#Lesson of the Fig Tree

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Jesus Tells of the House of God

1 Jesus went out of the house of God. On the way His followers came to Him to show Him the buildings of the house of God. 2 Jesus said to them, “Do you see all these things? For sure, I tell you, all these stones will be thrown down. Not one will be left standing on another.”

Jesus Teaches on the Mount of Olives

3 Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. The followers came to Him when He was alone and said, “Tell us, when will this happen? What can we look for to show us of Your coming and of the end of the world?”

4 Jesus said to them, “Be careful that no one leads you the wrong way. 5 Many people will come using My name. They will say, ‘I am Christ.’ They will fool many people and will turn them to the wrong way. 6 You will hear of wars and lots of talk about wars, but do not be afraid. These things must happen, but it is not the end yet. 7 Nations will have wars with other nations. Countries will fight against countries. There will be no food for people. The earth will shake and break apart in different places. 8 These things are the beginning of sorrows and pains.

9 “Then they will hand you over to be hurt. They will kill you. You will be hated by all the world because of My name. 10 Many people will give up and turn away at this time. People will hand over each other. They will hate each other. 11 Many false religious teachers will come. They will fool many people and will turn them to the wrong way. 12 Because of people breaking the laws and sin being everywhere, the love in the hearts of many people will become cold. 13 But the one who stays true to the end will be saved.

14 “This Good News about the holy nation of God must be preached over all the earth. It must be told to all nations and then the end will come.

Days of Trouble and Pain and Sorrow

15 “You will see a sinful man-made god standing in the house of God in Jerusalem. It was spoken of by the early preacher Daniel. The one who reads this should understand it. 16 Then those in the country of Judea should run to the mountains. 17 The man who is on the top of his house should not come down to take anything out of his house. 18 The man who is in the field should not go back to get his coat. 19 It will be hard for a woman who will soon be a mother. It will be hard for the ones feeding babies in those days! 20 Pray that you will not have to go in the winter or on the Day of Rest. 21 In those days there will be very much trouble and pain and sorrow. It has never been this bad from the beginning of the world and never will be again. 22 If the time had not been made short, no life would have been saved. Because of God’s people, the time will be made short.

The False Religious Teachers

23 “If anyone says to you, ‘See! Here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it. 24 People who say they are Christ and false preachers will come. They will do special things for people to see. They will do great things, so that if it can be done, God’s people will be fooled to believe something wrong. 25 Listen! I have told you before it comes. 26 If they tell you, ‘See! He is in the desert,’ do not go to see. Or if they say, ‘See! He is in the inside room,’ do not believe them. 27 The Son of Man will come as fast as lightning shines across the sky from east to west. 28 Birds gather wherever there is a dead body.

Jesus Will Come Again in His Shining Greatness

29 “As soon as those days of trouble and pain and sorrow are over, the sun will get dark. The moon will not give light. The stars will fall from the sky. The powers in the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then something special will be seen in the sky telling of the Son of Man. All nations of the earth will have sorrow. They will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of the sky with power and shining-greatness. 31 He will send His angels with the loud sound of a horn. They will gather God’s people together from the four winds. They will come from one end of the heavens to the other.

The Picture-Story of the Fig Tree

32 “Now learn something from the fig tree. When the branch begins to grow and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 In the same way, when you see all these things happen, you know the Son of Man is near, even at the door. 34 For sure, I tell you, the people of this day will not pass away before all these things have happened.

No One Knows When Jesus Will Come Again

35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. 36 But no one knows the day or the hour. No! Not even the angels in heaven know. The Son does not know. Only the Father knows.

37 “When the Son of Man comes, it will be the same as when Noah lived. 38 In the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking. They were marrying and being given in marriage. This kept on until the day Noah went into the large boat. 39 They did not know what was happening until the flood came and the water carried them all away. It will be like this when the Son of Man comes.

40 “Two men will be working in a field. One will be taken and the other will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding grain. One will be taken and the other will be left.

42 “Because of this, watch! You do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But understand this: If the owner of a house had known when the robber was coming, he would have watched. He would not have allowed his house to have been broken into. 44 You must be ready also. The Son of Man is coming at a time when you do not think He will come.

