19/11/2022

The reading from Revelations and today's Gospel stand in stark contrast to each other. The image that John describes is too weird to attract me. It is a surreal world-scape with recognisable references to our reality. We all know what olive trees are. We can easily imagine a lamp stand. The figures breathing out fire to destroy their enemies is another matter. It can be worked out that they are doing God's work and their destruction by the beast is welcomed by the peoples of the World who are in enmity with God. 

Jesus in the Gospel brings us back to our world. A world where the learned and clever place their faith in their own egos and tell God that he is wrong. Confronted with Jesus they don't stand a chance and they improvise explosive devices that blow up in their own faces. That happened two thousand years ago when Father Son and Holy Spirit was present with us breathing the same air, having the same basic needs and being subject to the same temptations.

The learned and clever are still with us today and their egos not the revelations of Father, Son and Holy Spirit form the consciences of millions of us. They shout into the face of God that he is wrong about his creation and that there are more than two genders in his humanity. They are so confident in human science which they use to control birth even to the extent of destroying life in the womb, that they, blinded by science, are already preparing to clone and extend human life.

The response to the beasts of this world, the ones who fill our cyberspace with hatred for our God must come from each one of us as our leaders, also consumed by their own egos, have lost the respect even of their congregations let alone of Society at large. God will listen to the cries of we the little ones who approach him in love and wonder and when Jesus returns there will still be some faith on Earth.

Dear Lord, you know the needs of we thy people living today just as you did when living among us in Palestine. Let me this day know your will and strengthened by the Holy Spirit follow Jesus, our way, truth and life. May the love shown by Mary and the other few at the foot of the cross be the only example that we should follow in this life for they had Jesus as their only role model.