Monday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time

Self-portrait
with pipe

Bishop Berkley, the Protestant scripture scholar, once observed there are two kinds of churches: those who ignore the Book of Revelation altogether and those who ignore the rest of the Bible altogether. His observation was pithy if not quite accurate.

During these final days of the liturgical year we turn to the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him, to show his servants what must happen soon.

(Please notice the title of the book is singular, Revelation, not plural.)

This last book of the Bible is all the more influential for its being so hard to understand. Readers have pondered its cryptic language and symbolism for centuries; and there are passages that even scholars cannot decipher. But the imagery of Revelation makes it impossible to ignore. Its symbols spring to life in our stained glass windows, altars, candlesticks, chalices and other paraphernalia. It was the first book of the Bible I ever read, way back in grade school. 

In fact the imagery of Revelation is, for Catholics, the key to the book. When, in the first chapter we see “one like a son of man, wearing an ankle-length robe, with a gold sash around his chest” standing amid seven gold lamps stands we should recognize a deacon surrounded by candles. The two-edged sword might remind us of our Knights of Columbus; more importantly, we remember the word of God is like a two edged sword. (Hebrews 4:12) 

Catholics are familiar with the censor and incense, the clouds of smoke, the altar, the cantors and lectors with voices like thunder. Occasionally our churches rock with the sound of blaring trumpet and clanging cymbals.

The setting of Revelation is the liturgy! Saint John describes the heavenly liturgy in which we participate with our own terrestrial liturgies. 

I might add, with tongue in cheek, that if readers don’t always know what’s going on in the Book of Revelation, lots of Catholics haven’t a clue what goes on in our liturgy!

As we open Revelation today and will continue to read it over the next two weeks, we welcome the blessing given to those who proclaim the book and to those who listen to it. It is such a privilege to hear the word of God. Every time we hear it we say “Thanks be to God,” “Glory to you, O Lord!” and “Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.” When the Gospel is read we stand to show our reverence and trace a cross on our foreheads, lips and heart saying, “May the word of God be on my mind, on my lips and in my heart.”

We understand that the place where the Bible is read is the Church; and its time is the liturgy. Private reading, study and prayer are important, indeed essential because they help us prepare to hear the word when we worship with the Church. But reading the Bible without the Church is like reading the Boy Scout Handbook without joining the Boy Scouts. 

Finally, we hear in this brief passage the warning of Jesus to his disciples, “…you have lost the love you had at first. Realize how far you have fallen.

Our God is a jealous God; he wants our love. God wants to be present in our lives day and night, in work and play, in our conversation and in our meals. We are always God’s people and he is always our God. With our daily devotions we cultivate this awareness and that is good. And it’s good to be reminded. We welcome this warning with excitement and gratitude. How sweet it is to be loved by you! How beautiful we are in the sight of God; he finds us irresistible!