{"id":12618,"date":"2013-12-17T00:00:03","date_gmt":"2013-12-17T06:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/?p=12618"},"modified":"2017-04-17T22:00:21","modified_gmt":"2017-04-18T02:00:21","slug":"the-lion-of-judah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-lion-of-judah\/","title":{"rendered":"The Lion of Judah","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"<div align=\"center\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"CENTER\">THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS<br \/> for December 17th, 2013<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"CENTER\">Liturgical texts <a href=\"http:\/\/www.usccb.org\/bible\/readings\/121713.cfm\"><em>here<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/lion-of-judah_000.jpg\" width=\"467\" height=\"472\" \/><\/p>\n<div id=\"fb-root\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<p>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\">\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n(function(d, s, id) {\n  var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];\n  if (d.getElementById(id)) return;\n  js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;\n  js.src = \"\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\";\n  fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);\n}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));\n\/\/ ]]><\/script>\n<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div align=\"left\">\n<p><strong>THERE <\/strong>is a powerful moment of drama in one of St. John&#8217;s visions in the Book of Revelation. After hearing the Lord chastise the seven churches, warning, exhorting, and preparing them for His coming, <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_12618_1('footnote_plugin_reference_12618_1_1');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_12618_1('footnote_plugin_reference_12618_1_1');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_12618_1_1\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[1]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_12618_1_1\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">cf. Rev 1:7<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_12618_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_12618_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> St. John is shown a scroll with writing on both sides that is sealed with seven seals. When he realizes that &#8220;no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth&#8221; is able to open and examine it, he begins to weep profusely. But why is St. John weeping over something he hasn&#8217;t read yet?<\/p>\n<p><!--more-->Yesterday, Pope Francis prayed that the Lord would send prophets to the Church. Because without prophecy, he said, the Church is stuck in the present, with no memory of the promises of yesterday, and no hope for the future.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>But when there is no spirit of prophecy amongst the people of God, we fall into the trap of clericalism.<\/strong> \u2014POPE FRANCIS, Homily, December 16th, 2013; Vatican Radio;<a href=\"http:\/\/en.radiovaticana.va\/news\/2013\/12\/16\/pope_francis%3A_without_prophecy,_only_clericalism\/en1-756052\"> radiovatican.va<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Clericalism\u2014the treadmill of merely running the Church day to day to keep the lights on, rather than becoming the Light itself. And this spirit of clericalism is partly what the letters to the seven churches address in the first part of John&#8217;s Apocalypse. Jesus warns them:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Courier New,Courier,mono; font-size: small;\">Yet I hold this against you: you have lost the love you had at first. Realize how far you have fallen. Repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. (Rev 4:2-5)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>This was also the warning of Benedict XVI shortly after his papal election in 2005:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>The judgment announced by the Lord Jesus <\/strong>[in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 21]<strong> refers above all to the destruction of Jerusalem in the year 70. Yet the threat of judgment also concerns us, the Church in Europe, Europe and the West in general. With this Gospel, the Lord is also crying out to our ears the words that in the Book of Revelation he addresses to the Church of Ephesus: \u201cIf you do not repent I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.&#8221; Light can also be taken away from us and we do well to let this warning ring out with its full seriousness in our hearts, while crying to the Lord: \u201cHelp us to repent! Give all of us the grace of true renewal! Do not allow your light in our midst to blow out! Strengthen our faith, our hope and our love, so that we can bear good fruit!\u201d<\/strong> \u2014<\/span><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Pope Benedict XVI, <em>Opening Homily<\/em>, <\/span><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><em>Synod of Bishops,<\/em><\/span><span style=\"font-size: small;\"> October 2nd, 2005, Rome.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>So now we understand why St. John is weeping\u2014he is longing for a prophetic word of hope reassuring that God&#8217;s plan of salvation is not failing.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>&#8230;when clericalism reigns supreme&#8230; the words of God are sorely missed, and true believers weep because they cannot find the Lord<\/strong>. \u2014POPE FRANCIS, Homily, December 16th, 2013; Vatican Radio;<a href=\"http:\/\/en.radiovaticana.va\/news\/2013\/12\/16\/pope_francis%3A_without_prophecy,_only_clericalism\/en1-756052\"> radiovatican.va<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>That hope is what lies like a crouching lion in tall grasses in today&#8217;s Mass readings. The first reading speaks of the lion who comes out of Judah, &#8220;the king of beasts&#8221; whom Matthew&#8217;s Gospel reveals is fulfilled in <em>Jesus<\/em> through his genealogy. The author of Genesis insists:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Courier New,Courier,mono; font-size: small;\">The scepter shall never depart from Judah, or the mace from between his legs. