33rd
Week in OT
(Mk
13.24-32)
1.
GLORY
*
sun
*
moon
*
stars
These
are heavenly bodies which carry in themselves the glory of being up there as
the source of light, heat and power. We marvel at their greatness, behold their
beauty and wonders to the point that we claim them to be gods - the ruler and
principle of life. We know the stories of antiquity where the Egyptians worship
the Sun, the Babylonians exalt their moon goddesses and the Persians depend
their fate according to the sign and the arrangement of the stars.
In
the Gospel, Mark speaks of these heavenly bodies not in the light of their
greatness but in the light of the COMING of the Son of Man; their glory is
nothing in comparison with the Glory of Jesus.
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| photo by Gerard Zabala, OP |
"But
in those days after that tribulation the sun will be darkened, and the moon
will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the
powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see 'the Son of Man
coming in the clouds' with great power and glory..."
Some
people find these events as very frightening; some people think it is absurd;
still some people don't care because they don't believe in anything. But the
Scriptures can't be wrong because these are the Words of God. We do not know
how it will happen exactly or in what fashion, whether literally or
figuratively, but what one thing is certain, IT IS going to HAPPEN. And in fact
it is happening now in our midst.
Look
around us, how many of us consider ourselves as the Sun god - "I am the
best and that everything I do is superb, therefore I RULE, I am God?"
How
many of us think that we are Moon goddesses - "that we always think the
basis of the personhood of human being is having a high position, great control
and power and being famous, therefore I RULE, I am God?"
How
many of us depend our fortune, our fate, and our lives on zodiac signs -
"that we compromise our ability to live, to forgive and to love, to do
what is right and good and to believe in truth?"
In
the coming of Jesus, all these glory, power and rulers will not matter any
longer because HIS GLORY will be revealed to us, will overcome our own glory,
will shine and lighten our darkened world.
2.
HOPE
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| photo by John Gervacio |
So
instead of focusing on fear and trembling on the second coming of Jesus, let us
instead focus on the HOPE it will bring us. We live each day with the hope of a
better future, for ourselves and our loved ones, we only wish for what is best.
But our good intention is not enough. We have to believe and do what is God's and
not what is ours. Why is this necessary? Because if we look at our
modern society we will find out that it focuses on itself and cunningly trying
to erase God in the picture, trying to persuade everyone that there is no God
or that even there is a God, He does not matter. What counts is man, his power,
his glory, his ability. But these are false pretenses; this very attitude of
our society towards man gives false Hope - that apart from God we can manage and
that we can live a good life.
The
Second Coming of Jesus speaks of JOY because once again we will see hope, the
hope that His light brings in our lives. The Hope that those who mourn today
will laugh, those who are poor will be rich, those who hunger and thirst will
be fed, those who are weak will be strong, those who are sick will be healed,
those who live in darkness will see light, those who are proud will be humbled,
those who are last will be first.
3.
HUMILITY
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| from a Calendar 2011 |
"Before
the Lord Jesus' coming people drew all their glory from themselves. But he came
as man that the glory of man might grow less and the glory of God grow greater.
For he came without sin and found us all to be sinners. If he came to loose our
sins it is because God is merciful: so let man take note of it. For man's
humbleness is his gratitude and God's greatness is his mercy. If he came to
forgive us our sins then let man take thought of his lowliness and God exercise
his mercy. “He must grow greater and I must grow less” (Jn 3,30). That is to
say, he it is who must give and it is for me to receive. He must have the glory
and I must acknowledge it. Man should understand his place: let him acknowledge
God and hear what the apostle Paul says to the high-minded and proud man who
claims to be exalted: “What do you possess that you have not received? But if
you have received it, why are you boasting as though you have not received it?”
(1Cor 4,7). So let the man who would call his own what is not his own
understand that he has received it and make himself small, for it is good for
him that God should be glorified in him. Therefore, let him grow less in
himself that in him God may grow greater." (St Augustine's homily)
Amen.
