Connection to MySQL server successfully established.

July 12th, 2024 Calender

Daily Reading & Reflections

November 26, 2021

Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time  

November 26, 2021

Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 507

Reading I

Dn 7:2-14

In a vision I, Daniel, saw during the night,
the four winds of heaven stirred up the great sea,
from which emerged four immense beasts,
each different from the others.
The first was like a lion, but with eagle’s wings.
While I watched, the wings were plucked;
it was raised from the ground to stand on two feet
like a man, and given a human mind. 
The second was like a bear; it was raised up on one side,
and among the teeth in its mouth were three tusks.
It was given the order, “Up, devour much flesh.” 
After this I looked and saw another beast, like a leopard;
on its back were four wings like those of a bird,
and it had four heads.
To this beast dominion was given.
After this, in the visions of the night I saw the fourth beast,
different from all the others,
terrifying, horrible, and of extraordinary strength;
it had great iron teeth with which it devoured and crushed,
and what was left it trampled with its feet.
I was considering the ten horns it had,
when suddenly another, a little horn, sprang out of their midst,
and three of the previous horns were torn away to make room for it.
This horn had eyes like a man,
and a mouth that spoke arrogantly.
As I watched,

    Thrones were set up 
        and the Ancient One took his throne.
    His clothing was snow bright,
        and the hair on his head as white as wool;
    His throne was flames of fire,
        with wheels of burning fire.
    A surging stream of fire
        flowed out from where he sat;
    Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him,
        and myriads upon myriads attended him.

The court was convened, and the books were opened.
I watched, then, from the first of the arrogant words
which the horn spoke, until the beast was slain
and its body thrown into the fire to be burnt up.
The other beasts, which also lost their dominion,
were granted a prolongation of life for a time and a season.
As the visions during the night continued, I saw

    One like a son of man coming,
        on the clouds of heaven;
    When he reached the Ancient One
        and was presented before him,
    He received dominion, glory, and kingship;
        nations and peoples of every language serve him.
    His dominion is an everlasting dominion
        that shall not be taken away,
    his kingship shall not be destroyed.

Responsorial Psalm

Daniel 3:75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81

  1.  Give glory and eternal praise to him!
    “Mountains and hills, bless the Lord;
        praise and exalt him above all forever.”
    R.    Give glory and eternal praise to him!
    “Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord;
        praise and exalt him above all forever.
    R.    Give glory and eternal praise to him!”
    “You springs, bless the Lord;
        praise and exalt him above all forever.”
    R.    Give glory and eternal praise to him!
    “Seas and rivers, bless the Lord;
        praise and exalt him above all forever.”
    R.    Give glory and eternal praise to him!
    “You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord;
        praise and exalt him above all forever.”
    R.    Give glory and eternal praise to him!
    “All you birds of the air, bless the Lord;
        praise and exalt him above all forever.”
    R.    Give glory and eternal praise to him!
    “All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord;
        praise and exalt him above all forever.”
    R.    Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Alleluia

Lk 21:28

  1. Alleluia, alleluia.
    Stand erect and raise your heads
    because your redemption is at hand.
    R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Lk 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.”

Reflection: SIGNS OF SECOND COMING

The apocalyptic times that are being presented in the Gospel passages during the entire last week refer to a time between the 2nd Century BCE and the 2nd Century ACE. The Jews and the Christians thought that the last days were imminent and about to take place. The words of Jesus must be seen in the background of this imminent Second Coming of Jesus. There is seriousness in the words of Jesus as presented by the Evangelist. Since our human experience cannot fathom the signs and portends of the last days, we tend to overlook that. We even brush aside saying 'who can know exactly what is going to happen?' The book of Revelation, hardly read and very rarely commented upon, is also something that we should pay attention to. Why is that we do not pay attention to the book of Revelation? Human beings are not extremely comfortable with the presence of the mystery and even try to avoid them or only look at them with curiosity. We are people who like to have things in black and white. But we also know that all things can be given in black and white. Life itself is a great mystery. We human beings are mysteries too. But we try to make sense of them even if we do not hit the real target in our explanation. Do we know what a human being is? We are tempted to say that if the great event of the Incarnation is real and historical, equally true and real should be the predictions of the last days. "Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. Even if we do not have clear and certain ideas of the last days, it is good to accept in faith that the last days are likely to happen and it will be for a good and fulfilled end.