In those days, I Daniel, heard this word of the Lord: "At that time there shall arise Michael, the great prince, guardian of your people; it shall be a time unsurpassed in distress since nations began until that time. At that time your people shall escape, everyone who is found written in the book.
“Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake; some shall live forever, others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.
“But the wise shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament, and those who lead the many to justice shall be like the stars forever."
PSALM 16
Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge.
LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.
I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.
I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure,
because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Second reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Hebrews Heb 10:11-14, 18
Brothers and sisters: Every priest stands daily at his ministry, offering frequently those same sacrifices that can never take away sins. But this one offered one sacrifice for sins, and took his seat forever at the right hand of God; now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool. For by one offering he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated.
Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer offering for sin.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY From the Gospel according to Mark Mk 13:24-32
Jesus said to his disciples: "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, and then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.
"Learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things happening, know that he is near, at the gates. Amen, I say to 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.
"But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER Human history, like the personal history of each of us, cannot be understood as a simple succession of meaningless words and facts. Nor can it be interpreted in the light of a fatalistic vision, as if all were already preordained according to a fate that removes any space for freedom, preventing us from making choices as the fruit of true decision. In today’s Gospel passage, however, Jesus says that the history of peoples and that of individuals have a purpose and an aim to fulfil: the definitive encounter with the Lord. (Angelus, 18 November 2018)
FAUSTS - "Then they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds." At this encounter with him the whole of history is led by the wise and patient hand of God. Creation is on its way to the revelation of the Son of Man, in whom every man is a son in communion with the Father. The end of the world is not the falling of everything into nothingness, but the fulfilment of every hope beyond and above all expectations, in a fullness that no one dares to imagine. The invocation of the believer: "Marana - thà: come, O Lord", lends voice to the groaning of all creation, which with aspiration from vertigo tends to Him, in whom, by means of which and in view of which everything has been done. For he is the life of all that exists (Jn 1:3-4). The end of the world is not something terrible. It is rather the most desired end, the desired goal. Paul hopes it will happen while he still lives. It is in fact the encounter between the bride, who cries out in the Spirit. "Come" and the bridegroom who guarantees: "Yes, I will come soon" (Revelation 22,17). These words of Jesus present the final picture of the cosmic event. At the centre is the coming of the Son of Man, who marks the end of the old world with his evil and the beginning of the new one, in communion with him... The Lord's glorious coming and his judgment is on three levels: the past, that of the cross, where everything is fulfilled (Jn 19:30); one present, that of our following, and one future, when all that is already done in him and in those who follow him will be done in him. The first coming, witnessed to by the Word, is the norm of faith, which makes us wait for the future in hope and live the present in love... At the end of the world will happen what happened in the death of Jesus, when the sun darkened the meridian and the very light of the world died and sank into darkness ... Then what happened on the cross will happen - the extreme lowering of the Most High. It will not be a secret thing, but a visible one. He manifests himself in the cloud, because, excessive light, only by veiling himself can it be revealed... The glory of God - the splendour of his essence, that for which he is himself - is merciful love. It will be manifested to all precisely on the cross. The apostles are sent as heralds of God's glory - angels of His judgment on history. The purpose of their mission is to gather around the Crucified One all the elect... "Heaven and earth will pass away. The scene of this world passes. But it is not destroyed. It is transfigured, shared in the glory of its children. His Word remains for ever, as does his faithfulness and love. (Ps 148 - 117). Only he, who says "Amen", is the stable rock on which to base his life. The Father knows the time of the return home of all his children. Indeed, the time has already come, and it is this time to which we are all invited. But why is it late in the summer, if the fig tree has already given its first fruits? The whole of history is no more than the time of God's patience. Peter says: "Before the Lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a single day. The Lord does not delay in fulfilling his promise, as some believe. But he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but that everyone should have a way of repenting" (2 Pt 3:8). For he wants all men to be saved and his house to be full, but how can a father's house be full if even one son is missing? In the Son of Man, who became a curse and a sin for us (Galatians 3:13-2 Cor 5:12), the last of his sons has already returned home. For this we must celebrate and rejoice (Luke 15:22). This is what we celebrate in the Eucharist
