Images and Symbols

Homily for Friday of the 34th Week in Ordinary Time

The symbolism in the Book of Revelation is drawn from a long, rich heritage that blends history and religion, ritual and folklore, Israelite and non-Israelite images. Put as simply as possible, apocalyptic symbolism comes from a school of thought convinced that God’s mystery is so transcendent and yet so close to us, so overwhelming and yet so immediately at hand, so destructive and yet so clearly creative of a new order, that only a whirling clash of images with God’s strong, steady presence in their midst can properly communicate the message.

Underlying the Book of Revelation is the fact that the Roman persecution is in full swing and the church feels hounded on all sides. The seer of Patmos, called John, announces the collapse of the cruel tyrant and an extraordinary period of peace for the church, the “thousand years” when Satan will be chained. After that will come the second appearance of Christ, the new heavens and the new earth, the new holy city Jerusalem, “coming down out of heaven from God, beautiful as a bride prepared to meet her husband.”

Apocalyptic symbolism attracts attention and we can become totally preoccupied with the images themselves and lose sight of the message. The Gospel message we hear today is far more simple and employs an image that we can all appreciate. We have all lived through spring and have watched buds appear and open. So Jesus tells his disciples once again that the Kingdom of God will appear just as spring appears at the end of winter. While the world may pass away, God’s Word will never pass away. This is our anchor so that we will not be dashed upon the rocks in the storm which so often characterizes the biblical literature which we hear at the end of every liturgical year.

Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator