33 SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – B – 2021 

The readings for this coming Sunday have an apocalyptic tone and color.  

THE BOOK OF DANIEL

Ø  This prophetic book has traits of the apocalyptic literature. 

Ø  It has several peculiarities:   

o   The first and second chapters are written in Hebrew. 

o   Then from 2,4b to 7,27 they are written in Aramaic.  

o   And afterwards it continues in Hebrew .

o   The Greek version includes passages not included in the Hebrew Scriptures, probably these are episodes that circulated around the Jewish communities and were added to the original book: the three young men prayer in the furnace   3,24-90, the judgement of Susana    c.13 , and the story of Daniel and the idols    c. 14

Ø  In this book we discover the following structure:  

o   A series of stories about Daniel and the three companions in the court of the king of Babylon (cc. 1-6.)

o   Revelations that Daniel receives through heavenly visions  cc. 7-12

o   Intervention of Daniel in the judgement of Susana and the fall of the idols   cc. 13-14.

o   Each one of these sections presents a different structure:  

§  The first one describes the life of the Jewish community in the diaspora, the good relationships with the civil authorities.    

§  The second pictures the persecution suffered by the Jews under the kingship of Antiochus Epiphanes IV. Daniel speaks of 4 kingdoms and the coming of the Kingdom of God after the death of the king. 

§  The third part shows an undetermined historical concept, signals the triumph of justice and the nonsense of idolatry.  All of this can happen in any historical moment.  

Ø  The leading thread which gives unity to the book is:  

o   The person of Daniel  

o   The  exile  in Babylon  

o   But overall “God who has the power over the kingdoms of the earth will establish his kingdom sometime in the future.”  

Ø   Composition  of the Book

o   The book is written in  several languages   

o   The central point is the vision of the 4 kingdoms and  the Son of Man

Ø  The Message of the Book of Daniel  

o   Hope in the coming of a new situation in which, those who are faithful to God will reign, where evil or sin will be no more, and which will be eternal.  

FIRST READING  Dn 12,1-3

ü  This Reading is taken from the second part of the book, when the Jews were suffering persecution for their faithfulness to their faith.  

ü  Michael the angel who takes care of the humans will rise up to take action.   

ü  From the People of God all those whose names are written in the book will be saved.  

ü  This is similar to  what happens in the nations and in the cities, those who belong there have their names written in the civil registries.  

ü  The reading speaks of resurrection for life or for death.  

ü  The wise, not those who accumulate intellectual knowledge, but the true wise men, those who savor the truth, the beauty, the goodness of God, those who discover his footprints everywhere around them, and who learn from his inner whisper. 

ü  Those who taught others justice, that is the truth of God, the knowledge of God, the love.

ü  All of them will shine in the firmament like the stars for all eternity, forever.  

ü  What a wonderful image, so full of meaning! 

RESPONSORIAL PSALM   Ps  16

R. You are my inheritance, O Lord!
O Lord, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
I set the Lord ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord!
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord!
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord! 

v  We repeat over and over “You are my inheritance, O Lord.”   

v  Yes, the Lord is our inheritance, our joy, our delight, the cup of our happiness, our portion.   

v  He will never abandon us; he will not allow us to suffer corruption. 

v  He shows us the way to Him, towards life where joy is eternal.  

 

GOSPEL  Mk  13:24-32

§  The situation that the communities lived at the beginning, especially the community of Mark was of suffering due to persecution.  

§  Persecution which led to physical death, but also another type of persecution “to be considered of lower status in society, to be like people who do not count…” How many human beings still now continue to suffer the same situation!  

§  The temptation of tiredness is a reality.  

§  And Mark wants to encourage his community, to remind them some of the words of Jesus that could enlighten them, give them courage, give them strength.  

§  In that day… what day? The end of history, when God will be all in all.   

§  When the falsehood and the truth of our history will be manifested, because all that distract us now: sun, moon, stars, human and nature powers will be no more.  

§  Time will be no more either, the sun, the moon and the stars which signal now the years and stations will no longer shine   

§  Space will disappear also, “the stars will fall…” the distance between the sky and the earth will be eliminated  

§  And then without obstacles caused by the things which surround us, we will be able to see the presence of the Son of man, Jesus, the Lord of history.  

§  Jesus who has said to us that he will come, he has also said to us that he is in every human being who comes to us in his or her need and asks for our help.  He has also said that he will be with us in our evangelizing mission, until the end of history.  