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>This Lion will always reign in justice, but most especially, it says in the Psalm, &#8220;<em>in his days<\/em>&#8220;:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Courier New,Courier,mono; font-size: small;\">O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with your justice, the king\u2019s son; He shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment&#8230; Justice shall flower in his days, and profound peace, till the moon be no more. May he rule from sea to sea&#8230; <br \/><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Although Jesus has claimed the throne of David and established His eternal kingdom through His death and resurrection, it remains yet for His kingdom to become fully established from &#8220;sea to sea.&#8221; <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_12618_1('footnote_plugin_reference_12618_1_2');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_12618_1('footnote_plugin_reference_12618_1_2');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_12618_1_2\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[2]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_12618_1_2\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">cf. Matt 24:14<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_12618_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_12618_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> St. John knew of such Old Testament prophecies, of a time of &#8220;profound peace&#8221; coming when, as he later reveals, the &#8220;beast and the false prophet&#8221; of <em>injustice<\/em> would be cast into the lake of fire ushering in a &#8220;thousand year&#8221; reign of Christ and His saints. <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_12618_1('footnote_plugin_reference_12618_1_3');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_12618_1('footnote_plugin_reference_12618_1_3');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_12618_1_3\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[3]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_12618_1_3\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">cf. Rev 20:1-7<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_12618_1_3').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_12618_1_3', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> St. Irenaeus and other Church Fathers referred to this reign of peace as &#8220;the times of the kingdom&#8221; and the &#8220;seventh day,&#8221; before the eighth and everlasting day of eternity.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>But when The Antichrist shall have devastated all things in this world, he will reign for three years and six months, and sit in the temple at Jerusalem; and then the Lord will come from Heaven in the clouds\u2026 sending this man and those who follow him into the lake of fire; but bringing in for the righteous the times of the kingdom, that is, the rest, the hallowed seventh day\u2026 These are to take place in the <em>times of the kingdom<\/em>, that is, upon the seventh day\u2026 the true Sabbath of the righteous<\/strong>. \u2014St. Irenaeus of Lyons, Church Father (140\u2013202 A.D.)<em>; Adversus Haereses<\/em>, Irenaeus of Lyons, V.33.3.4, The Fathers of the Church, CIMA Publishing Co.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>But when and how will these prophecies come about? At last, after shedding many tears, St. John hears the calming voice of hope:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Courier New,Courier,mono; font-size: small;\">&#8220;Do not weep. The lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has triumphed, enabling him to open the scroll with its seven seals.&#8221; (Rev 5:3)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>There is a profound connection between the genealogy of Jesus, &#8220;the root of David,&#8221; and the coming &#8220;Era of Peace&#8221; <em>after<\/em> the seven seals of judgment are opened. From Abraham to Jesus, there are 42 generations. Theologian Dr. Scott Hahn points out that,<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>Allegorically, Jesus&#8217; 42 total generations signify the 42 encampments of the Israelites between the Exodus and their entry into the Promised Land<\/strong>. \u2014Dr. Scott Hahn, Ignatius Study Bible, <em>The Gospel of Matthew, <\/em>p. 18<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Now, in the New Testament, which is the fulfillment of the Old, Jesus, <em>the Lion of Judah, <\/em>is leading His people in an exodus out of the &#8220;new tyranny&#8221; <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_12618_1('footnote_plugin_reference_12618_1_4');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_12618_1('footnote_plugin_reference_12618_1_4');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_12618_1_4\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[4]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_12618_1_4\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">POPE FRANCIS, <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/holy_father\/francesco\/apost_exhortations\/documents\/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium_en.html#_ftn4\">Evangelii Gaudium<\/a>, <\/em>n. 56<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_12618_1_4').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_12618_1_4', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> of our times to a promised &#8220;era of peace.&#8221; During this coming flowering of justice and peace, the Psalmist says He will &#8220;rule from sea to sea, and&#8230; all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.&#8221; That is the message of hope for which St. John was weeping and waiting to hear:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Courier New,Courier,mono; font-size: small;\">\u201cWorthy are you to receive the scroll and to break open its seals, for you were slain and with your blood you purchased for God those from every tribe and tongue, people and nation. You made them a kingdom and priests for our God, and <em>they will reign on earth<\/em>.