Faithful Servants and Servants Who Are Not Faithful

45 “Who is the faithful and wise servant whom his owner has made boss over the other servants? He is to have food ready for them at the right time. 46 That servant is happy who is doing what his owner wants him to do when he comes back. 47 For sure, I tell you, he will make him boss over all that he has. 48 But if that servant is bad, he will think, ‘The owner will not come soon.’ 49 He will beat the others. He will eat and drink with those who are drunk. 50 The owner will come on a day and at an hour when the servant is not looking for him. 51 The owner will punish the servant and will give him his place with those who pretend to be someone they are not. There will be loud crying and grinding of teeth. — Matthew 24 | New Life Version (NLV) New Life Version Bible Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Cross References: Genesis 6:5; Genesis 6:7-8; Genesis 7:23; Exodus 11:5; Exodus 19:16 Exodus 22:2; Deuteronomy 4:32; Deuteronomy 24:6; 2 Chronicles 15:6; Psalm 102:26; Proverbs 14:35; Proverbs 23:20; Proverbs 28:20; Isaiah 7:4; Isaiah 19:2; Jeremiah 13:25; Jeremiah 37:9; Matthew 8:12; Matthew 14:25; Matthew 16:27; Matthew 24:3; Matthew 25:10; Matthew 25:13; Matthew 25:21; Matthew 25:23; Mark 13:28; Mark 13:32; Luke 12:39; Luke 12:45-46; Luke 17:36; Luke 21:36; John 2:10; Acts 1:7; 1 Peter 1:1; 2 Peter 3:4; Revelation 2:4; Revelation 3:20

The Living Temple: A sermon by Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Key Passages in Matthew 24

Jesus foretells the destruction of the temple;

what and how great calamities shall be before it;

the signs of his coming to judgment.

And because that day and hour are unknown,

we ought to watch like good servants, expecting our Master's coming.

[wiirocku]

Matthew 24:32 (NLT) - “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near.

[mish-thi]

Figs of my life

Sculpting ,Architecture ,Medicine ,Law,Graphic designer , Animator ,Author , ice skatter , archery, English professor, linguistic degree , special kids teacher , teacher , something, anything that when I say it my dad smiles , anything when I say it my friends feel free to rely on me , all these things I have done before , parts of it . Never got to try ice skating but all these , I have tasted them and oh so sweet are they to leave behind and so cruel is my faith for i miss every chance I had to achieve them....

[lostsoulinabyss]

[tomicscomics]

11/15/2024

This guy needs a tree-chers' union.

JOKE-OGRAPHY: 1. In this Bible story, Jesus tells His disciples that there will be signs before the Son of Man (i.e. the Messiah, Jesus) returns at the end of days. The sun and moon will darken, and the stars will fall from the sky. He compares these signs to a tree sprouting leaves, pointing to a fig tree as an example. Just like the fig tree's new leaves are a sign that summer is on its way, these heavenly disasters will be a sign that the Son of Man is on His way. 2. In this cartoon, Jesus starts talking about the Son of Man like in the original Bible story. He gets to the part where he points out the fig tree and says, "Take a lesson from this fig tree." However, instead of the tree remaining respectfully silent like in the original story, the tree in this cartoon turns and interrupts him. It thinks that by "learn a lesson from this fig tree," Jesus meant for the tree to start teaching instead of Him. The tree is incorrect, as most trees are -- a flaw of their kind, and one of the many reasons God stripped them of their voices pre-Genesis (I assume).

[deminetly]

୨NOT SO DEEP JOURNALING PROMPTS୧

⠂⠁⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠂⠁⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂

if somebody were to make a love potion for you, what should they add in?

make a collage about your dream future

describe how you imagine pictures in your head

your fig tree

the loot you would drop in a video game

what are you currently feeling, wearing, thinking, loving, needing, wanting, hating, regretting, missing?

write down every single thought that comes up until the page is full

whats in my bag collage

write down a guide to having a good/productive day

your life story as a playlist

3-5 things you would save in a fire

“maybe I was born to…” (and add things that make you happy)

random and specific things that would “fix” you (ex: a new journal, a really sweet cup of tea)

what were you interested in as a child? go out and do those things and write down how you felt. did it feel the same as it did when you were younger?

if you could switch lives with someone forever then who would it be?

what kind of planet would you want to live in if you were an alien? (weather, gravity, nature, magic, creatures etc)

ask people you know for movie recommendations, watch and analyse the movies. why do you think they like the movie?

make up totally useless superpowers for superheroes

write down all of the lives you would be happy living

make a resume

deep dive on why you’re always sad on your birthday

write down small things that make life worth living

think of the coolest person you know. what makes them cool?how are you guys similar?

