Daniel’s and Michael’s Sunday (Immortality Sunday)
Daniel 12:1-3; Hebrews 10:11-14, 18; Mark 13:24-32
Avoid that temptation! There is a better way to understand what is happening. Our God is a God of positive surprises and he does not allow doomsday sayers carry the day—not in the past, not now and never in the future! Take consolation in this statement of Jesus: “But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father”. Indeed, in the past year or so, deaths have marked the whole world in a remarkable way, no thanks to the Coronavirus. Human mortality persists despite unprecedented advancements in medical sciences: death defies human mastery, but that only forces human beings to admit a superior power to human’s —God’s power. The good news is, and that is a better way to see things, we can look death in the eye and mock its power, because God invites us not to worry about death, but work for immortality.
The story of Daniel, a young boy who grew up in exile, because the generation before him were exiled from Israel to foreign lands, is easily construed as punishment and banishment. The storyline goes this way—Israel sinned and Israel was punished with banishment—end of story! How wrong this logic! The meaning of Daniel—“God-is-my-judge”—may suggest the judgement of condemnation that sent Israel into exile. But for those of us reading the book of Daniel today, it is a different reality because of the Michael—“who-is-like-God”—whom God sent to Daniel in exile. There is now a new relationship that exists between God and all peoples—the promise of immortality. Condemnation and punishment only open the door to the opportunity to enjoy immortality in God’s company.
A changed situation is the lesson that comes from learning from the mistakes of the past, while relishing a God of positive relationship, who rewrites history in a positive way. Yes, God is not in the habit of communicating and speaking with the people he punishes, until they repent. The situation is clearly different with Daniel and his generation. Daniel sees a vision of God in a foreign land, God communicates future knowledge to him. These actions change the idea of a God who punishes to a God who saves. After all, Daniel, a descendant of the generation of exiled Jews, a possible sign of banishment as punishment, suddenly becomes God’s friend, a channel of communication and revelation of future salvation up for grasps. Despite judgement, God only seeks to save and preserve from destruction.
When we place the meanings of Daniel (God-is-my-Judge) and Michael (who-is-like-God) side by side, it becomes obvious that no one has a full understanding of JUDGMENT, God’s judgment. The reason is simple —“who-is-like-God”? Negative and punitive characterizations of God underestimate the God we worship! The God who sends into exile and reveals himself to exiles, and assures them that no-one-is-like-God is a perennial experience of God that doomsday sayers need to have a handle on—our God is a SAVIOR! According to our first reading, “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”.
Clearly, our fear of judgement is optional. Only those in the wrong are afraid of judgement. Although no one is perfect, there is no need to be fearful of judgement, because there is always a Michael God sends ahead of judgement to get people ready to avoid unfavorable judgement. This is the scenario from the context of our first reading, where we might think that Israel was punished by exile. On the contrary, our first reading shows that exile and punishment now wear new meanings. Those who choose to repent are those who will enjoy God’s immortality and heavenly companionship with God. With God, there is always HOPE for better days ahead, NOT doomsday!
This Sunday is Daniel’s Sunday. That is, God is a judge, who will judge us individually and NOT as a group, as he did with the exile of a whole nation. Also, God’s judgment is neither about banishment to Hell nor receiving a place in Heaven, it is not about human ways of judging or punishing. Daniel’s Sunday is about a God who teaches that “to be forewarned is to be forearmed”! If this Sunday reminds us of judgment (Daniel’s Sunday), it is also Michael’s Sunday. In other words, God shows his uniqueness in judgment as “who-is-like-God” (Michael). Remember that one fundamental human experience of God is Mercy — a merciful God. According to our second reading, “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”. Indubitably, a God who wants to exterminate does not forgive sins and sacrifice his only begotten Son for the forgiveness of sins!
God alone knows how to save his people, but his loving actions of yore continue to show that, in the face of sin and evil, who-is-like-God to say he will not save and forgive? The HOPE of salvation is the emphasis of our second reading, a way of shutting up doomsday sayers! We must make the transition from an imminent doomsday—Daniel’s Sunday—to HOPE for salvation and immortality with God Sunday—Michael’s Sunday. We must find ways to obviate doomsday and guarantee salvation, as God is doing to keeping humanity alive! We are invited to participate in the work of salvation and NOT the promotion of destruction.
Michael’s Sunday is all about how do I avoid negative judgment and how do I make Heaven? Our gospel provides us with a way out of Hell and negative judgment: “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”. God wants our repentance NOT our destruction. Those wishing for human destruction are working against God! Examination is a good thing, so is judgment! When an examination table comes out, students do not abandon school; rather, they burn the midnight oil! For us, judgment (Daniel) is inevitable, but Hell is avoidable (Michael). Just as judgment is going to be individual, so will salvation be: each person must decide for or against Heaven, through his/her actions.
Michael’s Sunday is a theology of hope, hope for salvation because God sends each one of us a Michael to battle on our side against sin and evil. Even when our friends and neighbors have written us off for Hell, there is the surprise of God that awaits us — a Michael that says all hope is not lost, the mercy of God is always present and available to us. To talk about Michael’s Sunday is to emphasize our individual responsibility in our salvation mystery — we can always do something about it; we must be actively involved in “working out” our salvation. Hell and Heaven are not the issues at stake; rather, what we are ready to do and what we are doing right now, about our salvation, is all that is at stake.
Yes, our liturgical year is coming to an end next week, so we talk about the four last things (De novissimis): death, judgment, Hell and Heaven. The worst and most useless way to prepare for either Hell or Heaven is to worry about “when”: “But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Start doing something positive today, and God’s salvation will surprise you, when the time eventually comes! Let’s go beyond the bearers of the names (Michael and Daniel) to concentrate on their meanings. Our God created us for immortality and the gateway to it is death, but resurrection is our guarantee of immortality. God invites us not to worry about death, but work for immortality. This Sunday is immortality Sunday, the fact that there is life besides physical death! But then, are you ready and working for immortality? God’s forgiveness freely offered in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, will it be a wasteful opportunity for your salvation? The call is ours to make, and our lifestyles already show on what side of history we want to be found!
Assignment for the Week:
Go for Confession this week, to keep yourself immaculately immaculate like God.