20231202 LOSING OUR HOPE IN THE SECOND COMING
2 December 2023, Saturday, 34th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading | Daniel 7:15-27 © |
His sovereignty will be an eternal sovereignty
I, Daniel, was deeply disturbed and the visions that passed through my head alarmed me. So I approached one of those who were standing by and asked him to tell me the truth about all this. And in reply he revealed to me what these things meant. “These four great beasts are four kings who will rise from the earth. Those who are granted sovereignty are the saints of the Most High, and the kingdom will be theirs for ever, for ever and ever.” Then I asked to know the truth about the fourth beast, different from all the rest, very terrifying, with iron teeth and bronze claws, eating, crushing and trampling underfoot what remained; and the truth about the ten horns on its head – and why the other horn sprouted and the three original horns fell, and why this horn had eyes and a mouth that was full of boasts, and why it made a greater show than the other horns. This was the horn I had watched making war on the saints and proving the stronger, until the coming of the one of great age who gave judgement in favour of the saints of the Most High, when the time came for the saints to take over the kingdom. This is what he said:
‘The fourth beast
is to be a fourth kingdom on earth,
different from all other kingdoms.
It will devour the whole earth,
trample it underfoot and crush it.
As for the ten horns: from this kingdom
will rise ten kings, and another after them;
this one will be different from the previous ones
and will bring down three kings;
he is going to speak words against the Most High,
and harass the saints of the Most High.
He will consider changing seasons and the Law,
and the saints will be put into his power
for a time, two times, and half a time.
But a court will be held and his power will be stripped from him,
consumed, and utterly destroyed.
And sovereignty and kingship,
and the splendours of all the kingdoms under heaven
will be given to the people of the saints of the Most High.
His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty
and every empire will serve and obey him.’
Responsorial Psalm | Daniel 3:82-87 © |
Sons of men! bless the Lord.
Give glory and eternal praise to him!
Israel! bless the Lord.
Give glory and eternal praise to him!
Priests! bless the Lord.
Give glory and eternal praise to him!
Servants of the Lord! bless the Lord.
Give glory and eternal praise to him!
Spirits and souls of the virtuous! bless the Lord.
Give glory and eternal praise to him!
Devout and humble-hearted men! bless the Lord.
Give glory and eternal praise to him!
Gospel Acclamation | Mt24:42,44 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Stay awake and stand ready,
because you do not know the hour
when the Son of Man is coming.
Alleluia!
Or: | Lk21:36 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Stay awake, praying at all times
for the strength to stand with confidence
before the Son of Man.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 21:34-36 © |
That day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘Watch yourselves, or your hearts will be coarsened with debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life, and that day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap. For it will come down on every living man on the face of the earth. Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.’
LOSING OUR HOPE IN THE SECOND COMING
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Dn 7:15-27; Daniel 3:82-87; Lk 21:34-36]
Today, is the last day of the liturgical year. Last Sunday, we celebrated the feast of Christ the King, anticipating Christ’s universal rule of humanity at the end of time. Until then, the Church continues to prepare herself and the world for the Second Coming. However, not many people today think much about the Second Coming of Christ or the end of the world. People in the modern world are just concerned about living as fully as they can, which means, enjoying the resources of the world before they die. After death, that is another question. What will happen to them, where would they go? This question remains unimportant to the modern world. What are the reasons for the change in perspective towards the Second Coming of Christ?
Before the 20th century, most people were conscious of the Second Coming of Christ or the end of the world, and lived with this in view. Indeed, the scripture readings reveal to us how people in the ancient world had very vivid views of the end of the world. In the first reading, Daniel had a vision of the changing history, the rise and fall of world empires and civilizations. There would be wars, evil, suffering and disasters. But Daniel said, no matter how evil the world becomes, God’s sovereignty would not be undermined. “But a court will be held and his power will be stripped from him, consumed, and utterly destroyed. And sovereignty and kingship, and the splendours of all the kingdoms under heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Most High. His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty and every empire will serve and obey him.” So too, the Lord has been warning His people of the trials ahead of them. There would be wars, natural catastrophes, persecutions, destruction. “People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Lk 21:26-28)
When we place ourselves in the situation of the people living in those days, we can appreciate why there was a keen expectation and also speculation of the Second Coming of Christ or the end of the world. There was so much evil and injustices in society, the rich and powerful were controlling the people and making use of them for their selfish benefits. The ordinary people were generally poor and taken advantage of. There was a great divide between the rich and powerful and the common people. Many were living in poverty, and even if not poverty, life was not as luxurious or comfortable as it is today. Then there were many natural disasters such as drought, floods and pests that destroyed their crops resulting in famine. Medicine was rather undeveloped and primitive. Many who felt ill died early because of the lack of effective treatment. And worse still, if they suffered from deadly diseases or infections like leprosy, it meant the beginning of a slow, painful and lonely death. Then there were those who suffered from disabilities, like blindness, deafness and paralysis. There was no real cure for these illnesses. So it was common for people to die young. In fact, if we read about the lives of the saints, many of them died in their 40’s or 50’s. Their lifespan was short and life was never that great. Many of them lived in misery and without hope for this life.
