1st Reading – Daniel 12:1-3
In those days, I Daniel,
heard this word of the Lord:
“At that time there shall arise
Michael, the great prince,
guardian of your people;
it shall be a time unsurpassed in distress
since nations began until that time.
At that time your people shall escape,
everyone who is found written in the book.
“Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake;
some shall live forever,
others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.
“But the wise shall shine brightly
like the splendor of the firmament,
and those who lead the many to justice
shall be like the stars forever.”
The Book of Daniel tells us virtually all that we know about the prophet of the same name, but its authorship is unknown. Irregularities in the text, such as shifts in language, style, and narrative voice, suggest multiple authors or editors. It is written in both Hebrew and Aramaic.
The Book of Daniel is an example of apocalyptic literature, a genre characterized by symbolic imagery and a focus on divine intervention during times of distress. This style became especially popular between 200 BC and 200 AD, as Jewish communities faced various oppressions and sought literature that inspired hope in a larger plan.
Scholars generally date the Book of Daniel to the period of Antiochus IV Epiphanes’ rule, around 167-164 BC, a time marked by severe persecution of Jews.
In those days, I Daniel, heard this word of the Lord: “At that time there shall arise Michael, the great prince, guardian of your people;
This passage marks the culmination of Michael the Archangel’s role as Israel’s protector, a role hinted at in earlier chapters of Daniel (10:13, 10:21).
The designation of Michael as a “great prince” and defender of Israel shapes his significance in Jewish and Christian traditions, where he is often viewed as a guardian of God’s people, especially during periods of persecution and spiritual conflict.
it shall be a time unsurpassed in distress since nations began until that time.
This time of distress is an eschatological crisis, an end-times event that surpasses all previous hardships.
At that time your people shall escape, everyone who is found written in the book.
The symbol of a book in which the names of God’s people are written is found throughout scripture (e.g., Exodus 32:32-33; Psalm 69:28; Malachi 3:16; Revelation 20:12). It implies that those who are faithful and righteous will be spared in the coming judgment, reinforcing the hope of ultimate salvation.
As mentioned, the theme of apocalyptic literature, and of this passage in particular, is to offer hope. The righteous will have to endure the agony of the end times, but they will be saved from ultimate destruction. God will ultimately triumph.
Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake;
This verse is one of the oldest and clearest references to the concepts of resurrection and eternal life in the Old Testament. The phrase “sleep in the dust of the earth” symbolizes death (common in Hebrew thought), and the idea that the dead will “awake” suggests a bodily resurrection.
This first depiction of hope in life after death was brought to fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
some shall live forever, others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.
The outcomes of eternal life versus “everlasting horror and disgrace” indicate a moral division in the afterlife, which became the groundwork for later Jewish and Christian beliefs about heaven and hell.
But the wise shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament, and those who lead the many to justice shall be like the stars forever.”
The firmament (raqia) is the sky, conceived as a solid dome. The same term is used in the creation narrative: “And God said, ‘Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters’” (Genesis 1:6).
Among those granted eternal life, some will be set apart for special distinction. The wise, who have been a guiding light to others during their lives, will continue to shine like stars in the heavens, their brilliance visible to all. In this context, wisdom extends beyond mere intellectual knowledge; it refers to a life lived in alignment with God’s will, leading others toward this path.
2nd Reading – Hebrews 10:11-14, 18
Brothers and sisters:
Every priest stands daily at his ministry,
offering frequently those same sacrifices
that can never take away sins.
But this one offered one sacrifice for sins,
and took his seat forever at the right hand of God;
now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool.
For by one offering
he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated.
Where there is forgiveness of these,
there is no longer offering for sin.
In today’s reading, the last in our study of Hebrews, the author concludes his comparison between the Jewish high priests and Jesus, the great high priest.
Brothers and sisters: Every priest stands daily at his ministry, offering frequently those same sacrifices that can never take away sins.
