(Optional Memorial of the Blessed Virgin
Mary)
On Saturdays in Ordinary Time
when there is no obligatory memorial, an optional memorial of the Blessed
Virgin Mary is allowed. [1]
Mass texts may be taken from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, from a Votive Mass,
or from the special collection of Masses for the Blessed Virgin Mary.
 |
| “The River and the Tree of Life” by an UNKNOWN; Illustrator of 'Bamberg Apocalypse', Reichenau, 1000-20 |
Readings and Commentary:[4]
Reading 1: Revelation
22:1-7
John said:
An angel showed me the river
of life-giving water,
sparkling like crystal,
flowing from the throne of God
and of the Lamb down the
middle of the street,
On either side of the river
grew the tree of life
that produces fruit twelve
times a year, once each month;
the leaves of the trees serve
as medicine for the nations.
Nothing accursed will be
found anymore.
The throne of God and of the
Lamb will be in it,
and his servants will worship
him.
They will look upon his face,
and his name will be on their foreheads.
Night will be no more, nor
will they need light from lamp or sun,
for the Lord God shall give
them light,
and they shall reign forever
and ever.
And he said to me, “These
words are trustworthy and true,
and the Lord, the God of
prophetic spirits,
sent his angel to show his
servants what must happen soon.”
“Behold, I am coming soon.”
Blessed is the one who keeps
the prophetic message of this book.
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Commentary on Rv 22:1-7
This final vision of the heavenly
kingdom provides us with the ultimate peaceful setting. God and the Christ, the
Lamb of God, preside over the water of life flowing through a land filled with
an abundance of good things and nothing evil present.
When the reference is made to the
name inscribed on their foreheads: “They will look upon his face, and his
name will be on their foreheads,” it is a direct corollary to the Hebrew phylactery, small,
black leather, cube-shaped cases containing Torah texts written on parchment
worn on the forehead to symbolize they had internalized God’s law. (Note: the
sign of the beast is in the same place for those who are thrown down.)
Our passage ends, appropriately:
“Behold, I am coming soon.” This passage is used on the last day of the
liturgical year.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm
95:1-2, 3-5, 6-7ab
R. (1 Cor 16: 22b, see Rev. 22: 20c) Maranatha! Come,
Lord Jesus!
Come, let us sing joyfully to
the LORD;
let us acclaim the Rock of
our salvation.
Let us come into his presence
with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms
to him.
R. Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!
For the LORD is a great God,
and a great king above all
gods;
In his hands are the depths
of the earth,
and the tops of the mountains
are his.
His is the sea, for he has
made it,
and the dry land, which his
hands have formed.
R. Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!
Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD
who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he
shepherds, the flock he guides.
R. Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!
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Commentary on Ps 95:1-2, 3-5, 6-7ab
Psalm 95 is a
song of praise. These strophes rejoice in God’s saving help and extol his
greatness as the creator of all things. The psalmist enjoins the faithful to
bow down and worship the one who is the great shepherd, who protects his flock
from all ills. The response itself is explained thus: “Marana tha: an Aramaic expression probably used in the early
Christian liturgy. As understood here ("O Lord, come!"), it
is a prayer for the early return of Christ. If the Aramaic words are divided
differently (Maran atha, "Our
Lord has come"), it becomes a credal declaration. The former
interpretation is supported by what appears to be a Greek equivalent of this
acclamation in Rev 22:20
"Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!"[5]
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Gospel: Luke
21:34-36
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Beware that your hearts do
not become drowsy
from carousing and
drunkenness
and the anxieties of daily
life,
and that day catch you by
surprise like a trap.
For that day will assault
everyone
who lives on the face of the
earth.
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.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Lk 21:34-36
This selection is the end of
Jesus' final public exhortation before his passion and death. Some
scholars have speculated that the Gospel author could be using a fragment of
some forgotten scroll from St. Paul because the Hellenistic form is so similar
(see 1 Thessalonians 5:4).
"It is clear from this short
section that Luke (different from 1 Thessalonians) eliminated the idea of an
immediate parousia. Sudden trials will strike everyone, and so there is
need of continual vigilance. Everyone, however, will eventually take part
in the parousia. How a person lives now determines how he will 'stand
before the Son of Man.'"[6]
Jesus reminds his disciples not to become complacent in their practice of the
faith. It is one of his sternest warnings that the end will come without notice
and judgment will be immediate.
CCC: Lk 21:34-36 2612
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Reflection:
It is almost as if those who assembled our reading could not
wait for Advent to begin. The passage from St. John’s Revelation ends with: “Behold, I am coming soon.” The Psalm
response is: “Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus!” It is interspersed with Psalm 95, the
invitatory psalm we use in the Divine Office. And finally we are given a Gospel
that has Jesus telling us that we must hold ourselves in constant preparation
because we do not want to be caught unawares when the Lord comes again.
On this last day before the season of Advent begins, it is good
to think about this past year and what we have done, right and wrong: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,
so that each one may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body,
whether good or evil.” (2 Corinthians 5:10) As the
analogy we have been using implies, take one more good look in the mirror of
our souls. What do we see there that we
had not noticed before?
Let’s think about our interactions at work or school. Were we
living God’s law of love as best we could? Did we consciously hurt or degrade a
person? Do we need to make amends and apologize to anyone specifically?
What about in our family: did we set the good example that we
are asked to? Did we show those we love the most that God does rule in our
hearts? (This is one of the most difficult!)
And finally, in our solitude, have we worked hard at allowing
the Lord to guide our inmost thoughts and therefore drive our actions with
those about us? Have we been diligent in our prayer, in praise of the one who
saves us all, for ourselves, and for the world? Have we been faithful in our
participation in the sacraments of Eucharist, Reconciliation, and, as needed,
Anointing? Have we allowed God’s grace to buoy us up and give us strength?
As we think through this short list, most of us will find ways
to improve, to grow closer to God in the coming new year of grace. Let us add a
prayer for strength, that we might walk hand in hand with the Lord throughout
the year.
Pax
[1]
General
Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar Miscellaneous Notes no. 5
[2]
The picture used today is “The River and the Tree of Life” by an UNKNOWN;
Illustrator of 'Bamberg Apocalypse', Reichenau, 1000-20
[4]
The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the
Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for
English in Liturgy (ICEL). This
re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[5]
See NAB footnote on 1 Cor 16:22
[6]
Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 44:149, pp. 155
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