He is Near

A reflection for the 33^rd Sunday, Ordinary Time, B. The readings are Daniel 12:1-3, Psalm 16, Hebrews 10:11, 14-18 and Mark 13:24-32.

Today is the thirty-third Sunday of Ordinary Time – next Sunday is the 34^th, the last Sunday of the Liturgical Year- that’s when we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King…. Then, the following Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent and we begin the new Church year. This year is year B and we’ve been reading from the Gospel of Mark. Next year is Year C and we will be reading from the Gospel of Luke.  On that Sunday, the first Sunday of Advent, in two weeks, we are going to listen to a very similar Gospel passage as today’s – Jesus telling the disciples about what sounds like, is the end of the world.

This Gospel passage – from the 13^th chapter of the Gospel of Mark is written in what we refer to as “apocalyptic” in style. Apocalyptic refers to a kind of writing which was normal in Biblical times. The first reading from the 12 Chapter of Daniel is also apocalyptic – and so is the Book of Revelation.  Apocalyptic writing is sometimes hard to understand because of the way it is written.  People think that apocalyptic means that it’s about the end of the world – it isn’t.  Apocalypse doesn’t mean end of the world and destruction. Apocalypse means unveiling; revealing – literally, pulling back a curtain That’s why the book of the apocalypse, the last book of the Bible, in English is called the Book of Revelation – because it reveals something to us. Partly because some of the messages are hidden – they are veiled. But mostly because in reading it, a deeper meaning is revealed. Apocalyptic writings are commonly used in Scripture when the readers – those to whom the book is written – are being persecuted. This is the case in the Book of Daniel; written during the Greek conquest of Israel. It is also true of the Book of Revelation, written during the Roman persecution of Christians. It is also true of this 13 chapter of the Gospel of Mark. It is written in a way that those who are persecuted would understand, but also, so that the persecutors would not understand.

The main thing you have to remember about any apocalyptic writing is that it’s meant to scare you or is it predicting future events – in some cases, the books are written after the events they refer to have already taken place – but they are written to give people hope. And that’s what we see in today’s first reading and Gospel.  Today we heard the end of these two passages and they are all about hope. Daniel says that Michael, the Archangel, the protector of Israel, will arise and everyone will escape and the wise shall shine brightly and those who lead many to justice will be like stars forever. That means, no matter what you are suffering now, know that it is not forever.

There is hope. Things will get better.

This is exactly what Jesus is telling the disciples in today’s Gospel.  Remember last week Jesus is with the disciples at the Temple in Jerusalem and he sees the poor widow putting a penny in the Temple offering. As they are leaving the Temple the disciples ask about the magnificence of the Temple and Jesus tells them that it will be destroyed. Then, while sitting in the Mount of Olives, which is across the valley from the Temple – while looking at the Temple, he tells them the words that we just heard in the Gospel. He is telling them about the destruction of the Temple and of Jerusalem, which would happen about 40 years later.  The Temple was destroyed in the year 70. After the resurrection, there were small rebellions and insurrections against the Romans until there was a big one in the year 66. That’s when Rome sent legions to Jerusalem to quell the rebellion. It all happened between the year 68-70 when they basically destroyed the whole city, killed everyone in sight, those who survived were enslaved and they destroyed the Temple. This is the last time the Temple was destroyed. It has never been rebuilt. If you go to Jerusalem today, you see people praying at the Western Wall – that’s the only thing that remains of this majestic Temple.

And Jesus warns the disciples. Earlier in chapter 13 he tells them that when these things begin to happen to run to the hills – which they did. That’s why Christians survived the destruction of Jerusalem and that is why the centre of Christianity was not Jerusalem, but Antioch. When the Gospel of Mark is being written, around the year 60-70, these things were taking place, so it is possible that it is written this way – in an apocalyptic style, to give hope to those early Christians.

And here’s the hope. Listen to what we heard today: when these things happen, you will see the Son of Man coming with his angels. When you see these things happening – wars, persecution, natural disasters you know that he is near. That’s not about the end of the world. Those things have been happening since the beginning of time. 

But there’s one line that really stands out for me: the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light. What does that mean?

Here’s what I think. When I did palliative care training in order to be able to do hospice visits, we learned that palliative care is not just ‘end-of-life” care. We learned that from the moment someone receives a “life-altering” diagnosis, they qualify for palliative care. Another way we spoke about “life altering” was “redefining”.  Whenever something happens in your life that forces you to redefine yourself, to make new meaning – those are redefining events. We know what they are: you now have to use a wheelchair, your spouse of 40 years is not there with you anymore, you’ve lost your job, you have to sell the house, you have to start using hearing-aids, you can no longer drive, you are going through a divorce or a difficult separation, you are now a caregiver to your parents,.. Those are all moments that force us to redefine, to find new meaning. It’s like the world, as we know it, no longer is. What used to be, is not.  What used to make sense, no longer does. What used to give meaning to our lives, no longer does. That’s what grief is: having to make new meaning.

That’s what I think Jesus is referring to. When something happens that your world no longer makes sense; that your world no longer works the way it’s supposed to – when the sun no longer gives light. When water is no longer wet; when fire is no longer hot. When we have to redefine. Those are the life-altering moments that Jesus is referring to.

And when those happen, here’s what he says, “when you see that these things are happening, know that He is near.”

He is near could mean that he is arriving soon – like Advent, “Jesus is coming” – like Santa Claus coming to town: he is near. He’ll be here next month. But “he is near” can also mean literally that he is near. He is close to you now. He is by your side. He is close to you like a close friend. He is so close to you that you can hear and feel his heartbeat. When you go through life-altering events, redefining moments in your life, know that He is near. That’s the hope in today’s Gospel.

Today’s Psalms is all about God being near. In the Lord I take refuge. Why? Because he is near. The Lord is at my right hand? Because he is near. It says that the Lord will not abandon us: That means that He is near. It says that we have fullness of joy in “your presence”: That’s because He is near. He is very near to you, always, but especially in those moments that feel like it’s the end of the world. Don’t ever forget it.

He is near to you in prayer, even when you can’t feel it. He is near to you in His Word – the Gospel says that heaven and earth will pass away, but his Word will not pass away. He is near to you in the Church and in the Sacraments, especially in the Eucharist. How near is that? So near that you can see him; you can touch him; you can receive him on your hand or on your tongue; you can eat him and he is inside you, becoming a part of you. You can’t get nearer than that! 

And so, today, whether you’re having a good day or whether you’re going through a life-altering, redefining time, remember how near you are to Christ right now; remember how near He is to you- as you prepare to receive him in the Eucharist; make that your prayer: “Jesus, I know you are near.” And then when you do receive him: “Jesus, I know you are near.” And then after you’ve received him: “Jesus I know you are near.” And then, when you go home and go about your week,  go and bring the nearness of Christ to those around you for whom the sun has stopped shining.

Jesus is near. Not next month, not next week, not tomorrow, not in a few hours, but now, He is near. He is here. Always