Saturday of the Thirty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Year 1 2023

Peter H. Davids

Ordinary Time • Sermon • Submitted a year ago • Presented a year ago

Luke 21:34–36

Luke 21:36

Daniel 7:15–27

Song of Three Youths 37

Song of Three Youths 60–65

The Doctrine of the Last Things

Vision

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Contemporary events, both the lure of pleasures and the crises confronting us, can "put us to sleep" and divert us from divine reality. Daniel reflects on the empires he knew and his shown that two more are coming and the last will in Antiochus IV Epiphanes bring a time of horror to his people, but that ultimate rule is from the Most High. Jesus tells us that "the end" will not be pretty but that if we are awake and vigilant with eyes open for divine reality then we will stand before the Son of Man, whose kingdom will rule all. This is true whether we are speaking about a personal end or any of the major crises that convulse the world including the final crisis.

Notes

Transcript

Title

Be Awake and Vigilant

Outline

I have a tea at home named “sleepy time”

It is healthy, better than most sleep drugs, and it helps one relax and doze off.

There are a lot of things out there in the world that help you doze off with respect to the really real, with respect to God’s will and spiritual realities.

Even things such as current events, whether moral (think about wokeness that is not really awake), environmental (climate change crisis), political (wars in the world, the great divisions in the USA that could lead to crisis), or ecclesiastical (we get diverted from the main thing by things built up by media or interest groups) - even these things that purport to make us aware can become the cartoons that divert and entertain us.

Daniel needs to cope with the political chaos

He had been taken captive by Babylon, had lived through three kings or two dynasties, and ended up living under the Persians. He trusted, was committed to the true God of all the earth, but while God had “showed up” for him on occasion, when was God going to show his universal rule?

He gets the answer in the form of a vision. On the one hand, there are the four beasts, four empires, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Seleucid. But they are not to be Daniel’s focus: “But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingship, to possess it forever and ever.” Notice that it speaks into Daniel’s context (e.g. neither Assyria nor Rome are mentioned) and that his focus is not to be on the kingdoms but on the kingship with respect to heaven.

Daniel wants to drill down on the final empire and he is told about Antiochus IV Epiphanes who would replace not just his father but two of his brothers and end up making “war against the holy ones and [being] victorious.” There is no reference to the Maccabean resistance. Instead the focus is on the “until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was pronounced in favor of the holy ones of the Most High, and the time arrived for the holy ones to possess the kingship.” It is not focused on the kingdom that the “holy ones” will possess, but “Then the kingship and dominion and majesty of all the kingdoms under the heavens shall be given to the people of the holy ones of the Most High, Whose kingship shall be an everlasting kingship, whom all dominions shall serve and obey.” - it is on the kingship of the Most High. And this is everlasting even though the whole history of the Jews from about 180 BC on is not mentioned. This is not about curiosity but about focus and ultimate hope.

So Jesus tells us

“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life,” - both “carousing” and “the anxieties of daily life,” including the news, can make us drowsy, for neither will show us God.

The end will be sudden and “not pretty,” i.e. “that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth.” (Remember that before this he has talked about 70AD and the destruction of the Temple. No pretty. Augustine would write similarly with respect to the fall of Rome.)

The thing for us to remember is to “Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.” The tribulations may be those of the fall of Jerusalem or Rome, those of climate collapse or the collapse of the USA, violence against the Church or perhaps demonic personal attacks on us or the pain of sickness and death. We watch and pray so that we can see Jesus as King above and conqueror over all of these things and remain faithful to stand in joy before the Son of Man.

Keep your eyes on Jesus and you will know where you need to be and what you need to do when these things happen, for your eyes are on the king who is directing the strategy of the kingdom and is guiding his people through the chaos of this world.

Readings

Catholic Daily Readings 12-2-2023: Saturday of the Thirty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

FIRST READING

Daniel 7:15–27

15 Because of this, my spirit was anguished and I, Daniel, was terrified by my visions. 16 I approached one of those present and asked him the truth of all this; in answer, he made known to me its meaning: 17 “These four great beasts stand for four kings which shall arise on the earth. 18 But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingship, to possess it forever and ever.”

19 Then I wished to make certain about the fourth beast, so very terrible and different from the others, devouring and crushing with its iron teeth and bronze claws, and trampling with its feet what was left; 20 and about the ten horns on its head, and the other one that sprang up, before which three horns fell; and about the horn with the eyes and the mouth that spoke arrogantly, which appeared greater than its fellows. 21 For, as I watched, that horn made war against the holy ones and was victorious 22 until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was pronounced in favor of the holy ones of the Most High, and the time arrived for the holy ones to possess the kingship. 23 He answered me thus:

“The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth,

different from all the others;

The whole earth it shall devour,

trample down and crush.

24 The ten horns shall be ten kings

rising out of that kingdom;

another shall rise up after them,

Different from those before him,

who shall lay low three kings.

25 He shall speak against the Most High

and wear down the holy ones of the Most High,

intending to change the feast days and the law.

They shall be handed over to him

for a time, two times, and half a time.

26 But when the court is convened,

and his dominion is taken away

to be abolished and completely destroyed,

27 Then the kingship and dominion and majesty

of all the kingdoms under the heavens

shall be given to the people of the holy ones of the Most High,

Whose kingship shall be an everlasting kingship,

whom all dominions shall serve and obey.”

Catholic Daily Readings 12-2-2023: Saturday of the Thirty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

RESPONSE

Daniel 3:59b

59 You heavens, bless the Lord,