write down all of the best feelings in the world but make them really specific

instead of writing about your day, make a comic

plan a party. who’s coming? where is it? is there a theme?

draw your emotions as people

write down all of your favourite lyrics and analyse them. how are they similar? why do you like them? how do you relate to them?

write down a few things you’re never tried and don’t think you would like then go out and try doing one of them. write about how you felt. were you right about not liking it?

would you enjoy living on a boat?

what was the last risk you took? do you regret it?

which lessons are you learning at this stage of your life?

do you believe in magic, miracles and coincidences?

whats something that younger you wouldn’t believe about your current life?

how do you want people to feel around you?

think of a plot for a movie

list your favourite sensations (smells, sounds etc)

try to explain your favourite movie or show that someone who’s never seen it

write about your favourite spot in your city 

choose a random word concept and write a silly poem about it 

list small things that make you happy 

list different ways to say I love you 

make a maze

make a word puzzle

write about your day like chapter in a book or newspaper article 

list your favourite childhood memories

invent something new (music genre, word, gum flavor etc)

draw monster, give it a personality and name 

your starter pack

what would you do if you were rich?

list random facts you’ve learned recently 

write an essay/letter to God listing reasons why you should get what you want

where would you live if you were a fairy?

list fictional places you would visit 

list random life lessons you’ve learned 

rate every song in an album 

where would you live if you were a fairy

if you were cartoon character, what would your catchphrase be? 

if you were to write a book or a movie, what would it be about? 

list features that ‘arent beautiful’ according to the beauty standard but you find unique and gorgeous

your solutions to the trolley problem

whats your favourite form of art and why?

if you were a perfume, what would be the top, middle and base notes?

draw yourself then write down everything thats been on your mind lately just floating around you

if you were to participate in a talent show, then what with your talent to be?

if october was a man

write a poem about pomegranate

“im easy to please, all i need is…” and list random things you like

search up “what do you see? draw it” from pinterest and draw what you see

read a book and write down some new words you learned or just words you thought sounded nice

what do you think your energy/aura looks like?

write down all the songs that remind you of yourself

whats something that loves and kills?

would you like living in the universe of your favourite movie/show? why?

how does your favourite song make you feel?

write daily entries about an imaginary royal life you live

go on a walk, write down all the locations of the prettiest places, capture them (print or draw pictures and write about how they make you feel)

imagine you’re hosting a tea party for your past, present and future self. what stories or secrets what they share with each other?

if you could bottle up any feeling from a specific moment in your life to keep forever, what would it be?

try to remember a wish that you made a long time ago, how would you feel if it came true now?

what memory do you revisit the most and why do you think it holds such power over you?

what piece of advice would you give to a traveller who was about to embark on a journey inside of your mind? 

do you think dreams have meanings?

if your personality was a landscape, what would it look like? would it be a forest, desert, a bustling city or something entirely different like a magical kingdom?

imagine your life is a book and a new character enters in this chapter, who are they and what role do they play in your story?

if you could speak directly to the moon tonight, what would you say or ask and what do you hope she would reply?

if your life was a fairytale, what would be the reoccurring magical object and what does it symbolise for you?

write a new ending to a significant chapter of your life, changing one key decision or event. how does this ending shape the person you become? 

write about a dream you wish you had while sleeping but never did

you find a golden key in your pocket that opens a door to a parallel universe where one aspect of your life is completely different. what is it? how do you feel in this new version of your life?

if your life had a colour palette what would it look like? what does each colour represent? 

write a message, seal it in a bottle and toss it into the sea of possibility. what do you write? who do you hope finds it?

write a letter to your current self from the perspective of your inner child. what advice, reminders or dreams do they want you to remember?

trace your hand and in it draw things youre holding onto even though you know you shouldnt

“me core” page (add lyrics, characters and pictures that represent you, your vibe)

start labelling every day like a TV show episode

make a sticker pocket

write the whole page in a fun font

instead of writing, draw how you feel

make bingo cards

write something with every pencil and pen that are in your pencil case 

put your playlist on shuffle and write down every lyric you relate to until the page is full 

design a tattoo you would get

draw how you think different peoples fridges would look like (ocs, characters, celebrities, your friends)

write down as many (good) memories from your childhood as you can remember 

get three random words and write a story or silly poem, including all of them

write about someone or something that keeps occurring in your dreams. why do you think that is?

