
Fundamentalist – Christian fundamentalist groups like the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Harvest
Mandli members often predict cutoff ‘Last Judgment dates’ which never seem to arrive. Let’s
remember Jesus’ words: “But about that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in
heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” So, why fear? Trust in God, alone!
Rationalists – Biologist Richard Dawkins reduces faith to a form of irrationality, which he
terms a ‘virus of the mind’ in his book ‘The God Delusion’. Such rationalists belittle Christian
belief in the Second Coming since they feel that there is no God at all; so, there’s no coming
or no going after death.
Realists – “Christ will come again,” is what we proclaim at every Eucharist. There is plenty of
sin, evil, darkness and death around us. The pandemic has shown us how fragile and fleeting
life is. My death could be very near. I must be prepared to meet the Lord whenever I am called.
In Lighter Vein: A distressed youth was about to hang himself when his old neighbour entered
his house. “What are you doing?” shouted the old man. “I’m committing suicide!” said the
youth in despair. “Well,” said the old man, “if you give me good reasons for committing
suicide, I won’t stop you.” The youth complained tearfully about personal, familial, societal
and global problems. Thereafter, the neighbour asked, “Have you got another rope?” Puzzled,
the youth asked: Why?” The old man sighed, “That I might hang myself too!” Let us hang our
worries and place our trust in Christ along life’s synodal journey.
Fr. Francis Gonsalves, SJ is the Executive Secretary, CCBI Comm. of Theology & Doctrine and President, Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth, Pune and former Principal of Vidyajyoti College, Delhi. He is also the Executive Secretary of the CCBI Commission for Theology and Doctrine. He has authored many books and articles and is a columnist with The Asian Age and The Deccan Chronicle national dailies.