Reading 1
Rv 14:1-3, 4b-5
I, John, looked and there was the Lamb standing on Mount Zion,
and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand
who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.
I heard a sound from heaven
like the sound of rushing water or a loud peal of thunder.
The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps.
They were singing what seemed to be a new hymn before the throne,
before the four living creatures and the elders.
No one could learn this hymn except the hundred and forty-four thousand
who had been ransomed from the earth.
These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes.
They have been ransomed as the first fruits
of the human race for God and the Lamb.
On their lips no deceit has been found; they are unblemished.
Ps 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6
Responsorial PsalmR. (see 6)
Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Gospel
Lk 21:1-4
When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people
putting their offerings into the treasury
and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins.
He said, “I tell you truly,
this poor widow put in more than all the rest;
for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.”
Meditation: Revelation 14:1-5
“They follow the Lamb wherever he goes.” (Revelation 14:4)
Imagine these 144,000 saints in heaven, all singing a new song of worship to the Lord! At first glance, it may not seem like a very large number, given that there are over six billion people on the earth at this moment. But actually, this is a symbolic number—the twelve apostles multiplied by the twelve tribes of Israel multiplied by one hundred thousand. Such a number speaks of fullness and inclusiveness. It represents all the faithful—including us!
John tells us that these saints in heaven have Jesus’ and the Father’s names written across their foreheads. They haven’t been branded, as a rancher would brand his cattle. Rather, the image tells us that these people have the Lord on their minds at all times. Both on earth and in heaven, they follow Jesus wherever he goes. And because of such singleness and purity of heart, they sing a song that those whose hearts are divided or impure cannot fathom.
What an inspiration this image is for us as we try to follow Jesus, the Lamb of God, while here on earth! And what an encouragement that we can experience a bit of heaven here and now!
This passage urges us to keep the Lord in the forefront of our minds every day. One practical way to do this is to write down everything you know about Jesus. Start with the facts: He was born in first-century Palestine to a virgin named Mary. He preached, taught, and healed people in Galilee and Jerusalem. He was arrested and put to death on a cross. And he rose again three days later. Then get more personal. What has Jesus done for you? What healings have you experienced? Can you remember a time that you clearly experienced Jesus’ love for you in a tangible way?
As you recall and write these things down, ask the Holy Spirit to write them on your heart and etch them into your memory. In this way, you can join yourself ever more closely to the Lord, and to all the saints who have gone before you in heaven.
“Jesus, I proclaim my love for you. I am grateful for your gift of salvation, and I am honored to be invited to join with the saints in praising you. Teach me the songs of heaven. Help me to follow you today, wherever you go.”
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