&#8221; (Rev 5:9-10)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>May this consoling hope keep <em>us<\/em> from weeping as we watch and pray and listen for the <em>roar<\/em> of the Lion of Judah that will come like a &#8220;thief in the night,&#8221; putting an end to the reign of the beast.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span><strong>\u201cAnd they shall hear My voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd.\u201d May God\u2026 shortly bring to fulfillment His prophecy for transforming this consoling vision of the future into a present reality\u2026 It is God\u2019s task to bring about this happy hour and to make it known to all\u2026 When it does arrive, it will turn out to be a solemn hour, one big with consequences not only for the restoration of the Kingdom of Christ, but for the pacification of\u2026 the world. We pray most fervently, and ask others likewise to pray for this much-desired pacification of society.<\/strong> \u2014POPE PIUS XI, <em>Ubi Arcani dei Consilioi \u201cOn the Peace of Christ in his Kingdom\u201d<\/em>, December 23, 1922<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-size: small;\">We are far from the so-called \u201cend of history\u201d, since the conditions for a sustainable and peaceful development have not yet been adequately articulated and realized.<\/span><\/strong> <span style=\"font-size: small;\"> \u2014POPE FRANCIS,<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/holy_father\/francesco\/apost_exhortations\/documents\/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium_en.html#No_to_the_new_idolatry_of_money\"><em> Evangelii Gaudium<\/em><\/a>, n. 59<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">RELATED READING:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/dear-holy-father-he-is-coming\/\"><strong>Dear Holy Father&#8230; He is Coming!<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: small;\">What if there is to be no restoration of the Kingdom?<em> Read<\/em>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/what-if-2\/\"><em><strong>What if&#8230;?<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-kingdom-of-god\/\"><strong>The Coming of the Kingdom of God<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-coming-dominion-of-the-church\/\"><strong>The Coming Dominion of the Church<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-seven-seals-of-revolution\/\">The Seven Seals of Revolution<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fb-like\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-lion-of-judah\" data-layout=\"standard\" data-action=\"recommend\" data-show-faces=\"true\" data-share=\"true\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<p><a class=\"twitter-share-button\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-lion-of-judah\" data-via=\"MarkMallett2\">Tweet<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\">\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=\/^http:\/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+':\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');\n\/\/ ]]><\/script>\n<\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/6643847?color=ffffff\" height=\"281\" width=\"500\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\">To receive <strong><em>The <\/em><\/strong><em><strong>Now Word,<\/strong> <\/em><em><br \/><\/em>click on the banner below to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/subscribe\/\">subscribe<\/a>. <br \/> Your email will not be shared with anyone.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/subscribe\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12200 aligncenter\" alt=\"NowWord Banner\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/NowWord-Banner.png\" width=\"463\" height=\"148\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/NowWord-Banner.png 798w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/NowWord-Banner-300x97.png 300w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/NowWord-Banner-768x247.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 463px) 100vw, 463px\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Spiritual Food for Thought is a full-time apostolate.<br \/>Thanks for your support!<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p align=\"CENTER\"><a href=\"http:\/\/store.markmallett.com\/donate\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Donateovalbtnonbeige.gif\" width=\"112\" height=\"48\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Join Mark on Facebook and Twitter!<\/span><br \/><\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/Mark-Mallett\/479309778804431\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Facebooklogo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/Facebooklogo.png\" width=\"98\" height=\"98\" \/><\/a><\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MarkMallett2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Twitterlogo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/Twitterlogo.png\" width=\"98\" height=\"98\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"speaker-mute footnotes_reference_container\"> <div class=\"footnote_container_prepare\"><p><span role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_reference_container_label pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_12618_1();\"><h5>Footnotes<\/h5><\/span><span role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_reference_container_collapse_button\" style=\"display: none;\" onclick=\"footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_12618_1();\">[<a id=\"footnote_reference_container_collapse_button_12618_1\">+<\/a>]<\/span><\/p><\/div> <div id=\"footnote_references_container_12618_1\" style=\"\"><table class=\"footnotes_table footnote-reference-container\"><caption class=\"accessibility\"><h5>Footnotes<\/h5><\/caption> <tbody> \r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_12618_1_1\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_12618_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_12618_1_1');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>1<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">cf. Rev 