- Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Luke 21:29-33
Daniel 7:2-14
Daniel 3:75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81
Luke 21:29-33
Jesus told his disciples a parable.
“Consider the fig tree and all the other trees.
When their buds burst open,
you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near;
in the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that the Kingdom of God is near.
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.”
Opening Prayer: Lord God, your word is eternal. Your word stands the test of time. Empires come and go. The world around me is passing, ephemeral, and temporal. But what you offer me is the promise of eternal life in your Kingdom. Help me to embrace this promise and center my life on you.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Heaven and Earth will Pass Away: In the Gospel, Jesus invites his disciples to consider the fig tree, and all the other trees, and how their buds burst open and indicate that summer is near. In like manner, Jesus says that there are things that will happen that will indicate that the time of Jerusalem’s fall is near. When Jesus says that “heaven and earth will pass away,” this is not just a reference to the end of time. It is also a reference to the destruction of the Temple. This is because the Temple in Jerusalem was considered a microcosm of the universe. The sanctuary of the Temple represented heaven. In fact, the veil of the Temple had images of the sun, the moon, and the stars. The courts of the Temple represented the earth. When Jesus promises that heaven and earth will pass away, he is first predicting the destruction of the Temple. Jesus not only predicts the destruction, but he also says exactly when it will happen: before “this generation” passes away. Now, a generation, in the bible, means forty years. Jesus was crucified in A.D. 30 on the 15th day of Nisan, which was after the evening Passover and was the day of preparation before the Sabbath. The Romans began to lay siege to Jerusalem in A.D. 70, three days before the Passover. In this way, the forty years were completed, the microcosm of the universe, the Temple, was destroyed, and yet Jesus’ words remain.
2. The Four Beasts: On Tuesday, we read Daniel 2, where we were presented with four kingdoms, each of them represented by a part of a massive statue of gold, silver, bronze, and iron. Today we read about a dream of four beasts in Daniel 7: a lion, a bear, a leopard, and a beast with ten horns. Read together, we see Daniel prophesying about a historical succession of four kingdoms, preceding the establishment of the Kingdom of God and the coming of the Son of Man. The golden head of the statue and the winged lion both represent the Babylonian Empire. The silver chest and the lop-sided bear represent the Medo-Persian Empire. The bronze torso and four-headed leopard represent the Greek Empire and how it was divided among four generals after the death of Alexander the Great, who conquered the world at breakneck speed (like that of a leopard). Finally, the iron legs and ten-horned beast represent the Roman Empire. The ten horns are the ten emperors – from Julius Caesar to Vespasian – who ruled until the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.
3. The Signs of History: The Book of Daniel and the Gospel of Luke remind us that human history unfolds according to God’s plan. God knows what will happen and when it will happen. He permits evil to bring about a greater good. What Jesus invites us to do in the Gospel is to be attentive to the signs of history. This is not an invitation to vain curiosity and useless speculation about the end of the world. What is important is the knowledge that the Kingdom of God is continually drawing near. On the one hand, what Jesus predicted actually happened. For there were some people of that generation who heard Jesus’ words and also saw the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. As well, that generation experienced the inauguration of God’s Kingdom through Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection. On the other hand, centuries have passed, and we still await the definitive establishment of God's Kingdom at the end of time. Earthly kingdoms rise and fall and pass away, but Jesus’ words and heavenly Kingdom remain forever.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, Son of Man, take pity on me and heal me with your merciful touch. You are my King and the Lord of history. Guide me in all that I undertake today, so that I may serve faithfully in your Kingdom.
Living the Word of God: By our Baptism, we are called to be apostles and announce God’s Kingdom to all the nations. This means announcing that God is Lord over all things and that he made this world to share his goodness and manifest his glory. God is glorified when the men and women he created and called to eternal life are fully alive in Christ. This is the proclamation of the Good News. How am I proclaiming the Good News of God’s Kingdom in my life?
