Stand Before the Son

December 1, 2007

Saturday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Then the kingship and dominion and majesty of all the kingdoms under the heavens shall be given to the holy people of the Most High, Whose kingdom shall be everlasting: all dominions shall serve and obey him. Daniel 7:27

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. Luke 21:36

Piety

Jesus, walk with us in the coming year so that we may be vigilant at all times. Protect us from anxiety, excessive celebration and being distracted from the mission you have for us. Help us always remember to listen, obey and focus on the actions you require, not of our surplus, but of our whole livelihood. Amen.

Study

http://www.usccb.org/nab/120107.shtml

The time has come.

What do our readings say to us today? Literally this is Jesus last discourse in Luke before the Passover, arrest, torture and death. So he is warning his disciples to be prepared for the horrors that will unfold in the coming days as he faces crucifixion and they “stand before” Jesus on the cross.

What do they mean? Taken together with the reading from Daniel 7, the message also addresses a more distant time to come. That is a time when the kingdoms on earth pass away and power and majesty is given to the Most High. That is when we all will stand before Jesus for our share of the everlasting.

What does it matter? Jesus’ words in Luke are not just an imminent warning to the disciples. They also are there to guide us in life because we do not know when our time will come. “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.” Luke 34-35

The poor widow we met at the beginning of this chapter provides the model of the blessed life in Luke. Her detachment from material possessions and full reliance on God leads to her blessedness. Can we not imagine her living a constant life of piety, study and action? Even though she may no longer care for her husband, she does what she can to care for others in her faith community. Her simple offering provides a striking contrast to the pride and pretentiousness of the scribes denounced in the preceding section and also perfectly epitomizes a way of life which will not be caught off guard when “the time has come.”

Action

Think back on the year that is concluding today. How have you listened, obeyed and acted upon the Word of God in your piety, study and action? Are you thinking of special ways to continue that mission in the coming year?

On a traditional New Year’s Eve (December 31), many of us will go out to celebrate at the homes of friends and family members or maybe to local restaurants and pubs. As you celebrate the New Year, how can you plan, throughout the next 12 months, to go out into the world and preach the Gospel as St. Francis urged -- using words only when needed?