1:7<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_12618_1_2\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_12618_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_12618_1_2');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>2<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">cf. Matt 24:14<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_12618_1_3\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_12618_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_12618_1_3');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>3<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">cf. Rev 20:1-7<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_12618_1_4\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_12618_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_12618_1_4');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>4<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">POPE FRANCIS, <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/holy_father\/francesco\/apost_exhortations\/documents\/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium_en.html#_ftn4\">Evangelii Gaudium<\/a>, <\/em>n. 56<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n <\/tbody> <\/table> <\/div><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> function footnote_expand_reference_container_12618_1() { jQuery('#footnote_references_container_12618_1').show(); jQuery('#footnote_reference_container_collapse_button_12618_1').text('\u2212'); } function footnote_collapse_reference_container_12618_1() { jQuery('#footnote_references_container_12618_1').hide(); jQuery('#footnote_reference_container_collapse_button_12618_1').text('+'); } function footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_12618_1() { if (jQuery('#footnote_references_container_12618_1').is(':hidden')) { footnote_expand_reference_container_12618_1(); } else { footnote_collapse_reference_container_12618_1(); } } function footnote_moveToReference_12618_1(p_str_TargetID) { footnote_expand_reference_container_12618_1(); var l_obj_Target = jQuery('#' + p_str_TargetID); if (l_obj_Target.length) { jQuery( 'html, body' ).delay( 0 ); jQuery('html, body').animate({ scrollTop: l_obj_Target.offset().top - window.innerHeight * 0.2 }, 380); } } function footnote_moveToAnchor_12618_1(p_str_TargetID) { footnote_expand_reference_container_12618_1(); var l_obj_Target = jQuery('#' + p_str_TargetID); if (l_obj_Target.length) { jQuery( 'html, body' ).delay( 0 ); jQuery('html, body').animate({ scrollTop: l_obj_Target.offset().top - window.innerHeight * 0.2 }, 380); } }<\/script>","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS for December 17th, 2013 Liturgical texts here \u00a0 &nbsp; THERE is a powerful moment of drama in one of St. John&#8217;s visions in the Book of Revelation. After hearing the Lord chastise the seven churches, warning, exhorting, and preparing them for His coming, [1]cf. Rev 1:7 St. John is [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,873],"tags":[27,945,28,946,73,947,80,91,93,128,221,246,247,390,451,493,701,718,9,791],"class_list":["post-12618","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-daily-journal","category-mass-readings","tag-apocalypse","tag-restoration","tag-revelation","tag-judah","tag-pope","tag-pacification","tag-kingdom","tag-benedict","tag-antichrist","tag-fatima","tag-mary","tag-era-of-peace","tag-pius-xi","tag-justice","tag-lady","tag-john","tag-francis","tag-psalm","tag-peace","tag-lion"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Lion of Judah - The Now Word<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-lion-of-judah\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Lion of Judah - The Now Word\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS for December 17th, 2013 Liturgical texts here \u00a0 &nbsp; THERE is a powerful moment of drama in one of St. John&#8217;s visions in the Book of Revelation. After hearing the Lord chastise the seven churches, warning, exhorting, and preparing them for His coming, [1]cf. Rev 1:7 St. John is [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-lion-of-judah\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Now Word\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2013-12-17T06:00:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2017-04-18T02:00:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/lion-of-judah_000.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mark\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Mark\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/the-lion-of-judah\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/the-lion-of-judah\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Mark\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/000af5cf476f9c725d5bc45f722aa99a\"},\"headline\":\"The Lion of Judah\",\"datePublished\":\"2013-12-17T06:00:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-04-18T02:00:21+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/the-lion-of-judah\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1409,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/000af5cf476f9c725d5bc45f722aa99a\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/the-lion-of-judah\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2013\\\/12\\\/lion-of-judah_000.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"apocalypse\",\"restoration\",\"revelation\",\"judah\",\"pope\",\"pacification\",\"kingdom\",\"benedict\",\"antichrist\",\"Fatima\",\"MARY\",\"THE ERA OF PEACE\",\"pius xi\",\"justice\",\"lady\",\"john\",\"francis\",\"psalm\",\"peace\",\"lion\"],\"articleSection\":[\"HOME\",\"MASS READINGS\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/the-lion-of-judah\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/the-lion-of-judah\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Lion of Judah - The Now Word\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/the-lion-of-judah\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/the-lion-of-judah\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2013\\\/12\\\/lion-of-judah_000.