Fr. Roger J. Landry
Visitation Mission of the Sisters of Life, Manhattan
Thursday of the 34th Week in Ordinary Time, Year II
November 29, 2018
Rev 18:1-2.21-23; 19:1-3.9, Ps 100, Lk 21:20-28
To listen to an audio recording of today’s homily, please click below:
The following points were attempted in the homily:
- In today’s readings, there is a contrasting double dynamism, one exterior and one interior. The exterior contrast is between the downward destruction of Jerusalem in the Gospel and the “Babylon” (Rome) in the Book of Revelation versus the upward direction of Jesus’ constructive work and his call to have us “stand erect and raise your heads.” The interior dynamism is between two types of love. In the downward destructive direction, we have the seductive love of the “harlot,” which is the three-fold concupiscence described by St. John in his first letter (1 John 2:16), for pleasure, for material things, and for power; in Jesus’ direction it is spousal love, as we see in the call at the end of today’s readings from the Book of Revelation: “Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.”
- Both readings focus on two ways for us to relate to that Lamb for whom we stand erect and raise our heads. In Revelation, in heaven there is the the hymn singing, “Salvation, glory, and might belong to our God.” We see the same in the Gospel, when Jesus says we will see “the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory,” and that our “redemption,” our salvation, “is at hand.” We’re supposed to relate to Jesus the Bridegroom in these three ways. First, he seeks to impart to us, his bride, his glory, and as St. Ireneus tells us, the glory of God is the human person fully alive, fully alive with his life. Second, he seeks to give us his power, which, as St. Paul tells us, is manifested most in the Cross, the power to triumph over evil. Third, he is our Savior, risking and giving his life to save our own. In all of these ways he shows us his spousal love.
- “Blessed are those called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” We have a chance to stand erect and raise our heads to embrace our Redeemer in all his power and glory here at Mass.
The readings for today’s Mass were:
Reading 1 RV 18:1-2, 21-23; 19:1-3, 9A
having great authority,
and the earth became illumined by his splendor.
He cried out in a mighty voice:
“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great.
She has become a haunt for demons.
She is a cage for every unclean spirit,
a cage for every unclean bird,
a cage for every unclean and disgusting beast.”
A mighty angel picked up a stone like a huge millstone
and threw it into the sea and said:
“With such force will Babylon the great city be thrown down,
and will never be found again.
No melodies of harpists and musicians,
flutists and trumpeters,
will ever be heard in you again.
No craftsmen in any trade
will ever be found in you again.
No sound of the millstone
will ever be heard in you again.
No light from a lamp
will ever be seen in you again.
No voices of bride and groom
will ever be heard in you again.
Because your merchants were the great ones of the world,
all nations were led astray by your magic potion.”
After this I heard what sounded like
the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying:
“Alleluia!
Salvation, glory, and might belong to our God,
for true and just are his judgments.
He has condemned the great harlot
who corrupted the earth with her harlotry.
He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”
They said a second time:
“Alleluia! Smoke will rise from her forever and ever.”
Then the angel said to me, “Write this:
Blessed are those who have been called
to the wedding feast of the Lamb.”
Responsorial Psalm PS 100:1B-2, 3, 4, 5
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
his courts with praise;
Give thanks to him; bless his name.
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
For he is good:
the LORD, whose kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Alleluia LK 21:28
Stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel LK 21:20-28
“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies,
know that its desolation is at hand.
Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains.
Let those within the city escape from it,
and let those in the countryside not enter the city,
for these days are the time of punishment
when all the Scriptures are fulfilled.
Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days,
for a terrible calamity will come upon the earth
and a wrathful judgment upon this people.
They will fall by the edge of the sword
and be taken as captives to all the Gentiles;
and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles
until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on earth nations will be in dismay,
perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will die of fright
in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
But when these signs begin to happen,
stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.”