who are your favourite and least favourite characters? why? how do you see yourself in these characters?

if you had to get a tattoo right now, what would you get? what meaning does it have to you?

where is the most ideal place to read a book?

write a short story about how the stars were created

what have been the biggest changes you have noticed in yourself in the span of a year?

would you be okay with your life if it stayed exactly how it is now? if no, what would you want to change?

would you want to live in your favourite show/movie? why?

who brings out the best in you? what about the worst?

write about your life events this month like a chapter in a book

“this reminds me of me” page

make up a different personality for each letter of the alphabet and assign people that you know letters according to their personalities

list all of the songs you know by heart

are you a dreamer or a realist?

whats the first thing you notice about people?

define beauty

do you think your name fits you?

design a dress while in a high vibrational state and then design another (different) one while in a low vibrational state

how would you explain dancing and singing to an alien?

what are the first things you notice about a person?

define beauty

have you ever found a writer who thinks just like you? who?

do you think your social media profile is an accurate representation of you?

do you think your appearance is an accurate representation of you?

what’s the exact opposite of you? which qualities do you like and which ones do you not?

what do you think people that have had a big impact on you would say about you?

format a page like a tumblr post

draw a song

if you were to switch places with someone and they had to pretend to be you, what would you tell them?

analyse people you have liked. what do they have in common? why did you like them? why do you not like them anymore?

write about a time you realised youre no longer a child

lets say you created one thing into this world before being born. what do you think it is? why?

deeply analyse and overexplain something random

meeting with your younger self trend - when did both of you arrive? what did both of you order? what did they tell you and what did you tell them?

if you lost all of your memories what would you want to be the first thing someone reminds you of?

what kind of character would you best perform as if you were an actor?

which topics would you write a really good essay on?

design the house you would live in if you were a mouse

make a word search

make an iceberg about a topic of your choice

when was the last time you did something for the first time?

make a bingo card

make a list of ways to say "I love you" without saying it

write a letter to your future lover

make up fun jobs youd like to work but they dont exist

do you think you're the muse or the artist? would you wish to be the opposite?

find an old photo of you as a child and try to remember as much as you can about the moment it was taken (credits to dottygoth for this one)

find a random painting you like and write about it, whats the meaning? how do you see yourself in it? why did you choose that one?

make a list of very specific things you like about yourself

do you believe in love at first sight? why?

list things you wouldn’t be you without

write down every person you dislike and why, then try to find something you like about each one

what makes someone interesting?

make a whole list of positive "what if."s

whats the most impressive thing you think you could do with your eyes closed? try it and see if you really can

whats the coolest place youve ever been to? why? would you visit again?

make a mind map - draw the enterance to your mind and all of the places (ex: the kingdom of ideas

if you were to be taxidermied, which position would you want to be in? draw it

compare your dream job to your younger selfs dream job. what changed?

make a levels of intimacy triangle

choose 3 different jobs that you would like working and write a short description of your day if you did work there

what are the main differences between you right now and you one year ago?

rate/rank all of your past friends

start collecting hair from people close to you in a page

write about why your favourite song/movie is your favourite

if someone were to go through your youtube search history, what would they think you like? is it accurate to what you actually like?

list some "embarrasing" phases youve gone through

how do you show love to a partner? what about a friend? how about family? how are they different? how are they similar? give examples for each one

if you could ask one question and be guaranteed the absolute truth, what would you ask? what does that say about you?

what makes you fall in love with someone? why?

which apologies are you still waiting for? who might be waiting for an apology from you?

plan an ideal wedding/ birthday party (whos coming, where is it, what are you wearing, whats the theme, what kind of food, which presents are you getting, what time does it start, etc)

rank weekdays, months and seasons

what are your favourite and least favourite times of day? why?

draw your favourite song

list things you have lost or forgotten

list your favourite words

if you were to be famous, what would you be famous for?

what's the first thing you notice about someone and what's the first thing you hope someone notices about you?

write about your favourite childhood memory

if you could find out the truth about any mystery, which one would it be why? what do you think the truth is?



[tending-the-hearth]

first off oh god my beloveds i love them more than anything

but also UGH THE SYMBOLISM OF THE DIFFERENT FRUITS AROUND THEM!!!!!!!!!

