Daily Readings Reflection for 11/22/10

Reflection on Today’s Daily Readings by Fr. Bertrand Buby, SM

Scripture: Lectionary 503. Rev. 14:1-3.4-5. Psalm 24:1-2.3-4.5-6. Luke 21:
1-4:
We are God's People who always long to see God's face! (Psalm 24:6). This
Psalm was prayed and sung on the first day of the week (Yom Echad) a Sunday
and it fits the spirit of the Lord God's creation events in Genesis chapter
one. Meanwhile, in reading the first reading of the day from Revelation we
are in the Heavens where God's throne is central and the seer, John of
Patmos, continues to unravel his visions and experiences for us. Rather
than being lost in the symbolism we should simply realize that he is trying
to tell us in every page that God alone is to be worshipped and that the
Lamb of God, Jesus, is the great King and victor over all Evil (Satan),
sin, and death. Keeping these ideas in mind will help us not to get lost
in the forest studded with symbolic images.

We, as a People of God, like the Israel of the first testament, always are
searching and seeking for God. Yet, God is the "Hound of Heaven" who is
searching for us. We long to see God's face and do see something in the
opaque images of God in the Scriptures. Jesus, the Son of God, is the
human face of God for those who have been baptized and are Christian
believers.

We discover Jesus looking at those entering the temple and paying some
tribute to it by offerings. He sees a poor widow putting in her last two
copper coins; she is giving all she has and does it so humbly and
discreetly, that only Jesus sees and notices her. He is moved to say, "I
assure you that this woman has put in more than all the rest--she from her
want has given what she could not afford--every penny she had to live on."
She is among the greatest in the kingdom of heaven whose angels protect her
and the children who are among the greatest in the kingdom. The Psalms
honor such persons by calling them the Poor of Yahweh or the 'Anawim. There
are ample examples of this type of person in the psalms and these are
prayers to make us mindful of the poor, the widows, the orphans, and the
marginal persons.

Luke began his story of Jesus in the Temple area and now as he is getting
near the end of the Gospel, he continues to focus on Jerusalem and Mount
Zion where the Temple is. We should join him in reverencing the holy
places there and spirtually take ourselves to the new and heavenly
Jerusalem which is the one John of Patmos is describing in the Book of
Revelation. We learn from Jesus looking at a poor woman approaching the
temple to be generous and thankful to God. We see this as quite timely as
we approach Thanksgiving Day. We too should give all to God by helping our
poor neighbors and those who have no one to care for them. This is how we
will find the face of God just as Mother Theresa of Calcutta did in India
among those lying in the mud and dying on the streets. This is how we
learn how to worship God alone! Amen.