§  This Jesus who will come, is already here and walks with us.   Remember the two from Emmaus they walked with him (Jesus)  “but they did not recognize him, they did not see him, until they were  able to forget  themselves, their sadness, their worries and think about the stranger  whom they welcomed into their home, only then they were able to see him. 

§  Towards the end of this segment of the Gospel of Mark, it seems as if Mark changes the scenario from the end of history to the end of Jerusalem, of the temple “ this generation will not pass away…”     

§  Mark also invites us to look at nature, which warns us about the times, the phenomena, In the same way we are invited to look at history with the eyes of Jesus and discover its meaning.  

§  The Lord has come, the Lord is already here, the Lord will come. Mark does not speak about judgement, because the presence of the Lord which will illumine our lives, our history, will uncover our truth and our lie as well.  

§  Let us not await until the end to ask the Lord for his help, to allow him to illumine us, and thus we will not fear that our lie be uncovered by Him. He is the only one who can change our lie into his truth.  

§  Come Lord Jesus! And give us the strength to allow your love and your presence   transform us.    

SECOND READING  Heb 10:11-14. 18

      The author of this letter continues sharing with us his thoughts about the priesthood of Jesus.  

      The priest of the old law offered repeatedly the sacrifice asking for forgiveness, but these sacrifices could not take away sin.   

       Jesus has offered only one sacrifice to take away the sins of the world, and he is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. To be seated at the right hand means to have power, means equality with the one seated on the throne. In the earthly kingdoms the person seated at the right hand of the king is the most important person in the kingdom after the king.    

      And it ends saying “when there is forgiveness, sin is eliminated.”     

      This reflection of the author of the letter to the Hebrews is an invitation to trust, to truly believe that we have been forgiven, saved, redeemed.   That when I repent and I approach the sacrament of forgiveness my sins are eliminated, they do not exist anymore, because Jesus has destroyed them forever, and this is made visible and real for me through the sacramental  ministry which Jesus has given to the church.   

      Thank you Lord for your forgiveness, teach us to forgive in the same way, to forgive the offenses instead of nurturing them with our bitterness. Make us like you!    

JMJ

 

To Mother Antonia París de S. Pedro  

Rome, June 17 1870

 

My dear Mother in J.C., I have received your letter of the 8th of the present month with which you congratulate me on the day of my Patron Saint, I congratulate you on your Patron Saint Anthony and also on St. Peter. May both Saints Peter and Anthony do what we, men, have not been able to achieve, which is the Approval of the Constitutions; I believe that it is convenient to work and wait at the same time in the Lord. Be good Religious and you will see how the Lord and the Virgin Mary will fix everything, I hope so. 

            On my part I have done everything I known I had to do, either in Cuba, or in Rome. Caixal has also done, and is currently doing, what he can.  I have given him the little card that you sent me. Since he is currently the Ordinary of the Convent that you have in Tremp, he is in a better position to help you than me, because I am not currently Ordinary of Cuba as I was before. Here they which they pay more attention to the Prelate when he asks something for the Nuns of his Diocese. 

            I, however, am pricking Caixal to present his request and frequently; in addition to the trips to the Congregation of Bishops and Regulars, I have made many so far. The work and fatigue of the Council keep me  very busy in upholding and defending the rights of the Church and of the Holy Father. 

              In the middle of the Council, in front of all the Cardinals and all the Patriarchs, Archbishops and Bishops, from the pulpit I said: that I was ready and prepared to give my blood and my life. My words made a lot of impression; the same can be said of the other Spanish bishops, they all behave very well. 

               An English archbishop came to see me and said: the Spanish Bishops can be said to be "the imperial guard of the Pope".  May all be for the greater glory of God. My health is a little affected. 

Pray for me to God and count on your most affectionate servant. 

Kind regards to the Sisters

Anthony Mary Claret Archbishop of Trajanópolis

 BIBLIOGRAPHY 

PAGOLA, José A. El camino abierto por Jesús. 2 Marcos.

DIARIO BÍBLICO 2018. Claret Publishing Group.

RR. MARY IMMACULATE CLARETIAN MISSIONARY SISTERS. Cartas de los Orígenes. Madrid 2009

SAGRADA BIBLIA, versión oficial de la Conferencia Episcopal Española.