34th Week in OT 2019 - Friday - Daniel's Apocalyptic Vision and the Spiritual Summer

One of the last readings of the liturgical year is today’s apocalyptic vision of Daniel. Daniel’s apocalyptic vision of beasts rising from the sea strongly resembles the vision of John in the Book of Revelation, and like most apocalyptic passages in scripture is highly symbolic. The four vicious beasts rising out of the sea represent the kingdoms of the earth rising out the chaotic sea of history. For Daniel, the lion with eagle’s wings was Nebuchadnezzar, the bear with three tusks ready to attack was the kingdom of the Medes, the leopard with four heads was the Persians, and the terrifying beast with iron teeth and ten horns was the technologically advanced Greek Empire, the blasphemous little horn, Antiochus Epiphanes.

Church fathers have interpreted this vision, along with the vision of Revelation, to be symbolic of the different kingdoms which stood in opposition to God throughout history, and the little horn to be symbolic of the Anti-Christ.

Whoever these strange symbols stand for, it is clear that they will be judged by the one who sits on the throne of heaven. And this one, is not like those beasts who rise up from the sea, he is not terrifying and vicious, but glorious and just. And, he resembles not the beasts, but shares the human condition. He is God and man, whose coming we prepare for during the upcoming season of Advent.

Our task, again, as we said the other day, is to be on the right side of history, not in league with the vicious kingdoms the earth, but in union with the Ancient One who sits on the throne of heaven.
In the Gospel, the Ancient-One-made-flesh speaks of a spiritual summer in which the fig trees bloom, their buds burst over. He speaks of the spiritual summer of the age of the Church, in which the seeds of the Gospel bloom into the fruits of the Spirit.

To be on the right side of history is to be cultivating those fruits, allowing the Gospel to bloom into the fruits of charity and joy and peace and justice and patience and long-suffering.
Though Advent takes place mostly in winter, it is meant to be a spiritual summer in which we prepare assiduously for the Lord through repentance, penance, prayer, and charity.

In the hours we have before Advent, prepare to prepare, come up with a spiritual plan for your Advent: your spiritual reading, spiritual penance, a list of the good works you hope to engage in, to allow the Gospel to bear fruit in your lives, fruit that will last for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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Lord, sanctify your bishops and priests, and grant them courage to preach the Gospel in its fullness.
Make the lives of parents examples of faith to inspire their children to seek first your heavenly kingdom.

Bring all those who have fallen away back to the sacraments, help them to repent of their sins and desire the life that can only come from you.

That the upcoming season of Advent may be a season of spiritual renewal for the Church.
Bring comfort to the sick and suffering, charity and care to the destitute and down-trodden, be present through your church to the miserable.

Welcome into your kingdom all the faithful departed, those whose names are written in our parish necrology, all clergy and religious, and X for whom this mass is offered.

O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.