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Zechariah 14: Apocalypse – Part V

Posted in Favorite, tagged , , , , , , on June 11, 2022| Leave a Comment »


Zechariah 14: Apocalypse – Part V

The Sistine Chapel, The Vatican: Michelangelo's Prophet Zechariah

The Sistine Chapel, The Vatican: Michelangelo’s Prophet Zechariah

Saturday, June 11, 2022

The fight for Jerusalem that Zechariah predicts is already begun . . . and we are celebrants in the newness of what is coming into being.  Let us gather ourselves to face the disasters that life brings to us, for it is in these disasters that we find this new life. Let us find our places in God’s new city, for it is in this new place that we find new meaning. And let us rejoice and be glad for we know what to do when cataclysm strikes; it is in this cataclysm that we discover the refuge that is the house of the Lord of hosts.

Past, present, future. Let us step forward into the newness of our transformation. Past, present and future. Let us step away from our childish predictions of a future that is too simple. Past, present and future. Let us rest in the moment when we fully experience the three-person God who is more real and more certain than any savior we might conjure up on our own. Let us rest in the present to celebrate the God who always was, always is and always will be the peace and hope and joy of the world.

Enter the word restoration into the blog search bar and explore the idea of cataclysm bringing joy into our lives. 

Tomorrow, the feast of the Trinity. 

Senior, Donald, ed. THE CATHOLIC STUDY BIBLE. New York, Oxford University Press, 1990. 425. Print.   

Adapted from a reflection written on Friday, July 10, 2009.

Image from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zechariah_(Hebrew_prophet)

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Zechariah 14: Apocalypse – Part IV

Posted in Favorite, tagged , , , , , , , , , on June 10, 2022| Leave a Comment »


Zechariah 14: Apocalypse – Part IVcorpuschristi

Friday, June 10, 2022

Return from exile is celebrated but the celebration is taking place amid the ruin of former glory because our newness is more important than what was. In our child-like, dual minds we see the world as negative and positive, off or on, with or against, good or evil, black or white, up or down. When we give ourselves over to our Triune God we begin to understand that these opposites exist side by side and even intertwined. We also begin to see that God’s plan, God’s promise and God’s love are capable of turning any harm – natural or human-made – into a force for beauty and goodness. This is the promise of the Easter resurrection, and it is the miracle of Pentecost indwelling.

We are nearing the Feast of the Trinity and later Corpus Christi when we celebrate this gift of Jesus’ presence in gift of Eucharist. I will feed my people with finest wheat and fill them with honey from the rock (Psalm 81:16) We are one with Christ in the gift of bread and wine. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believe this has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. (John 6:47-50)

We have been transformed and made anew, and this miracle of redemption that Zechariah describes already exists today in that each of us is the libation bowl poured out for Christ.  We are each a vessel fashioned by God’s hands and brought into existence for God’s purpose.  We each are the hope of the Spirit to the world.

Past present, future. Let us remember the holy trinity of our lives: all that God has created and gifted, all that is here with us in the Spirit, and all that is promised by Christ in our lives to come. Then, when apocalypse befalls us, let us offer all that we have and all that we are to the triune God: courageous creator, compassionate savior and blessed comforter.

Tomorrow, transformation.

To read about how different cultures celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi, click on the image above or visit: http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/common/corpus-christi

Senior, Donald, ed. THE CATHOLIC STUDY BIBLE. New York, Oxford University Press, 1990. 425. Print.   

Adapted from a reflection written on Friday, July 10, 2009.

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Zechariah 14: Apocalypse – Part III

Posted in Favorite, tagged , , , on June 9, 2022| Leave a Comment »


Zechariah 14: Apocalypse – Part III

Recovery from disaster in Japan in 2011

Recovery from disaster in Japan in 2011

Thursday, June 9, 2022

The process of restoration has only just begun and Zechariah speaks to us today to give us a moment to reflect on the meaning of our own return from personal exile. The prophet gives us a framework in which to put our lives, a microscope to examine ourselves as we put our lives into proper perspective. And Zechariah gives us a reason to rejoice and celebrate . . . even in the midst of ruins. Zechariah gives us an opportunity to gather our forces for the next phase of work, the next leg in our journey.

