Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 158
14 NOV 2021 A.D.


Reading I
Dn 12:1-3

In those days, I Daniel,
   heard this word of the Lord:
"At that time there shall arise
   Michael, the great prince,
   guardian of your people;
it shall be a time unsurpassed in distress
   since nations began until that time.
At that time your people shall escape,
   everyone who is found written in the book.

“Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake;
   some shall live forever,
   others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.

“But the wise shall shine brightly
   like the splendor of the firmament,
and those who lead the many to justice
   shall be like the stars forever."


Responsorial Psalm
Ps 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11

R. You are my inheritance, O Lord!

O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
   you it is who hold fast my lot.
I set the LORD ever before me;
   with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord!

Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
   my body, too, abides in confidence;
because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,
   nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord!

You will show me the path to life,
   fullness of joys in your presence,
   the delights at your right hand forever.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord!


Reading II
Heb 10:11-14, 18

Brothers and sisters:
Every priest stands daily at his ministry,
offering frequently those same sacrifices
that can never take away sins.
But this one offered one sacrifice for sins,
and took his seat forever at the right hand of God;
now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool.
For by one offering
he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated.

Where there is forgiveness of these,
there is no longer offering for sin.


Alleluia
Lk 21:36

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.


Gospel
Mk 13:24-32

Jesus said to his disciples:
"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."

Overview of the Gospel:

~ This is the last reading from the Gospel of Mark as this liturgical year approaches a close.
After next Sunday’s Solemnity of Christ the King begins Advent, the season of the liturgical
year that is a time of waiting for Our Lord’s coming at Christmas—and at the end of time.

~ In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, it is now Tuesday of Holy Week. Jesus has just predicted the
destruction of the Jerusalem Temple (Mark 13:1-2), a prediction that would come to pass
some 40 years later—a generation—in the year 70 AD at the hands of the Romans. For the
Jews of Jesus’ time, this was an extremely distressing prophecy. The destruction of the
Temple would be, in effect, the end of their religious and social world, as they knew it. His
disciples ask him privately when this will happen and what the sign of this will be (Mark 13:3).

~ He answers their two questions in what is called the “Olivet Discourse” because this
discussion takes place on the Mount of Olives outside Jerusalem (verse 3). This Sunday’s
Gospel is his answer to their second question. Even as his words about the Temple signaled
an end to a world, in a secondary but real way it is a prediction about the end of our world,
either at our own deaths or at his Second Coming, whichever comes first.
[courtesy of Vince Contreras: "Sunday Scripture Study for Catholics"]


"Let us not put off from one moment to another what we should do because the next moment is not yet ours."  ~ St. Padre Pio

Thanks.

You're welcome, Brother, bigsapper!

Getting to the end of the Liturgical Year --my, Oh, my! Time really does fly.

Next Suday: The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Then ADVENT 2021!

PS
Here in O-HI-O, getting to look a lot like Christmas later today -- 1 to 2 inches of the white stuff; already seen nights of 26*F the past week. Hey --we're used to it here; we just button up a bit. And use our 4wd P/Us!