Gaius:

Pears: represent divine sustenance, inner peace, and are often associated in Christian art with the Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus (pls pls pls let Gaius meet Mama Mary in s5 i think they'd get along)

Grapes: within the context of Gaius, I'm taking them to represent the Blood of Christ, i fear that should be obvious

Apples: the Temptation and the Fall, knowledge

Figs: the main symbolism for these that I can think of is the story in the Bible of Jesus cursing the fig tree that he and the Apostles found because it didn't have any fruit, and he turned it into a lesson, and the fruit representing the sharing of Jesus' message.

Pomegranates: specifically within Christian art, they represent the Resurrection and live everlasting

also just... Gaius being one of the only ones to ONLY have fruit on his plate, and within the Bible, specifically the New Testament, fruit is used as a metaphor for those who have received Jesus' word, and spread it like seeds?????

Joanna:

Her specifically being the only one who does not have anything on her plate, and her cup is overturned, and the ONLY fruit being visible being pomegranates and grapes?????

her refusing to drink of the same cup as them??????????

and we know she has been one of the only Gentiles who has stuck with Jesus for the longest time, and who will end up being one of the women who visits Jesus' tomb after he dies???

i've gotten emotional over the portraits they've released i'm not going to be able to last when i go see s5

[stromuprisahat]

Tsar Cotton and Tsaritsa Plums

or How a political union of progressive second Prince and a Living Saint could've turned into an agricultural disaster

While I don't ship it on personal level, I have to admit certain appeal of Nikolina. The idea of a well-meaning, patriotic Prince persuading a rising religious icon to help him save the country isn't half bad.

Today I won't focus on deficiencies of their general personalities or lacking relationship, but a specific hole in both their range of knowledge and its catastrophic impact on Ravka as a country and the land itself from ecological viewpoint.

Nikolai is presented as a genius engineer and a brilliant philanthropist. As soon as the civil war's over, he puts great effort into feeding Ravkan people instead of starving them.

“Faced with steel saw blades,” he whispered, brushing his hand over the new plow as he passed, as if it were a lucky talisman. He wasn’t sure why the blades were better, but when the plow had arrived, those were the words his father had proudly repeated to their neighbors, and Dima liked the strong sound of them. There had been long arguments at the kitchen table about the plow, along with all the king’s agricultural reforms and what trouble or hope they might bring.

King of Scars- Chapter 1

The thing is... his plans don't get overly specific. Even the quote above doesn't tell us more than that the miraculous plough consists of steel parts, and excuse me when I remember my history lessons, but upgrading horse-driven ploughs were a thing around the first half of 19th century. Fjerdans build working tanks. That's about a century of development further.

Ravka is a backwards starving hellhole feeding peasants rye bread with salted herring, when they lack workers for fields of the first, and access to sea for the later. The obvious solution? Potatoes, beetroot and turnips ("The night is dark and full of turnips."), ponds of freshwater fish for protein. Cabbages are good for vitamin C and as sauerkraut easy to store, legumes are also easy to grow, rich in iron and dried can be stored pretty easily for a long time etc. etc.. Just look up European peasant food!

That's how you feed them first.

Nikolai also intends to free the serfs.

By persuading their owners to grow cotton (link to that and some of those preferable crops).

In Ravka, a country of humid continental climate without larger water bodies, famous for snow-heavy winters and somehow also white nights as far as Os Alta...

His focus lies where it isn't merely of no use, but would drain already scarce water sources, devalue soil and produce nothing considerable in return. In addition it wouldn't help feeding the populace, and it sure as hell wouldn't improve their socio-economic situation.

How could his union with Alina make any of this worse you ask?

We're supposed to believe Alina is a peasant, raised in an orphanage, where she was expected to help with its everyday workings. Quite a win for a country such as Ravka you'd think, right?

Nope! She's more likely to pick a correct fork for snails, than a hoe.

Alina is a person, who believes plums in autumn had to come from a hothouse, but figs won't surprise her. I couldn't find a source stating plums truly require frost, but it's one of a few fruit trees normally capable to withstand -26°C (-40°C for some varieties). European plum also doesn't like temperatures above 35°C and too high humidity means fungal issues.

Alina never asks how come inland-bound country has salt-water fish, she just doesn't like to eat it. When she's confronted with possible need to take care of a larger amount of people, she simply orders others to feed them, not once stopping to ask herself how are they supposed to achieve it. She's the Saint. She tells others what to do, and stuff happens...

