If there was something that I could offer to you that would immediately help you to get closer to the Lord by growing in humility and holiness all while making you feel better through the release of endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine, enhanced lung function, decreased pain and anxiety, all while fast-tracking the group bonding with your fellow parishioners here at St. James, would you do it? It is something that everyone can easily do, but too many people chose not to.
Revelation for Easter – A Message to Lukewarm Churches
To help you to do this thing, I am speaking today about the book of Revelation. Today we are jumping into a new homily series on the very last book of the Bible: The Revelation of St. John, since throughout this season of Easter you get to hear readings from the book of Revelation at Mass. Christ told John “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one; I died, and behold I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.” In other words, I am the resurrected one, the one who has conquered, therefore write down what I am about to tell and show you. This is the message of the resurrected one to the Church. The Church chose to give us these readings from the book of Revelation to help in answering the question, “Okay, Christ has arisen. Now what? How do we live now that he has risen?”
- Audience of Book: In last week’s Revelation reading you heard John explain that he was in the spirit on the Lord’s Day, that is Sunday, when Christ appeared to him and told him that he was to write what he saw and what was to come and that he was to send these writings to seven churches. Seven of course is the number of completion which means that while Revelation was originally intended for seven specific churches, its greater use is for the whole of the Church. It is helpful for us today, for our own reflection, for your reflection.
- Problem: The book begins with a critique of these seven Churches. He said that though they had many good characteristics, labor, endurance, testing what is true teaching and what is not, yet according to the Lord they had lost their first love. Some had stumbled into disobedience, especially when it came to sexual sins, others to the worship of money, others of being asleep. He said to them that they were to do what they did at first. He then left them with a stark warning, one that unfortunately came true for those churches. “If you do not, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place (2:5). None of those seven churches are any longer in existence. Those lands are now Islamic territory.
So, this then begs the question, How are you doing in following the resurrected Lord, where you are at? Has your love grown cold? Are you lukewarm, and if so, how then do you go back to doing what you did at first? How do you revive that love?
Picture Painted – Participating in Heavenly Worship
The answer comes in the next few chapters. John, the author of Revelation, is suddenly is swept up into the heavens. In Revelation chapter 4, which sets the scene says that John had a vision of an open door to heaven and he was caught up in the spirit in the courts of heaven into a place that he described as having similarities to something that you are very familiar with, that is to a Catholic Mass, which in many aspects is based on the heavenly liturgy that John saw and recorded.
- First Impression: He was surrounded by gold and those wearing white robes, and priests, and a throne, and an altar and seven torches. If you look at many Catholic altars there are normally six candles and the seventh candle is the light of Christ, symbolized by a crucifix. As you can see, we are two candles short here at St. James. John went on to describe singing, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty” Something we also do during the Mass. Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus. Then of course there was a scroll – which reminds one of the readings that we do at Mass. This was the heavenly liturgy that John was seeing and recording.
- Scroll & Jesus Presence: Then in chapter 5, which brings us up to today’s lectionary reading, John describes a scroll being held by the one sitting on the throne. So, anyhow there is this scroll, this seemingly unopenable scroll that no one seems to be able to be worthy to open it, except the lion of the tribe of Judah, that is the lamb that appears as though slain, that takes the scroll. I need to stop and have you recall with me that in our liturgy when the priest holds up a broken piece of the Blessed Sacrament and says, “Behold the lamb of God.” This recalls that verse in revelation, of the lamb standing as though slain. The priest is holding the Lord in his hands in the form of Blessed Sacrament, broken, now whole, but broken, a reminder of what Christ has done for us. He is the one who opens the Scriptures to us. He is the one who becomes present among us in the Mass. // Anyhow, the Lamb that appears as though slain takes the sealed scroll in this hand and when this happens everyone gets very excited, so much so that they start bringing out musical instruments and incense, and singing.
Again, what does this remind you of? Where do we have musical instruments, and incense? And singing? At the Mass right? John, in this vision is seeing the Mass. This Mass here on earth is a reflection of the heavenly worship service or more accurately, when you celebrate the Mass you are participating in a heavenly worship. The Mass is the place where heaven meets earth. This is why many Catholic churches traditionally had steeples, these symbolize mountains, the place where earth rises up to meet the heavens. That is what the Mass is. That is what John was seeing in the heavens.
The Application: Pray the Mass, & Sing
Now, I need to stop here and put all of this into context. The book of Revelation begins with the resurrected Lord telling the Churches that they need to repent of their luke-warmness and to return to what they did at first. What then is the very next scene? It is the liturgy, it is worship, it is gold and robes and incense and readings, music and singing. What is the Lord saying here? How is he saying to return to what you did at first?
- Give yourself fully: The Lord is saying, return to the Mass, not just physically showing up, but mentally and emotionally as well. Fully give of yourself in worship. Do not hold back. Embrace the beauty and reverence and mystery of this heavenly liturgy. It is this liturgy that connects you to something out of this world. How do you revive your faith? How do you live out a life in service to the resurrected Lord? Get back to the basics. Rediscover what the Mass is all about, discover what this heavenly worship is all about. Remember when you were first discovering the Mass, those times when you really felt close to the Lord? Prayer these prayers with all of your heart. When you get distracted, ask the Lord to help you and he will.
- Obligation to sing: I would also remind you of the obligation to sing when you are at Mass. Singing is a really important part of the Mass. Rev 5:9 says “They sang a new hymn.” In verse 12 it says “They cried out in a loud voice.” You might now realize it, but a huge part of our identity as the people of God is that we sing. The scriptures are replete with songs and commands to sing. David sang. Jesus sang. Mary sang. One of the longest books in the Bible, Psalms, contains nothing but songs. If you truly love Jesus, than you must sing.
- Objections: Now, I know what you might be thinking. “I’m a bad singer and I don’t know these songs, and I’m grumpy on Sunday mornings and I don’t sing.” Think back in your life to when you were a teenager or maybe even younger. Remember when you first discovered music? And how much you loved it? If you watch kids and teenagers, they play these songs that they love and they don’t do it quietly. They fill the house with this music. They sing it. They sing it loudly. They sing it badly. It doesn’t matter. They are in love and what do lovers do? Lovers sing. If you are a bad singer, well this is an opportunity to grow in humility and for the rest of us who can sing, to learn forbearing, patience, and love. If you think that you cannot sing, and you sing anyway, I can guarantee you that the Lord will bless your obedience. He will bless your humility. This practice will change you. All of those spiritual and mental and physical benefits I mentioned at the beginning of this homily – they are all a result of singing.
If you want to revive your faith, turn back to the Mass, this is the heart of who we are as the people of God, it is worship that connects heaven to earth. Pray the prayers, sing unto the Lord with all of your heart.
Today we are entering into reflecting on this fascinating book of Revelation. It was originally a book that was written to seven churches which are no longer in existence. They did not return to what they did at first, they did respond to the warning, and so the Lord, as he promised removed their lampstands. The seven torches no longer burn at their altars. This first part of the book of revelation is a calling to repentance, a calling to rediscover and fully enter into this heavenly liturgy that we call the Mass. To pray well, to obediently and humbly sing unto the greatness of resurrected Lord that has done so much for us. Amen.
