Tuesday in the 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, November 19, 2024

Revelation 3, 1-6; 14-22

I, John, heard the Lord saying to me: “To the angel of the Church in Sardis, write this: The one who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars says this: “I know your works, that you have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Be watchful and strengthen what is left, which is going to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember then how you accepted and heard; keep it, and repent. If you are not watchful, I will come like a thief, and you will never know at what hour I will come upon you. However, you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; they will walk with me dressed in white, because they are worthy.  The victor will thus be dressed in white, and I will never erase his name from the book of life but will acknowledge his name in the presence of my Father and of his angels. Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  To the angel of the Church in Laodicea, write this: The Amen, the faithful and true witness, the source of God’s creation, says this: “I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, ‘I am rich and affluent and have no need of anything,’ and yet do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich, and white garments to put on so that your shameful nakedness may not be exposed, and buy ointment to smear on your eyes so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and chastise. Be earnest, therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me. I will give the victor the right to sit with me on my throne, as I myself first won the victory and sit with my Father on his throne. Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Upon opening the Bible to the Book of Revelation, one is confronted with angels, beasts, tumult, mysterious numbers, cryptic sayings, and strange images all around.  It is also a book so posed of seven separate but overlapping visions of the Church’s history from its beginning until its glorification in heaven.  It cannot be read as a consecutive text, as, say, a modern novel.  For these reasons most people steer clear of the book.  But once we understand the images and the order of the visions, the book gives up its secrets, and we can find it very beautiful and revelatory.

The first vision is comprised of the book’s first three chapters.  In this vision, St. John sees an image of Jesus Christ vested as a priest, full of power, and governing his Church, which is signified by seven golden candlesticks.  He dictates letters to John addressed to seven primary churches in Asia Minor at that time, which signify the Church spread throughout the world.  In the letters the Lord both warns and consoles the churches so that the believers may hold fast to the Faith and come st last into their heavenly inheritance.  In the first of these letters, which was read as the First Reading of yesterday’s Mass, the Lord taught that we must perform acts of love for the sake of Jesus so that we might grow in faith.  Unless we love Jesus, we will cease to believe in him.  Chief among these acts of love is prayer, for we cannot love someone we do not talk to.

“To the angel of the Church in Sardis.”  The word “angel” comes from a Greek word meaning “messenger”.  In the context of the text, this means the bishop of a place, for a bishop is sent by God to bring the Gospel before his people.  “The one who has the seven spirits of God.”  This is the Lord Jesus.  The Holy Spirit — “the seven spirits of God” — proceeds from the Father and the Son.  The “seven stars” is the Church.  “Be watchful and strengthen what is left, which is going to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.”  A dire warning to strengthen one’s faith through good works, especially that of working for the conversion of the world, accomplished through prayer and witness.  “Remember then how you accepted and heard.”  They accepted the Gospel and acted on its commandments.  In both the Greek and the Hebrew, the verb “to hear” also means the verb “to obey”.  The Lord says, “If you are not watchful, I will come like a thief.”  The unrepentant will experience the second coming as a shock because they have not looked for it or put their lives in order for the judgment.  “The victor will thus be dressed in white, and I will never erase his name from the book of life.”  The one who is victorious over the world, the flesh, and the devil, by the grace of God.  The “white” color of the victor’s robe reveals his freedom from the stain of sin and brilliance in good works.  Being written in “the book of life” signifies the will of God for the salvation of the believer.  “Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  The Father sends the Son and the Spirit into the world.  The Son redeems it and the Spirit provides the graces needed to take advantage of the redemption wrought by the Son so that we might be saved.

“The Amen, the faithful and true witness, the source of God’s creation.”  The Hebrew word “amen” means “truly” or “indeed”, hence, “the faithful and true witness” of the love of the Father for all his children.  The Son is “the source” of God’s creation for “All things were made through him and without him was made nothing that was made” (John 1, 3).  “I know that you are neither cold nor hot.”  Their faith, love, and zeal have grown weak.  They exercise these things only when it is convenient for them.  “I will spit”.  The Greek has “to vomit forth” or “to spew”, a far more violent rejection than merely “to spit”.  Those who are lukewarm in their faith, love and zeal will be cast out of the elect by Almighty God.  “I am rich and affluent and have no need of anything.”  The complacent, the self-righteous, the “autonomous” individual who does not consider how he is utterly dependent on God for every breath and heartbeat.  “I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire”, that is, to pray for the gifts of faith, love, and zeal.  With these, the believer is able to repent of sin and to fully carry out God’s will.  Otherwise “your shameful nakedness may not be exposed”, that is, their ridiculous arrogance will be revealed.  “And buy ointment to smear on your eyes so that you may see.”  This is the grace of knowing ourselves to be utterly in need of God, and of knowing our sins so that we can repentant of them.

“Those whom I love, I reprove and chastise.”  The Lord sends us trials of all kinds and severity.  For those who make use of them and persevere in the faith, this will make them stronger.  For those who have neglected their faith, this will destroy them.  “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.”  The Lord comes to us, knowing that of our own power we cannot go to him.  He offers us grace.  If we receive it, we will become his temples in which he will live, as the Ark of the Covenant was once housed in the Temple in Jerusalem before Israel’s idolatry lost it for them.  “I will give the victor the right to sit with me on my throne, as I myself first won the victory and sit with my Father on his throne.”  The Son of God shares his victory with those who persevere in faith and do the will of the Father, and rewards the just with the highest places in heaven.  “Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  That is, anyone can hear his words, but who will listen to them and obey?