33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B, RCL)

This Sunday’s texts from Daniel and Mark (and, perhaps, Hebrews) are quite apocalyptic in their outlook. This may lead most preachers to focus their attentions elsewhere—though post-election, many U.S. partisans may be feeling fairly apocalyptic themselves.

Apocalyptic visions generate fear. Fear needs its antidote: love.

This Hebrews text is a word crafted for a specific people by a caring preacher.

There they all stood, gaping at the blinding wonder of the temple wall and thinking about how magnificent it was. That is, until Jesus stunned the group by blurting out, "Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down."

End times call for tall towers of hope. They tingle with expectation.