Past, present, future. Let us celebrate the holy trinity of our lives: the eternal rock of fidelity that God is, the bottomless well of compassion that the Spirit offers, the infinity of love that Christ promises and with which he heals. When disaster is on our doorstep, let us remember that we are of, from and in God. Let us remember that there is no calamity that will ever overtake us, no cataclysm will ever erase us from existence, and no apocalypse that will ever separate us from God.

Tomorrow, Zechariah predicts our newness.

Click on the image and visit the National Geographic page describing natural disasters as a part of human life. learn how shoring up natural ecosystems can help to protect us: http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/sustainable-earth/disasters/

 

Senior, Donald, ed. THE CATHOLIC STUDY BIBLE. New York, Oxford University Press, 1990. 425. Print.   

Adapted from a reflection written on Friday, July 10, 2009.

Image from: http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/sustainable-earth/disasters/

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Zechariah 14: Apocalypse – Part I

Posted in Favorite, tagged , , , , , on June 7, 2022| Leave a Comment »


Zechariah 14: Apocalypse – Part Itrinity-310931_640

Tuesday, June 7, 2022

As we prepare for Trinity Sunday, let us consider the prophecy of Zechariah.

Apocalypse, coming from the Greek for revelation, is an announcement of a truth revealed. Apocalyptic literature is full of mystery, is usually veiled in symbolic language and is often interpreted by an angel of God (Senior 425).  It deals with the heavenly world, the future, and describes a final judgment in which there are winners and losers.  It is sometimes incomprehensible, frightening and misunderstood.  The Apocalypse we see in today’s reading is the fight for Jerusalem which ushers in an era without storm, turmoil or deceit.  It brings a time of peace, unity and celebration.  It is a day when every libation pot shall be holy to the Lord.

Past, present, future. Let us remember the holy trinity of our lives: all that God has created and gifted, all that is here with us in the Spirit, and all that is promised by Christ in our lives to come. In this way we will know what to do and what to say when apocalypse befalls us, as it surely will. And let us offer all that we have and all that we are to the triune God: courageous creator, compassionate savior and blessed comforter.

Tomorrow, more from Zechariah.

Senior, Donald, ed. THE CATHOLIC STUDY BIBLE. New York, Oxford University Press, 1990. 425. Print.   

Adapted from a reflection written on Friday, July 10, 2009.

For interesting insights into apocalyptic beliefs, their evolution and how they shaped the western world, visit the PBS Frontline page at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/apocalypse/ 

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Daniel 12: The Appointed Time

Posted in Comparing Scripture, Prophecy, tagged , , , , , , on January 28, 2022| Leave a Comment »


four horsemen

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

Friday, January 28, 2022

Daniel 12

The Appointed Time

Apocalyptic literature is defined as a “literary genre that foretells supernaturally inspired cataclysmic events that will transpire at the end of the world”. (Britannica Online) Although the genre disappeared after Europe’s Middle Ages it persists in the 20th Century in works like Katherine Anne Porter’s Pale Horse, Pale Rider [1939] and Nathanael West’s Day of the Locust [1939]). It is reflected in films such as Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal [1957] or Federico Fellini’s La dolce vita [1959]). The U.S. best-selling writer Hal Lindsey brings us The Late Great Planet Earth (1970); and the popular Left Behind series of novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, describe apocalyptic events in a violent way. (Britannica Online)

The modern world, it seems, has a fascination for cataclysm and dire circumstances and as local and global news unfolds before us we hear of violence even as we struggle to gain peace in our individual and collective lives. Perhaps the popularity of apocalyptic tales reflects our personal and public fears. Perhaps Daniel’s stories, cautions and predictions resonate with what and how we live.

If we long for our own appointed time when we might unseal the secrets of the world to find solutions to all that betrays and hounds us, we may have found a familiar echo in Daniel 12.  This week we have spent time exploring prophecies of the future and our own trials by fire. Today we take time to examine different versions of Daniel’s words . . . and to listen for the whisper of hope, the promise of peace, and the fulfillment of our own appointed time.

Use the scripture link above to compare different versions of this scripture passage . . . and listen.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/29733/apocalyptic-literature

For more reflections on the words of this prophet, enter the words Daniel or Apocalypse into the blog search bar and explore.

Looking for something new to read? Consider the titles above, and consider how these writers may have been influenced by the Book of Daniel.

Image from: http://zerocircle.bandcamp.com/track/the-fourth-seal-riders-on-the-pale-horse-death-and-hell

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