The 33rd Sunday of the Year
Daniel 12:1-13; Hebrews 10:11-14 & 18; Mark 13:24-32 (Year B)
"At that time Michael will stand up, the great prince who mounts guard over his people. There is going to be a time of great distress unparalleled since the nations first came into existence. When that time comes, your own people will be spared, those whose names are written in the Book.”
The Book of Daniel was written in the closing centuries immediately preceding the birth of Christ. It was a period of unparalleled upheaval as the superpowers of the Mediterranean world fought for supremacy. In this turmoil Israel must have felt herself as no more than a grain of sand blown in the wind. It brought about a new world order that demanded conformity. Consequently, Israel’s ancient faith, refusing to conform to a godless world, was subjected to bitter persecution.
