Tag: Kingdom of God

AM+DG

I love the readings at Mass at this time of year. Today is the beginning of the Church Liturgical Year. Last Sunday we celebrated the end of the Church year – the Last Sunday after Pentecost. Did you take note of the readings?

Gospel: Last Sun after Pent: Matt 24: 13-35

“At that time, Jesus said to His disciples: When you shall see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (he that reads, let him understand:) then they that are in Judea, let them flee to the mountains and he that is on the housetop, let him not come down to take anything out of his house and he that is in the field, let him not go back to take his coat. And woe to them that are with child and that give suck, in those days. But pray that your flight be not in the winter, or on the sabbath: for there shall be then great tribulation, such as hath not been found from the beginning of the world until now, neither shall be: and unless those days had been shortened, no flesh should be saved; but for the sake of the elect, those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say to you: Lo, here is Christ, or there; do not believe him: for there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch as to deceive (if possible) even the elect. Behold I have told it to you beforehand. If therefore they shall say to you: Behold, he is in the desert, go ye not out. Behold He is in the closets, believe it not. For as lightning cometh out of the east, and appeareth even into the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be: Wheresoever the body shall be, there shall the eagles also be gathered together. And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from the heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be moved and then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven, and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn; and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with much power and majesty. And He shall send His angels with a trumpet and a loud voice, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest parts of the heavens to the utmost bounds of them. And from the fig tree learn a parable: when the branch thereof is now tender, and the leaves come forth, you know that summer is nigh. So you also, when you shall see all these things, know ye that ìt is nigh at the doors. Amen I say to you that this generation shall not pass till all these things be done. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.”

First Sunday of Advent

Introit: Psalm 24:1-3

To Thee have I lifted up my soul: in Thee, O my God, I put my trust, let me not be ashamed: neither let my enemies laugh at me: for none of them that wait on Thee shall be confounded.

Epistle: Romans13:11-14

Brethren, knowing that it is now the hour for us to rise from sleep. For now our salvation is nearer than when we believed. The night is past and the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day: not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and impurities, not in contention and envy: but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Gospel: Luke 21:25-33

At that time Jesus said to His disciples: There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, by reason of the confusion of the roaring of the sea and of the waves: men withering away for fear and expectations of what shall come upon the whole world. For the powers of heaven shall be moved. And then they shall see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with great power and majesty. But when these things begin to come to pass, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is at hand. And He spoke to them a similitude: See the fig tree and all the trees: when they now shoot forth their fruit, you know that summer is nigh. So you also, when you shall see these things come to pass, know that the kingdom of God is at hand. Amen, I say to you, this generation shall not pass away till all things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but My words shall not pass away.

Today is the beginning of the Church Liturgical Year. Last Sunday we celebrated the end of the Church year – the Last Sunday after Pentecost. Did you take note of the readings?

Last week the Gospel reading was Jesus’ prophecy about the times of the end. His words were strong – He wanted to warn us well ahead of how awful these times would be. He uses words such as “abomination of desolation … , standing in the holy place”; “let them flee to the mountains”; “woe to them that are with child”; and “great tribulation, such as hath not been found from the beginning of the world until now”.  He interjects his description to reassure us : “but for the sake of the elect, those days shall be shortened.’ He continues to tell us of false Christs, and false prophets, great signs and wonders, of deception, and fearful details about the sun, the moon and the stars …. The great tribulation… but then he fortifies us again and tells us how it will end :

“And then they shall see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with great power and majesty. But when these things begin to come to pass, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is at hand”

This reading is so important that it is repeated each year, to remind us of what is to come.

Are we taking any notice? Does this Gospel give us direction and strength and hope? It is meant to fortify us ad prepare us. Are we ready to listen?

Today is the beginning of the church year. We are preparing for the coming of our Saviour.

The story is repeated in Luke’s Gospel, but not on quite as much detail. The signs of the sun, moon and stars are again mentioned.  

“And then they shall see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with great power and majesty. But when these things begin to come to pass, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is at hand.”

This reading focuses not on the details -it  is more expectation, We are reminded about the fig tree and the final message to us –

“So you also, when you shall see these things come to pass, know that the kingdom of God is at hand.”

Jesus came the first time to save us. The Church has been reminding us what to expect. Now He comes again to save His children – His people. After a tribulation so great “such as hath not been found from the beginning of the world until now, neither shall be”, St Luke reminds us about the fig tree and that “summer is nigh” – He tells us

“ So you also, when you shall see these things come to pass, know that the kingdom of God is at hand.”

For 2000 years we have been praying the prayer that Jesus taught us “…Thy Kingdom come…”. Advent is about Hope and Expectation.

We need to be reminded about the trials and to be ready. But we are also reminded to place out Trust in our loving God and Saviour, “Who will come again” to claim us as His Own.

In these days of Revelation – of tribulation, of Apostasy, of war and famine, of the “abomination of desolation”, of the “mark of the beast”- will we be ready? Will  we recognize evil when it rears its ugly head? Will we be ready to fight for Christ and His Church and His Teachings? Are our ears and our hearts open to Christ and his Teachings?