Thirty -Third Sunday Nov 19^th, 2006

Daniel 12:1‑-3 Psalm 16 Hebrew 10:11‑-14,18 Mark 13:24‑-32

The son of Man will come in the clouds with great power and glory

Our readings today remind me of the last week of December 1999. The TV, the Papers and all the Doomsayers were predicting the end of the World on the 1st January. Many stocked up with provisions, they went to bomb shelters, bunkers - as if these would help in the final cataclysm.

At first sight both the reading from the Book of Daniel and from the Gospel are intimidating. The Book of Daniel was written at the time when the Greeks were trying to establish their empire and culture over the world, over the People of Israel. As we read in the book of Maccabees, Jews were been killed for practising their faith. Secondly, you have the image of Michael the Prince and Protector. He is standing on guard. It is like the image of an approaching Policeman. Even if we have not done anything wrong, we wonder ! Finally, there is a picture of the Resurrection from the Dead. This is the first of its kind in the Old Testament. Even those who live righteous lives, hope that they will be included among those destined for everlasting life rather than to shame and contempt, as Daniel predicts. It is a time of Religious turmoil and confusion. Daniel would call it a time of Unsurpassed Anguish.

The Gospel is equally a picture of confusion. The Sun will be darkened, the moon will not shine, the stars will fall from heaven. This would be enough to make all - even the good to take the provisions and head for the bunkers as they did in the last week of 1999. This is a vision of ecologically disaster.

Both these images of the End time with all its earthquakes and fearful visions are what they would call in Religious terms - the Apocalyptic Literature. The story is of the Final end, the story is of the Last Judgment.

2. It is pretty easy to fall into this sense of dread and disaster, because we are experiencing it in our own lives. There were 6000 killed in two months in Iraq this year - that is about 100 a day. These number more than twice that died on 9/11. In Sudan we have a million people who have fled from their homes, living in the open without food, water, toilet facilities. Four hundred thousand are expected to die. Iran and North Korea are finalizing their nuclear bombs. Are we going to retaliate in pre-emptive strikes? There are more apocalyptical images. There are floods and droughts in China, India, Europe and Africa. Huge chunks of Ice masses are melting at both the North and South Pole. Global warming and consequent changes in the weather can change the landscape of the tropical, temperate and frigid zones on our planet earth.

3. Yet both the readings tell us that the Son of Man - a title that Jesus used from himself, has come to

reward the fidelity of those who walk in the path of the Lord

confirm our belief in a God who holds us in the palm of God’s hand

give hope, as Job said, I know that my redeemer lives - and I will see HIM. The chaos we seem to have at our doorsteps was there are the beginning of creation and it was into this Chaos that God put law and order, a balance and a harmony.

4. The first sight of these apocalyptical pictures overwhelm us. What can we do? We think in terms of the Second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews. We think in terms of the Levitical priesthood. The priests were many, they were sinners and hence had to over sacrifice for themselves as well as for us. They had to offer many sacrifices, over and over again.

We too wonder how many will be enough. What sacrifices can we offer?

We wonder what we can do to turn back these ecological disasters.

We might be intimidated by the Scourge of War, Poverty, Racism, Sexism, Oppression. But we too have had chaos in our lives. We too have experienced at times Days of unsurpassed distress. We too have seen the sun and moon fail to shine in our lives, and the stars of doom and bad luck fall on our head or so it seems.

We have seen a loved one die, and die young.

We have lost a job suddenly, with a spouse and children dependent on us.

We have had a sickness that has taken away all our energy and strength.

We have been afflicted with depression and dementia

We have seen a loved one walk away from a relationship.

On a Provincial and Federal level, we have see the closing down of Daycare centres, the closing down of Health Clinics, the cutbacks made in School and even the infrastructure of roads and bridges have been threatened. This is mainly due to the increase in Military Budget spending and the fear of Terrorism and Weapons of Mass destruction.

5. The Letter to the Hebrews tells us we now have a High Priest in Jesus, who is not a sinner, (hence he does not have to offer sacrifices for himself)

who is called by God (hence he supersedes the law)

who has offered the sacrifice par excellence - (hence ONE is enough)

Furthermore the Gospel reassures us that because the Day of the Son of Man has come

War will not have its last word, but will end.

Poverty will finally and definitely become History

Racism and Sexism will breathe their last breath.

Oppression with no longer terrorize the Weak.

However, we have a role in God’s designs. We have been invited by God to become co-creators in this new World of Peace and Harmony. We have been invited to prepare for the day of the Coming of the Son of Man. And Jesus tells us in the Gospel of John, that when we believe in him, we will have within ourselves Springs of Living Water. We will have within ourselves the power to achieve these changes - first on a personal level, and then on a global level. Since all things are possible with God, then as Children of God we can make the difference. It is a time for Hope, a time when our Faith finds fruit, and our Belief in God is confirmed.