17 November 2016 - what makes for peace

 [ Today's Readings ]

Then I saw a mighty angel who proclaimed in a loud voice,
“Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?”
But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth
was able to open the scroll or to examine it.

What is this scroll that is locked away? At this point there are many very noble scrolls containing all of the Old Testament. They contain knowledge of God and his promises. What remains concealed?

I shed many tears because no one was found worthy
to open the scroll or to examine it.

In the Old Testament by itself something is still missing. Something is still locked away. Promises of wealth and long life in the land aren't enough to satisfy the human heart. The sacrifices offered for sin aren't enough to change the heart. Even the hints at eternal life are just mysterious fragments that can't make sense of suffering. Only in the light of the New Testament does the Old take on true meaning. Only in Jesus Christ do we see the true fulfillment of all of God's promises in a way we could never have guessed.

One of the elders said to me, “Do not weep.
The lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has triumphed,
enabling him to open the scroll with its seven seals.”

This is heavenly equivalent of the proclamation of the Gospel at mass. The celebration in heaven is the true reality we attempt to reecho with are chorus of alleluias.
He came and received the scroll from the right hand
of the one who sat on the throne.
When he took it,
the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders
fell down before the Lamb.

The Good News is revealed in the resurrection of Jesus. He is the lamb who appears slain but who lives again. Every partial promise is answered in him. Death itself makes sense. Every problem finds its solution in him. His own blood is the final remedy for sin. This scroll was locked prior to Easter Sunday. But by his resurrection Jesus reveals it to us.  This Good News is so good that it is worth singing alleluia even when it seems bad on the surface.

If this day you only knew what makes for peace–

This is still good because we can hear it and learn what makes for peace. The Gospel itself contains the solutions for the problems it mentions. The Word of God is living and effective and conveys the grace to learn what makes for peace.

They will smash you to the ground and your children within you,
and they will not leave one stone upon another within you
because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.
The Word gives grace to endure, understand, and be transformed by suffering. It reveals that we sometimes miss the time of our visitation only so that we can recognize it next time. The Word is a healing word! Let's remember this the next time we sing alleluia at mass and try lift our hearts and voices a little higher.

Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.