Father Ermes Ronchi Mk 13:24-32 The universe is fragile in its great beauty: in those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will be extinguished, the stars will fall from the sky... Yet this is not the ultimate truth of Jesus' Words: if every day there is a world that dies, every day there is also a world that is born, a bud that sprouts, fig leaves that announce summer. How many times has the sun gone out, the stars have fallen in clusters from our sky, leaving us empty, poor, without dreams: a misfortune, a disappointment, the death of a loved one, a defeat in love. It was necessary to start again, an infinite patience to begin again, to look beyond the winter, to the summer that begins with almost nothing, a bud on a branch, to look "at the hope that comes to us dressed in rags because we make her a party dress" (P. Ricoeur). Jesus does not love fear (his very human pedagogy is simple: do not be afraid, do not make afraid, free from fear), He wants to tell not the end but the aim of the story: God is near, He is here; beautiful, vital and new like the springtime of the cosmos. Learn from the fig tree: when its branch becomes tender and the leaves sprout, you know that summer is near. Jesus takes us to the school of plants, of the fig tree, of the bud, because the laws of the spirit and the profound laws of creation coincide. Thus a tree and its buds become characters of a revelation. "Every living thing, every thing, even the speck of dust is a message from God" (Laudato si'). Learn from the wisdom of the trees: when the branch becomes tender, you can perceive the softening of the branch by touching it; the softening for the sap' which recommences to swell its small channels is not to the eye that it is revealed, but to the touch: go close, touch with your hand. The senses are our radar to delve into the wisdom of the world. Touch. Look and contemplate. And the leaves sprout: small buds that the tree pushes out, that erupt in the sun and air, like a minimal birth, from inside to outside. You understand that summer is near. In reality the buds indicate spring, but in Palestine it is very short, just a few days and it is immediately summer. So you also know that He is near, at the gates. From a fig bud you learn the future of the world: "which is not fulfilled as it is, but is something that must develop further, and that must be understood more deeply. The world is a germinating reality" (R. Guardini), on its way to a fragrant fullness of fruit. From a bud you learn the future of God: He stands at the door and knocks; He comes not as a pointing finger but as an embrace; He does not bring an accusation but a sprouting of life.
A reading from the Book of Daniel
RispondiEliminaDn 12:1-3
In those days, I Daniel,
heard this word of the Lord:
"At that time there shall arise
Michael, the great prince,
guardian of your people;
it shall be a time unsurpassed in distress
since nations began until that time.
At that time your people shall escape,
everyone who is found written in the book.
“Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake;
some shall live forever,
others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.
“But the wise shall shine brightly
like the splendor of the firmament,
and those who lead the many to justice
shall be like the stars forever."
PSALM 16
Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge.
LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup;
you have made my lot secure.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
I have set the LORD always before me.
Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
because you will not abandon me to the grave,
nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
You have made known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Second reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Hebrews
Heb 10:11-14, 18
Brothers and sisters:
Every priest stands daily at his ministry,
offering frequently those same sacrifices
that can never take away sins.
But this one offered one sacrifice for sins,
and took his seat forever at the right hand of God;
now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool.
For by one offering
he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated.
Where there is forgiveness of these,
there is no longer offering for sin.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY
From the Gospel according to Mark
Mk 13:24-32
Jesus said to his disciples:
"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,
and then he will send out the angels
and gather his elect from the four winds,
from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.
"Learn a lesson from the fig tree.
When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves,
you know that summer is near.
In the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that he is near, at the gates.
Amen, I say to 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.
"But of that day or hour, no one knows,
neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER
Human history, like the personal history of each of us, cannot be understood as a simple succession of meaningless words and facts. Nor can it be interpreted in the light of a fatalistic vision, as if all were already preordained according to a fate that removes any space for freedom, preventing us from making choices as the fruit of true decision. In today’s Gospel passage, however, Jesus says that the history of peoples and that of individuals have a purpose and an aim to fulfil: the definitive encounter with the Lord. (Angelus, 18 November 2018)
FAUSTS - "Then they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds." At this encounter with him the whole of history is led by the wise and patient hand of God.
RispondiEliminaCreation is on its way to the revelation of the Son of Man, in whom every man is a son in communion with the Father.
The end of the world is not the falling of everything into nothingness, but the fulfilment of every hope beyond and above all expectations, in a fullness that no one dares to imagine.
The invocation of the believer: "Marana - thà: come, O Lord", lends voice to the groaning of all creation, which with aspiration from vertigo tends to Him, in whom, by means of which and in view of which everything has been done.
For he is the life of all that exists (Jn 1:3-4).
The end of the world is not something terrible.
