God's Plan Continues

Homily for Friday of the Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time

Today’s reading from the Book of Revelation continues to focus on the scroll with its seven seals that had been opened by the Lamb, the only one who had been found worthy to reveal its contents. Once again, let us remember that the seven seals on this scroll indicate that it is of the utmost importance. The scroll indicated God’s plan of salvation which, in the verse immediately preceding today’s passage, is referred to as the mysterious plan of God.

Lest we think that God’s plan of salvation comes to a conclusion with the death, resurrection, and ascension of the Lamb of God, the voice tells John to go to the angel and to retrieve the scroll which he is then directed to eat. We are told that it is sweet to the tomgue, but that it turns sour in the stomach. He has been commissioned to preach the contents of the scroll to many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.

The fact that the scroll is both sweet and sour tells us that as God’s plan of salvation continues in the history of humankind toward the end of all time, there will be both comfort and affliction. The comfort will come because we will realize that God’s reign will be established at the end of time; and the affliction indicates that before the establishment of God’s reign, we will also be called upon to suffer. The mystery of God’s plan of salvation includes the present age when the forces of evil will attempt to overcome God’s kingdom but will eventually be put down as God prevails.

We must remember that the scribe of these visions has been exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the Word of God, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. More suffering will follow as the forces of evil attempt to pull people away from salvation.

The present age continues on today for all of us. Throughout history, humankind has struggled with the problem of evil and the problem of suffering. However, it is clear through the book of Revelation as well as through the letters of St. Paul and the Gospels that the followers of Jesus will suffer just as he has suffered. Recall that in the Acts of the Apostles, the disciples of Jesus rejoiced when they suffered because they realized that they had been deemed worthy to join their sufferings to those of Christ. Suffering is, therefore, redemptive by its very nature and points us to the realization of God’s kingdom and reign at the end of time.

As we come to the table of the Lord today, as we participate in this foretaste of the heavenly banquet, we look forward to the day when suffering will come to an end and we will find ourselves in God’s kingdom.