While a sacrifice might be made beyond spatial boundaries (e.g., for an entire nation), it could not be projected into the future. Because of the pervasiveness of human sin, there was a need for near-constant expiation.
Over and over again, priests offered sacrifices for their own transgressions and for those of the people.
But this one offered one sacrifice for sins,
In contrast, Christ’s perfect sacrifice transcends both space and time, expiating all transgressions of all people of all time. His singular status as high priest and the infinite value of his offering (his blood, which is God’s blood) have set his sacrifice apart from all others.
and took his seat forever at the right hand of God;
Because his sacrifice accomplished total and complete expiation, there is no need for Jesus to remain standing. With his work complete, he takes his seat at God’s right hand, the place of highest honor.
now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool.
This image is a reference to Psalm 110, where the king is enthroned at God’s right hand, with his enemies vanquished under his feet.
The reference to waiting refers to the period between Christ’s ascension and the final consummation of God’s kingdom at the end of time.
For by one offering he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated.
Christ’s sacrifice has “made perfect forever” believers who are in the process of sanctification. This perfection does not mean believers are without sin in their earthly lives but refers to their complete, eternal acceptance before God due to Christ’s sacrifice.
This reveals the transformative power of Christ’s atonement, which not only forgives but also initiates an ongoing process of sanctification where believers are gradually made holy in their daily lives through God’s grace.
Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer offering for sin.
This concluding verse emphasizes the sufficiency and finality of Christ’s work: The sins of believers are fully forgiven; therefore, the old system of continual sacrifices is rendered obsolete.
Christ has accomplished what the sacrificial system of Israel, despite its preeminence, was unable to accomplish: He has conquered evil.
Gospel – Mark 13:24-32
Jesus said to his disciples:
“In those days after that tribulation
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
and the stars will be falling from the sky,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
“And then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in the clouds’
with great power and glory,
and then he will send out the angels
and gather his elect from the four winds,
from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.
“Learn a lesson from the fig tree.
When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves,
you know that summer is near.
In the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that he is near, at the gates.
Amen, I say to you,
this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away.
“But of that day or hour, no one knows,
neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
As we reach the final gospel reading from Mark in this liturgical cycle, we are drawn into Jesus’ powerful message about the end times and the coming of the Son of Man. Often called the Olivet Discourse, these teachings are given privately to the disciples on the Mount of Olives shortly before the Last Supper.
Jesus said to his disciples: “In those days after that tribulation the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
After observing the poor widow give her last coins at the temple (last week’s reading), Jesus and his disciples left the temple area. The disciples marveled at the grand buildings, but Jesus warned that all would be destroyed. Later, the disciples asked when this destruction would occur and what signs would mark the end (Mark 13:4).
In his response, Jesus uses cosmic imagery to symbolize the upheaval of creation, echoing Old Testament prophetic language from Isaiah (13:10; 34:4), Ezekiel (32:7-9), and Joel (2:10, 3:15), where natural disturbances signify divine intervention.
In the ancient world, the rudimentary conflict was between order and chaos. God’s creative power was seen in his ability to bring primordial chaos under control (see Genesis 7:17-24). The return of chaos, as described here, was a sign of the complete reversal of the order of creation.
The ancient Israelites believed such a reversal would occur before the birth of the new age of fulfillment.
And then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in the clouds’ with great power and glory,
The title and image of the Son of Man “coming in the clouds” are rooted in Daniel 7:13-14, where “one like a son of man” is given authority and a kingdom by God.
In scripture, clouds frequently symbolize divine presence and authority (e.g., Exodus 13:21-22; Numbers 10:34). Here, it suggests a climactic moment when Jesus returns not as a suffering servant but as a victorious king, highlighting both his divinity and his messianic role.
Jesus is using apocalyptic imagery to assure his disciples that he will conquer evil.
and then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.
In apocalyptic literature, angels often serve as agents of God’s will. Here, they are tasked with gathering the “elect,” which typically refers to God’s faithful people.
