TI Sunday Scripture - Reflection for November 17, 2024

Photo by Carol Landry, Journey Theresians, Austin TX

​Sunday Scripture Reflection November 17, 2024: Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Mark 13: 24-32

And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds, with great power and glory.

The beginning sentences of this scripture tend to make us feel tense and wary with so many references to darkness (i.e. the sun  darkened; the moon not emitting light).  It even goes on about the fig trees losing their leaves, which is another metaphor for the end.  However, as we read, we begin to have hope.  The remaining part of the scripture is reminding us of Jesus’ promise that he will return.
 
This passage is especially meaningful because it is just before the last week of the liturgical year.  And, so, to put these two pieces together – ‘the end’ and ‘Jesus’ return’, I think we are meant to reflect and apply this scripture to our lives.  We will be wary of the darkness, but Jesus will return and this gives us hope.    
There are some days when you may feel everything in your life is falling apart.  It feels dark.  

There are some days that we feel our world, as we once knew it, is coming to an end; that forces greater than us are against us.   This is the situation that Mark is describing and we sometimes find ourselves in these situations in our life when we are in crisis or chaos. 

Our message from this scripture is:   to create calm within this chaos, we must try to keep giving it over to God, and trusting him.

Carol Landry 
Journey Theresians, Austin, TX

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