In this context, we can appreciate why people then looked forward to the day of liberation and redemption. There was no hope for this world. They were living in fear of their enemies and of their lives. In a certain sense, the indictment of Karl Marx on the poor Catholics in those days had some truth when he said that religion was the opium of the poor. Religion was used to numb the pain of the poor who suffered under the political and religious institutions. It was the hope for the next life that kept them submissive and enduring.
However, today, the world has changed quite radically. People are educated. Society is democratic in most places in the world. There is a greater call for accountability. There is an international order that promotes justice, equality and freedom for all peoples. Slavery is not accepted in today’s society. Women are to be treated equally with men. Regardless of race, language or religion, everyone must be respected accordingly. Religious persecutions or forced proselytization are not tolerated by society. One is no longer forced to accept another religion or even have any religion at all. Until the 18th century, atheism was condemned and it was a crime in many places.
Most of all, the world has advanced economically and technologically. The standard of living has improved in many parts of the world. Those in affluent countries have more than enough and as a result there is much wastage due to a consumeristic society. Tons of food are thrown away daily. Things are not made to last because they become outdated in a year. Poor countries receive aid from richer countries even though resolving world poverty is still a long way off. The ugly truth is that 10% of the world’s richest nations and people own 90% of the world’s resources. For those who are living in affluent countries, many of them have become secularized. Their concern is about maintaining a luxurious standard of living, enjoying all the pleasures and comforts of the world, having the best of everything. The focus is therefore extending their economic and political empire, dominating poorer countries to ensure that they remain the most powerful economically, technologically, militarily and politically.
As the gospel says when one is so immersed in the world’s affairs, we have no time for God. When we can depend on ourselves, on science and technology to solve our problems, especially medical or environmental issues, we do not need God. Faith in God is relegated to those who are superstitious or have been brainwashed by their forefathers and the culture they belong to. Intelligent people rely on their intellect and ingenuity. If man can reach Mars, what can prevent him from achieving great things in life, making Artificial Intelligence robots, and solving all challenges by his own strength and ingenuity. So the world is busy fighting fires, resolving the issues confronting humanity, making material life better for everyone, and yet, at the same time, creating more division, discontentment, oppression, injustices and wars. God is forgotten and abandoned.
Indeed, Jesus warns us in the gospel, “Watch yourselves, or your hearts will be coarsened with debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life, and that day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap. For it will come down on every living man on the face of the earth.” Indeed, many of us are so absorbed in building our financial nest, acquiring wealth and property, indulging in the pleasures of life, advancing our career, that we do not have much time for God. We shut God out of our lives and often this also leads to shutting our loved ones from our lives as well because of selfishness, self-centeredness and the lure of temptations of the flesh, the world and Satan. For some of us, our lives are lived in confusion and in a mess.
Hence, today, we are called to take heed of the exhortation of our Lord. “Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.” We need to take time off to pray so that we become more realistic in life. We must not forget the words of the psalmist, “You sweep them away; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning; in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers. The days of our life are seventy years, or perhaps eighty, if we are strong; even then their span is only toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.” (Ps 90:5,6,10, 12) Let us live wisely. Certainly, we must be absorbed in this life and live responsibly, but we must be aware that our life is short compared to eternity. We must use the time here to build up ourselves in love for God and for humanity. To stand with confidence when He comes on the last day, which would most probably be our last day on earth, we need to know Him, love Him and serve Him so that when that day comes, we know He will be with us.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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