This is the great ingathering of the elect, the time of harvesting, the “Day of the Lord.” While many prophets depicted this day as one of wrath (Amos 5:18-20), it was also meant to be a celebration of God’s victory (Isaiah 25:9, Zephaniah 3:14-17, and Joel 2:21-23).
Indeed, for some, it will be a day of terror, while for others it will be a time of great rejoicing. For those in Mark’s audience, who were living in a time of persecution, it would have been a welcome reminder that those who suffer are not forgotten in God’s eyes.
The phrase “four winds” represents all directions, showing the universality of this gathering.
“Learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things happening, know that he is near, at the gates.
Jesus teaches them to be ready for his return by using the fig tree as a parable to illustrate readiness. Just as people recognize seasonal changes by observing nature, so should they recognize the signs of the coming of the Son of Man.
Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.
Recall that this discourse from Jesus is a response to the disciples’ question about when the temple would be destroyed and what signs would precede it (Mark 13:4). In first-century Jewish thought, many people believed that the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the world were closely linked events. The temple was considered the dwelling place of God on earth, so its destruction would have been seen as a cataclysmic event that coincides with the end of time.
Here, Jesus is addressing both the imminent fall of Jerusalem and the future end times, giving his discourse a layered meaning. Some of his warnings, such as the coming persecutions and the “abomination of desolation” (Mark 13:14), pointed to events leading up to Jerusalem’s destruction in 70 AD. His references to cosmic disturbances and the coming of the “Son of Man” point to a future, final judgment, signaling the ultimate fulfillment of God’s kingdom at the end of time.
“This generation” (geneá) primarily refers to Jesus’ contemporaries, who indeed witnessed the temple’s fall within a generation, in 70 AD. At the same time, it carries a broader resonance, bridging the immediate historical event with the eventual and ultimate fulfillment of God’s plan. This layered prophecy invites readers to see the fall of Jerusalem as both a historical event and a foretaste of the final, cosmic transformation to come.
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
This statement contrasts the transitory nature of creation with the eternal truth of Jesus’ words, which is the word of God.
But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
In this final verse, Jesus stresses the unknowability of the precise timing of these events, noting that not even he or the angels know the exact hour. This statement highlights the mystery of God’s plan and calls believers to humility, vigilance, and trust in God’s timing. It also places the responsibility on followers to live faithfully without preoccupation with exact dates.
The ultimate message of this reading is a call to vigilance and spiritual readiness. As another year concludes, we are reminded to embrace life with purpose, viewing every day as an opportunity to respond to the sacred call of discipleship.
Connections and Themes
- The end of time. The central theme of our readings this week is the end of time and the final fulfillment of God’s kingdom. In the gospel reading, Jesus speaks about the cosmic signs that will precede the coming of the Son of Man, a moment that will bring both judgment and salvation. Similarly, the first reading speaks of a future time of tribulation, followed by the resurrection of the dead. The second reading echoes this theme by reminding believers that Christ’s sacrifice has already secured their salvation, but they must wait for the final judgment. Together, these readings encourage reflection on the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises, reminding the faithful to live with hope and readiness.
- Good will triumph. Thoughts of the end of time might cause distress, but the readings assure us of divine victory over evil. In the first reading, the archangel Michael rises to defend God’s people, and the epistle paints a vivid picture of Christ seated at the right hand of God, with his enemies underfoot. In the gospel reading, Jesus, the Son of Man, returns in power and glory to gather the elect, a powerful reminder of God’s decisive intervention in history to defeat evil. Together, these readings emphasize that despite trials and suffering, God’s ultimate plan is one of redemption, and those who remain faithful will share in the triumph of good at the end of time.
- Trust in God. We read these apocalyptic stories at the end of the liturgical year to not only conclude our annual telling of the story of salvation but to lift us up and remind us to trust in God, the ultimate victor. This also bridges us to the upcoming season of Advent, when we turn our focus to the promises of Christ’s coming, both in his Incarnation and his final return. While we wait, the readings invite us to watch, prepare, and trust in God’s ultimate fulfillment.
Sunday Readings 