Now put these two together. One has some vague ideas about how nature works for him, the other is so used to full plate she doesn't even know foodstuff has to come from some place, least of all it might have various requirements.

By the time the mortal one's dead, Ravka is wrung dry in more than one sense. Cold desert wasteland, no Fold needed.

[eri-pl]

Another ficlet. Finrod, Feanor, a natural history lesson in the Halls of Mandos. Not a part of the calendar, this ficlet just happened.

Warnings: nature-documentary-levels of violence (insects dying in awful ways, it may be triggering), discussion of animal reproduction, discussion of death and suffering. Not graphical, but still evocative. And idk how to phrase it, but: don't read if you have triggers around pregnancy. Seriously.

Also, fig trees are weird. Like, really weird. They are irl. If the idea of a cool, metaphorical tree from the Bible (or: a cool tree with fruit that you do eat) being somewhat eldritch triggers you, don't read (and don't google the detailed biology of anything form the genus Ficus)

“And you're showing me all this, because…?”

Finrod saw himself in Feanor's old studio, the host impatiently paced back and forth as he used to. The image was much more detailed than his own memories: the smell of wax and ink, the rustling of papers moved by the warm wind that entered through the window, even the slight aftertaste of coffee.

He missed being alive, more than ever. And yet…

“Lord Námo said it may be helpful,” he replied.

“Helpful for them, to convince me to forfeit my heart, which I don't even have anymore?” Feanor scoffed at him, and a wave of bitterness washed over Finrod. “Or helpful to you, to have someone congratulate you for all your dubious philosophical speculations? Or maybe for helping a Man steal what is not his?”

“This he did not say, but I came to you, uncle—”

“Half-uncle.”

It did not matter much and Finrod didn't hide this feeling. “—to help you lessen your pain, even if only by a little.”

“How graceful. Truely, a son of Arafinwë. Speaking of which, why didn't you crawl back to the Valar with him?” Even in a dream of the dead, Feanor's voice was full of melody and emotion. How was his memory and imagination so detailed?

“I'm not sure. I thought that I could change something, that I could — and have to — protect my father's people. And I was curious about Middle Earth. This too.”

“I see that you have grown up somewhat. Good. So, tell me, Findaráto, has your curiosity been satisfied?”

“Partially. Mostly— no, not mostly. But as much as it could be, I suppose.”

There was a long silence, broken only by the rustling of the leaves outside, and an occasional bird call. Feanor was shielded, almost unpresent, hiding behind the image. He didn't even bother to make the vision of him breathe.

Eventually, he returned and gestured at the alabaster vase, filled with fig branches, which hadn't been there before. “Tell me, do you know how those bear fruit?”

What did it have to do with anything? But Finrod knew better than to argue with his uncle.

“Half-uncle. And no: I don't care that you did not show me yourself saying this. As long as you keep it open, I consider it said. But back to my question.”

Just like Lord Námo, but quicker to get upset. Of course, from his uncle— half-uncle — Finrod could close part of his thoughts. But there had been enough distance between them already, and that would only increase it.

How did fig trees bear fruit? They grew hidden flowers, enclosed in growths that looked like smaller figs and matured into them. The Men believed that those plants, unlike all others, didn't produce flowers or need pollination, but this was of course false.

“And what does pollinate them?” Feanor spoke like a teacher, and Finrod realized that in the vision they shared he was now a child. Should he try to contest it? But he had come to his half-uncle to console him, not to argue. If Feanor would have him as a child, so be it.

He came closer to the branches. Some of them had mature fruit, some young, and some had the small figs that goats ate. “I don't know, I have never thought of that before. I suppose they pollinate themselves— but no, it would make no sense if they had no other tree to mate with. And they do need those small figs nearby… So I would assume those are sources of the pollen and some kind of small creature — an insect or arachnid — pollinates them.”

Feanor nodded and poked one of the maturing small figs with his finger. A group of tiny flies emerged from it — no, not flies, their bodies were built like very small wasps. Some had wings, some crawled on their bellies — and those were dying.

“Look at the females closely,” said Feanor, pulling Finrod’s attention to the winged wasps. Each of them had tiny specks of pollen on her body. They took flight, and landed on the immature figs — some on the small ones, and one on the big that looked like it could mature into an edible fruit.

