Date: Sunday, November 15, 2015
Who could imagine the familiar world we know (e.g. going to a soccer game, attending a concert, enjoying a dinner at a favorite restaurant) coming to an end with a terrorists' attack? The horrible events unfolding in Paris give us a better appreciation of passages in the Bible that speak of “the end times.” Although seemingly directed to a cataclysmic future, “apocalyptic” writing or preaching is very concerned with the trauma of the present moment. “Apocalypse” is a Greek word that means “uncovering” or “revelation.” It describes our first reading from the Book of the Prophet Daniel and the preaching of Jesus in the Gospel according to St. Mark. Both are “apocalyptic,” that is, a type of writing or speaking that has similar elements: “in those days” – times of unsurpassed distress when the earth and the heavens are shaken; the promise of a dramatic intervention by God; and strengthening resolve of the community to continue in the face of adversity. Sadly, after the loss of innocent lives in Paris, for many in shock “the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky.” The world they have known has ended. We are in solidarity with the people of France. We pray God’s grace for them to cope and to care for one another in the aftermath of senseless terror. Pope Francis said there can be no religious or human justification for such acts. We commend the victims to God’s mercy; the persons responsible to God’s justice.