It is rather the most desired end, the desired goal. Paul hopes it will happen while he still lives. It is in fact the encounter between the bride, who cries out in the Spirit. "Come" and the bridegroom who guarantees: "Yes, I will come soon" (Revelation 22,17).
These words of Jesus present the final picture of the cosmic event.
At the centre is the coming of the Son of Man, who marks the end of the old world with his evil and the beginning of the new one, in communion with him...
The Lord's glorious coming and his judgment is on three levels: the past, that of the cross, where everything is fulfilled (Jn 19:30);
one present, that of our following, and one future, when all that is already done in him and in those who follow him will be done in him.
The first coming, witnessed to by the Word, is the norm of faith, which makes us wait for the future in hope and live the present in love...
At the end of the world will happen what happened in the death of Jesus, when the sun darkened the meridian and the very light of the world died and sank into darkness ... Then what happened on the cross will happen - the extreme lowering of the Most High. It will not be a secret thing, but a visible one.
He manifests himself in the cloud, because, excessive light, only by veiling himself can it be revealed...
The glory of God - the splendour of his essence, that for which he is himself - is merciful love.
It will be manifested to all precisely on the cross.
The apostles are sent as heralds of God's glory - angels of His judgment on history.
The purpose of their mission is to gather around the Crucified One all the elect...
"Heaven and earth will pass away. The scene of this world passes. But it is not destroyed. It is transfigured, shared in the glory of its children.
His Word remains for ever, as does his faithfulness and love. (Ps 148 - 117).
Only he, who says "Amen", is the stable rock on which to base his life.
The Father knows the time of the return home of all his children. Indeed, the time has already come, and it is this time to which we are all invited.
But why is it late in the summer, if the fig tree has already given its first fruits?
The whole of history is no more than the time of God's patience.
Peter says: "Before the Lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a single day. The Lord does not delay in fulfilling his promise, as some believe. But he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but that everyone should have a way of repenting" (2 Pt 3:8).
For he wants all men to be saved and his house to be full, but how can a father's house be full if even one son is missing?
In the Son of Man, who became a curse and a sin for us (Galatians 3:13-2 Cor 5:12), the last of his sons has already returned home.
For this we must celebrate and rejoice (Luke 15:22).
This is what we celebrate in the Eucharist
Father Ermes Ronchi
RispondiEliminaMk 13:24-32
The universe is fragile in its great beauty: in those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will be extinguished, the stars will fall from the sky... Yet this is not the ultimate truth of Jesus' Words: if every day there is a world that dies, every day there is also a world that is born, a bud that sprouts, fig leaves that announce summer.
How many times has the sun gone out, the stars have fallen in clusters from our sky, leaving us empty, poor, without dreams: a misfortune, a disappointment, the death of a loved one, a defeat in love. It was necessary to start again, an infinite patience to begin again, to look beyond the winter, to the summer that begins with almost nothing, a bud on a branch, to look "at the hope that comes to us dressed in rags because we make her a party dress" (P. Ricoeur).
Jesus does not love fear (his very human pedagogy is simple: do not be afraid, do not make afraid, free from fear), He wants to tell not the end but the aim of the story: God is near, He is here; beautiful, vital and new like the springtime of the cosmos.
Learn from the fig tree: when its branch becomes tender and the leaves sprout, you know that summer is near. Jesus takes us to the school of plants, of the fig tree, of the bud, because the laws of the spirit and the profound laws of creation coincide. Thus a tree and its buds become characters of a revelation. "Every living thing, every thing, even the speck of dust is a message from God" (Laudato si').
Learn from the wisdom of the trees: when the branch becomes tender, you can perceive the softening of the branch by touching it; the softening for the sap' which recommences to swell its small channels is not to the eye that it is revealed, but to the touch: go close, touch with your hand. The senses are our radar to delve into the wisdom of the world. Touch. Look and contemplate. And the leaves sprout: small buds that the tree pushes out, that erupt in the sun and air, like a minimal birth, from inside to outside. You understand that summer is near. In reality the buds indicate spring, but in Palestine it is very short, just a few days and it is immediately summer. So you also know that He is near, at the gates. From a fig bud you learn the future of the world: "which is not fulfilled as it is, but is something that must develop further, and that must be understood more deeply. The world is a germinating reality" (R. Guardini), on its way to a fragrant fullness of fruit.
From a bud you learn the future of God: He stands at the door and knocks; He comes not as a pointing finger but as an embrace; He does not bring an accusation but a sprouting of life.