Returning to Our First Love: A Call to Rekindle the Fire of Faith
November 18, 2024 - Monday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Revelation 1:1-4; 2:1-5
The Book of Revelation, which will accompany us until the end of our liturgical year on November 30, has challenged followers of Christ since its appearance. It had difficulty entering the biblical canon, and even in the 4th century, Church Fathers like St. Cyril of Jerusalem, St. John Chrysostom, and St. Gregory of Nazianzus expressed doubts about its canonicity. Some, like St. John Chrysostom, never quoted it in their writings.
Apocalyptic literature, popular from the 3rd century B.C. to the 2nd century A.D., often uses symbolic dreams and visions to describe spiritual battles and the end of history. The challenge with this type of literature is that it can often express despair about the present world. Many of its authors — and we know of several non-canonical apocalypses such as 1 Enoch, 4 Ezra, 2 Baruch, and the Apocalypse of Abraham — saw the destruction of the current world and the creation of a new one as the only solution to the evils that permeate human life. Perhaps this pessimism played a role in why many of the Eastern Church Fathers hesitated to embrace Revelation.
The Book of Revelation, with its symbolic and apocalyptic language, has been interpreted in various ways throughout history. Some see it as a description of the past, particularly the persecution of Christians under emperors Nero or Domitian. Others view it as a prophecy of future events, pointing to the ultimate defeat of evil, the return of Christ, and the transformation of the world. Both of these interpretations offer important insights, but perhaps the most valuable way to read Revelation is through a spiritual lens—seeing it as a guide for the ongoing battle between good and evil in the life of every believer and the Church.
Scott Hahn, in his book "The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth", emphasizes that Revelation also contains profound liturgical themes. He sees the heavenly liturgy described in Revelation as closely related to the Eucharist we celebrate here on earth, making this apocalyptic book not only a message of hope for the future but also a source of inspiration for our worship and spiritual life today.
Today's excerpts focus on the message directed to the first church in Ephesus, the capital of the Roman Province of Asia. This city had been successfully evangelized by Paul, and tradition tells us that the Apostle John also resided there. Yet, despite these blessings, not everything was well in the Ephesian Christian community. The Risen Christ knew their situation intimately—praising their strengths while addressing their weaknesses. Their primary issue, one that affects many of us, was: "You have lost the love you had at first" (Rev. 2:4). While we do not know the specifics of their failure, we do know how easily the fire of our first love for Christ can fade, leaving us spiritually lukewarm.
I often wonder what kind of message Jesus would deliver today to our metropolitan churches. What would His message be to the Christian communities in cities like Washington D.C., Brussels, Moscow, Beijing, Sydney, Rio de Janeiro, or Cape Town? What qualities would He commend, and what warnings would He give? Just as the Ephesians were called to return to their first love, so are we. Will we heed Christ's call to repentance? Let us reignite the passion we once had for Him, asking for the grace to love Him with the same fervor today as when we first believed.