Daily Gospel

Sunday, 18 November 2012
Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year B

St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, Religious (1769-1852)



Commentary of the day
Origen : "Then they will see the Son of Man coming... with great power"

Reading

Mk 13:24-32.


But in those days after that tribulation the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light,
and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in the clouds' with great power and glory,
and then he will send out the angels and gather (his) elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.
Learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near.
In the same way, when you see these things happening, know that he is near, at the gates.
Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.


Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB



Commentary of the day

Origen (c.185-253), priest and theologian
Homilies on the book of Joshua, no.16, 3 ; SC 71

"Then they will see the Son of Man coming... with great power"

“A very large part of the land still remains to be conquered” (Jos 13,1)...
Consider our Lord and Savior's first coming, when he came to sow the word
on earth. He gained hold of the whole earth by force of this sowing alone.
He put opposing powers and the rebel angels who control the nations to
flight and, at the same time, sowed his word and spread abroad his
churches. This is his first possession of the land.Follow me, however...
through the subtlety of Scripture and I will show you what the second
conquest of the land means, of which it was said to Joshua / Jesus that
much had been left. Hear Saint Paul's words: “He must reign until he has
made all his enemies his footstool” (cf. 1Cor 15,25; Ps 110[109],1). This
is the land of which it was said that it had been left until everything has
been completely subjected under his feet and that thus he would make all
people his heritage... With regard to our own times, we are well aware of
things “that remain” and are not yet subject under Jesus' feet, yet he must
take possession of all things. For there is no end to the world until
everything has been subjected to him. Indeed, the prophet said: “All
nations shall be subject to him, from the ends of the rivers to the ends of
the earth; the Ethiopians shall bow before him” (cf. Ps 72[71] LXX) and
“From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia they shall bring him offerings” (Zeph
3,10).From this it follows that, at his second coming, Jesus will rule over
that land of which there remains much to possess. But how blessed will be
those who were his subjects from his first coming! Truly, they will be
loaded with gifts in spite of the resistance of so many enemies and the
attacks of so many foes; they will receive... their share of the Promised
Land. But when submission has been carried out by force, on that day when
“the last enemy, who is death, shall have been destroyed” (1Cor 15,26),
there can be no more favor for those who refuse to submit.