💖 HOMILY - DECEMBER 1 💖

First Reading - Daniel 7:2-14

Gospel - Luke 21:29-33

We must have heard it often as it's said: 'The authority is for service.' There is at times tendency to exercise authority for dominion rather than service. The readings of today tell us that it's God who really enjoys supreme authority and all earthly authority is subjected to Him. This instills a sense of humility in us to walk before the Lord.

The first reading presents apocalyptic vision of Daniel. The vision presents symbolic imageries of the four beasts which represent the four gentile kingdoms.They all emerge from the turbulent sea, which frequently features in the Bible as the source of evil and monsters (Job 26.12-13; Isaiah 17.12-14). As before, they represent the kingdoms which dominated the Near East: Babylonian, Median, Persian and the kingdom of Alexander the Great. The imagery is biblical: the three ribs in the mouth of the second beast are the three Babylonian kings mentioned in the Bible; the bear lifts up one of its sides (only one king of the Medes is mentioned); the leopard has four heads for the four Persian kings mentioned; the ten horns of the fourth beast are the ten Seleucid kings, and the final horn sprouting among them is Antiochus himself, his mouth full of boasts. The horns representing power feature on the coins of Antiochus and other Seleucid kings.

The imagery of beasts is followed by the heavenly vision that displays the sovereignty of God who rules the universe. It's to him every power, honour and glory belongs. He comes to judge the nation and vendicate Israel, his chosen ones. It is he who is more powerful than the earthly kings.

The main emphasis of the passage is to show the sovereignty of God in contrast to the paling sovereignty of the earthly pagan kings. This is also to show that God is in command of everything.

In today's gospel passage, Jesus uses the small parable of the fig tree to explain the point that we must be prepared for his Second Coming, and the Last Judgment. Fig trees in Israel produce fruits twice a year, at Passover time and in autumn. The sign of the ripening of their fruits is the appearance of fresh leaves on the tree. The Jews believed that the Messiah would appear during the Passover period, which coincides with the appearance of fresh leaves on fig trees. The destruction of Jerusalem would be the end of their world for the Jews. So, the generation in AD 70 saw the end of the world symbolically. 

Jesus in the gospel underlines the certainty of the parousia and the judgement thereafter. This also implies that it's he in his glory has been given the authority and power to judge the nation. He is in command and authority.

Dear friends, it's God who is in full command. He directs and guides the universe. We are invited today to acknowledge the sovereignty of God in our lives. The first reading clearly mentions that all nations, however powerful they may be, are judged by God. They all have to face the judgement of God. God is the supreme judge of all. The gospel passage of today specifies that Jesus is the judge who will judge all. Jesus bears the authority and power like the Son of Man in the vision of Daniel. If Jesus is given the supreme power and authority then it's our obligations to follow him in his teachings. It's by living according to his teachings we will be vindicated.

The readings of today also invite us to humble ourselves before God. They tell us that it's not we who control everything but God. God is the controller, hence our task should be to always acknowledge the supremacy of God in our lives and use our responsibilities as stewards who will have to give account to the master at the end.