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2013-12-17T06:00:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-04-18T02:00:21+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/the-lion-of-judah\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/the-lion-of-judah\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/the-lion-of-judah\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2013\\\/12\\\/lion-of-judah_000.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2013\\\/12\\\/lion-of-judah_000.jpg\",\"width\":467,\"height\":472},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/the-lion-of-judah\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Lion of Judah\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Now Word\",\"description\":\"\u2014 With Mark Mallett \u2014\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/000af5cf476f9c725d5bc45f722aa99a\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\"},{\"@type\":[\"Person\",\"Organization\"],\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/000af5cf476f9c725d5bc45f722aa99a\",\"name\":\"Mark\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/08\\\/cropped-hurricaneearth_Fotor2.jpg\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/08\\\/cropped-hurricaneearth_Fotor2.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/08\\\/cropped-hurricaneearth_Fotor2.jpg\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Mark\"},\"logo\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/08\\\/cropped-hurricaneearth_Fotor2.jpg\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Lion of Judah - The Now Word","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-lion-of-judah\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Lion of Judah - The Now Word","og_description":"THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS for December 17th, 2013 Liturgical texts here \u00a0 &nbsp; THERE is a powerful moment of drama in one of St. John&#8217;s visions in the Book of Revelation. After hearing the Lord chastise the seven churches, warning, exhorting, and preparing them for His coming, [1]cf. Rev 1:7 St. John is [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-lion-of-judah\/","og_site_name":"The Now Word","article_published_time":"2013-12-17T06:00:03+00:00","article_modified_time":"2017-04-18T02:00:21+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/lion-of-judah_000.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"Mark","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Mark","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-lion-of-judah\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-lion-of-judah\/"},"author":{"name":"Mark","@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/000af5cf476f9c725d5bc45f722aa99a"},"headline":"The Lion of Judah","datePublished":"2013-12-17T06:00:03+00:00","dateModified":"2017-04-18T02:00:21+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-lion-of-judah\/"},"wordCount":1409,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/000af5cf476f9c725d5bc45f722aa99a"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-lion-of-judah\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/lion-of-judah_000.jpg","keywords":["apocalypse","restoration","revelation","judah","pope","pacification","kingdom","benedict","antichrist","Fatima","MARY","THE ERA OF PEACE","pius xi","justice","lady","john","francis","psalm","peace","lion"],"articleSection":["HOME","MASS READINGS"],"inLanguage":"en-CA"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-lion-of-judah\/","url":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-lion-of-judah\/","name":"The Lion of Judah - The Now Word","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-lion-of-judah\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-lion-of-judah\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/lion-of-judah_000.jpg","datePublished":"2013-12-17T06:00:03+00:00","dateModified":"2017-04-18T02:00:21+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-lion-of-judah\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-CA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-lion-of-judah\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-CA","@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-lion-of-judah\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/lion-of-judah_000.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/lion-of-judah_000.jpg","width":467,"height":472},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-lion-of-judah\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Lion of Judah"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/","name":"The Now Word","description":"\u2014 With Mark Mallett \u2014","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/000af5cf476f9c725d5bc45f722aa99a"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-CA"},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/000af5cf476f9c725d5bc45f722aa99a","name":"Mark","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-CA","@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/cropped-hurricaneearth_Fotor2.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/cropped-hurricaneearth_Fotor2.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/cropped-hurricaneearth_Fotor2.jpg","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Mark"},"logo":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/cropped-hurricaneearth_Fotor2.jpg"}}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"link","format":"url"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12618","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12618"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12618\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28861,"href":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12618\/revisions\/28861"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12618"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12618"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12618"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}