Saturday November 27

THIRTY-FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

PERSEVERING HOPE

 

Introduction

The vision of the author of the book of Daniel confirms that, however terrifying the persecutions of the Syrian king, God has the final say in history, evil will be overcome, and God’s powers of goodness will be victorious.

Still, the Gospel: warns us. We may not choose the easy way of indifference or evil. We shall have to give an account to the Son of Man. We have to be watchful, so that we can stand before him with confidence. But our hope is great. We are a people of hope.

 

Opening Prayer

Our saving God,
long ago you sent your Son Jesus, among us,
but we have been too little aware of his presence
and we hide him from others.
Wake us up, make us recognize him,
that he may be the light of our lives
and that we may eagerly lead people to him.
May he build up among us and with us
a world and a kingdom of peace and love
where we serve you in one another,
as we move forward in hope
to your home of endless joy and rest.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

 

Reading: DN 7:15-27

I, Daniel, found my spirit anguished within its covering of flesh,
and I was terrified by the visions of my mind.
I approached one of those present
and asked him what all this meant in truth;
in answer, he made known to me the meaning of the things:
“These four great beasts stand for four kingdoms
which shall arise on the earth.
But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingship,
to possess it forever and ever.”

But I wished to make certain about the fourth beast,
so very terrible and different from the others,
devouring and crushing with its iron teeth and bronze claws,
and trampling with its feet what was left;
about the ten horns on its head, and the other one that sprang up,
before which three horns fell;
about the horn with the eyes and the mouth that spoke arrogantly,
which appeared greater than its fellows.
For, as I watched, that horn made war against the holy ones
and was victorious until the Ancient One arrived;
judgment was pronounced in favor of the holy ones of the Most High,
and the time came when the holy ones possessed the kingdom.
He answered me thus:

“The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth
different from all the others;
It shall devour the whole earth,
beat it down, and crush it.
The ten horns shall be ten kings
rising out of that kingdom;
another shall rise up after them,
Different from those before him,
who shall lay low three kings.
He shall speak against the Most High
and oppress the holy ones of the Most High,
thinking to change the feast days and the law.
They shall be handed over to him
for a year, two years, and a half-year.
But when the court is convened,
and his power is taken away
by final and absolute destruction,
Then the kingship and dominion and majesty
of all the kingdoms under the heavens
shall be given to the holy people of the Most High,
Whose Kingdom shall be everlasting:
all dominions shall serve and obey him.”

 

Responsorial Psalm: DN 3:82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87

Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“You sons of men, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“O Israel, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

 

Alleluia: LK 21:36

Alleluia, alleluia.
Be vigilant at all times and pray
That you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel: LK 21:34-36

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy
from carousing and drunkenness
and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.
For that day will assault everyone
who lives on the face of the earth.
Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man.”

 

Intercessions

– That leaders, prophets, witnesses of the faith and all others whose task it is to stir our hope in a better world may be guided by the Holy Spirit of hope, we pray:

– That we may revive the faith and trust of people without courage and hope by building a fairer and more merciful world with them, we pray:

– That in this community, we may inspire one another by our living faith and indestructible hope, and that by our love and service the Lord may live among us, we pray:

 

Prayer over the Gifts

God of our future,
we pray at this altar

for the coming among us of your Son, Jesus Christ,
in the signs of bread and wine.
Inspire us by the power of his Spirit
and sustain us in hope,
that we may fully commit ourselves
to build up among people a city
that is human, peaceful, just and fraternal
as an offering that pleases you,
our God and Father.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, the Lord.

 

Prayer after Communion

God our Father,
it was good to be here with your Son
and to receive from him the bread of hope.
Help us in our clumsy attempts
to bring to our cold world
the warmth of his love and friendship,
of his compassion and his integrity,
that people may see the day

when they can recognize among us
your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

 

Blessing

Where is God’s kingdom among us? Can people see that Christ is here among us, in our communities? We hope in the Lord, but he is also hoping in us. Let the Lord come and activate us, with the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

 

Commentary

There’s a good book called The Past is a Foreign Country. Looking at it another way, however, you could say that the past is not so foreign since we spend a lot of our time there! And the future is another favorite holiday spot! David Lowenthal lists some of the things that have now become ‘nostalgia objects’: cars with starting handles, 1950s juke-boxes, Bill Haley, Button B…. But no matter how stuffed the past is, the future can be even more stuffed. The past is somewhat limited by reality, but the future is limited only by imagination. Everything we can’t face, everything we want to postpone, we send there. Everything we want to change the easy way, we send there. Everything we want to have without doing anything to have it, we send there. Everything we want to be, without really trying, we send there. The past can keep Button B, because the future has every Button in the alphabet! It’s a comfortable place, full of easy promise….

Unless, that is, it isn’t! Today’s reading puts it in a different light. It can “catch you suddenly like a trap.” “Watch!” Jesus said. That doesn’t mean, “Be a spectator.” It means, “Be awake!” What he called “that day” will not come as a future day but as Today.