As we near the very end of the liturgical year, the Church asks us to look at the big picture of history through three words: Beasts , Buds ...
As we near the very end of the liturgical year, the Church asks us to look at the big picture of history through three words: Beasts, Buds, and Belief.
First, the Beasts. In Daniel’s vision, he sees terrifying monsters rising from the sea—lions with wings, bears, leopards. These represented the great empires of the world that used power to crush others. We still see "beasts" today—systems of oppression, war, drug cartels, or extreme greed that dehumanize people. These beasts look powerful and scary. They seem to have "iron teeth" that crush everything in their path.
But Jesus gives us a different image: the Buds. In the Gospel, He points to a fig tree. He says when you see the branch become tender and buds burst forth, you know summer is near. While Daniel sees monsters, Jesus sees a garden. He tells us that even amidst the chaos of the "beasts," the Kingdom of God is quietly budding. The Kingdom doesn't come with loud roaring; it comes like a slow, unstoppable spring.
This requires Belief. Jesus says, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." The beasts will die. The empires will fall. The problems that seem so big in your life right now will pass. But the Word of God remains. Belief means betting your life on the budding tree, not the roaring beast.
When you watch the news and see violence or corruption, you are seeing the beasts. But look closer. Look for the buds—the young people serving in the church, the honest neighbors, the silent acts of charity. That is where the future lies. Summer is coming. The beasts have an expiration date; God’s Kingdom does not.
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