At that time Michael will arise — the great Prince, defender of your people. That will be a time of great distress, unparalleled since nations first came into existence. When that time comes, your own people will be spared — all those whose names are found written in the Book. (Dn 12:1)
וּבָעֵ֣ת הַהִיא֩ יַעֲמֹ֨ד מִֽיכָאֵ֜ל הַשַּׂ֣ר הַגָּדֹ֗ול הָעֹמֵד֮ עַל־בְּנֵ֣י עַמֶּךָ֒ וְהָיְתָה֙ עֵ֣ת צָרָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־נִהְיְתָה֙ מִֽהְיֹ֣ות גֹּ֔וי עַ֖ד הָעֵ֣ת הַהִ֑יא וּבָעֵ֤ת הַהִיא֙ יִמָּלֵ֣ט עַמְּךָ֔ כָּל־הַנִּמְצָ֖א כָּת֥וּב בַּסֵּֽפֶר׃
In tempore autem illo consurget Michael, princeps magnus, qui stat pro filiis populi tui, et erit tempus angustiae, quale non fuit ab eo, quo gentes esse coeperunt, usque ad tempus illud. Et in tempore illo salvabitur populus tuus, omnis, qui inventus fuerit scriptus in libro.
καὶ κατὰ τὴν ὥραν ἐκείνην παρελεύσεται Μιχαηλ ὁ ἄγγελος ὁ μέγας ὁ ἑστηκὼς ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τοῦ λαοῦ σου· ἐκείνη ἡ ἡμέρα θλίψεως, οἵα οὐκ ἐγενήθη ἀφʼ οὗ ἐγενήθησαν ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης· καὶ ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ὑψωθήσεται πᾶς ὁ λαός, ὃς ἂν εὑρεθῇ ἐγγεγραμμένος ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ.
Distress (ṣārâ צָרָה): the verbal root of this word refers to the Akkadian verb “to wrap” and the Aramaic “to bind.” In Hebrew, this noun also means “pain (of childbirth),” “fear,” “affliction,” “misery,” “poverty.” In the Old Testament, it is most often found in prophetic speeches and wisdom literature and has connotations of “narrowness” in the physical sense.
In today’s First Reading (Dn 12:1-3), the prophet foretells a time of “distress” unlike any seen before. It should not surprise us that this time will also be a time of salvation—for is it not during times of distress that we most hope for deliverance from it and the affliction that all pain brings?
In the Gospel (Mk 13:24-32), on the other hand, the Lord Jesus tells His disciples about the fig tree that awakens to life and sends out fresh branches. Such awakening is what we need at every moment so that we do not live life like automatons caught in some “matrix,” but instead consciously perceive reality and recognize the providential action of God.
