34TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Psalter: Week 2 / (Green)
Ps 96:10, 11-12, 13
The Lord comes to judge the earth.
1st Reading: Rev 14:14-19
Then, I had this vision. I saw a white cloud, and the one sitting on it, like a son of man, wearing a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. An angel came out of the Sanctuary, calling loudly to the one sitting on the cloud, “Put in your sickle and reap, for harvest time has come, and the harvest of the earth is ripe.” He, who was sitting on the cloud, swung his sickle at the earth and reaped the harvest.
Then, another angel, who also had a sharp sickle, came out of the heavenly Sanctuary. Still, another angel, the one who has charge of the altar fire, emerged, and shouted to the first, who held the sharp sickle, “Swing your sharp sickle and reap the bunches of the vine of the earth, for they are fully ripe.” So, the angel swung his sickle and gathered in the vintage, throwing all the grapes into the great winepress of the anger of God.
Gospel: Lk 21:5-11
While some people were talking about the temple, remarking that it was adorned with fine stonework and rich gifts, Jesus said to them, “The days will come when there shall not be left one stone upon another of all that you now admire; all will be torn down.” And they asked him, “Master, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?”
Jesus said, “Take care not to be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he; the time is near at hand!’ Do not follow them. When you hear of wars and troubled times, don’t be frightened; for all these things must happen first, even though the end is not so soon.”
And Jesus said, “Nations will fight each other and kingdom will oppose kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and plagues; in many places strange and terrifying signs from heaven will be seen.“
Reflections
At every pivotal time in the history of our planet, there are people who claim to see the end of the world. The attitude of Christians is not to be one of fear and anxiety. It sees the new era as a time of challenge and opportunity, a time for new beginnings.
Jesus told them that the end will not follow immediately. More than that, Jesus told them that hard times are an opportunity to find God and not the time to give up. And, the disciples listened and kept their faith in him. On a more personal and much more realistic level, we may be anxious about the signs of our own death or the final destruction of the earth. But again it does not help to become fearful and anxious. Rather the imperative is to live each day to the full and to make it productive for ourselves and others. At the end of the day, the story is about each one of us; it is about our struggles. It is about our search to find God and to trust Jesus in our journey. And, it is about God giving us the opportunity to share the joys and wonders of faith carved into us through sacrifice and loving without counting the cost. How will you make sure that God’s story does not end with you? What is your story going to be? What are you going to share? Have you kept the faith? “Do not worry,” Jesus says, “about what you will testify.” Simply trust him. Keep an eye out for God’s actions in the world and in people’s lives, and trust in the words of Jesus not to be afraid.
Daily Reflection 2018
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Biblical Texts are taken from Christian Community Bible, Catholic Pastoral Edition (57th Edition) The New English Translation for the ROMAN MISSAL
With permission from the EPISCOPAL COMMISION ON LITURGY of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines
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