“They will each crawl inside an enclosed flower — more like a garden actually. Inside each of those goat figs there are many flowers, now the male ones aren't mature yet, but the female ones will be pollinated by what the wasps brought. And in some of them the insect will lay her eggs, preventing growth of the fruit — the tiny actual fruit, not what the ignorants call a fruit — the others shall grow. And when the eggs mature, the new wasps will emerge into the inside of the fig, and mate, and take the pollen from the now-ready male flowers. Then the male wasps will dig a tunnel out and die. And the females will fly out, and enter more unripe figs, tearing off their antennae and wings in the agonizing process, pollinate, lay eggs and die soon after.”

Finrod looked up at his half-uncle's face. “And what do they do here, in Aman? I suppose—”

Feanor smiled and his eyes glistened with fire, but there was no mirth in it. “Where do you think I studied them?”

They stood in silence and pain. No death in the Undying Lands, except when there is. But for the Fruit-Giver the trees had always been more important than things that moved, weren't they?

Finrod shook it off — those weren't his thoughts — but didn't close himself out. He looked at the dying insects and at Feanor. “Once, I would try to comfort you by saying that the figs are beautiful, or that the new wasps are born and fly… But it hurts. Dying. It hurts so much. I'm sorry.”

“You have grown somewhat, indeed. Yes, the new wasps grow… but it's not even the whole of it. We haven't talked about the sweet figs yet.”

Finrod listened.

Feanor poked the ripe sweet fig, but no insect came out. “When a wasp enters the sweet fig,” he said slowly, “she has no place to lay her eggs. The flowers are shaped differently. She pollinates them, and dies — broken, useless, discarded — and the plant digests her until there's nothing left. Just the sweet fruit, for the joy of the Eldar and more glory of the Valar. Tell me, my little philosopher, what do you think: do figs pity wasps? Do they even think about them?”

Finrod forced himself to stay open despite the pain and anger pouring onto him. “They don't know the pain of death, so how could they pity it?”

“Yet, how could they not? How can they expect— and not even care —” Feanor's voice shook, the wasps quivered in agony, the room trembled. Words and feelings roared around like a storm. Slowly, it calmed down and Feanor resumed: “And yet, they do expect. They gave nothing to me, and yet I'm supposed to give everything, and why? Because only I can do that? Because I'm the biggest wasp that they have in their cage? Nobody else is asked for something like this.

“I'm supposed to tear out my heart, and get nothing out of it, and everyone else shall be happy, and I shall be — gone, not even a trace left, digested into the sweetness of a fig. Yes, I know this would be noble of me. I do not care. I do not want to be noble, I've tried being noble already and it didn't work. I want, for a change, to be happy. And I won't take anything less than that.”

The vision blurred, they were in the room, and they were the wasps crawling into a fig, and they were dead bodies lying under the brilliant light that they had helped recover… Finrod took control, dreaming then into his studio, back in Nargothrond. The figs were still there, but now in a simpler, Man-made vase.

“What's this?” Feanor pointed to an empty, unimagined place where a door should be.

Oh. This. Finrod would rather not delve into the whole Celegorm and Curufin situation. “Not very relevant. Two of your sons learned that I was planning to help Beren and, well, we had a disagreement. They took control of the city for some time, but we did not fight. Just argued.”

“What else would you expect them to do?” Feanor stood behind Finrod’s desk in his regal robes, hands behind back, scanning the studio. It was a messy room, compared to his.

“What else would you expect me to do?”

“Not— Oh, I see. You could have mentioned more clearly that you have also been bound by an oath. At least now you understand.” It should have been a question, but wasn't.

“I didn't kill anyone for it.”

“Not with your own hands, no. I appreciate you not murdering my sons for protecting our property. It was more than I would expect with your Telerin heritage.”

Finrod looked him in the eye — now as they were in his imagination, he wasn't a child anymore. “Why are you trying to provoke me? What is this really about? Do you want me to say that we shouldn't have the Trees back if the cost is so high? That we shouldn't have figs or happiness or whatever the metaphor is— I don't know! I trust in the Valar knowing what they're doing, even if they cannot understand how much it takes, but that's just it: trust. And I cannot understand it fully either. Even now. Nobody can, because we aren't you! What do you expect me to say?”

Feanor shrugged lightly. “Honestly? I expected you to say something sanctimonious, a multitude of pretty words about the greater good, sacrifice, and how the wasp dies happy and cheerful, because she knows that it will give joy to everyone else.”

Had Finrod really been like this? Simplistic, blunt, and certain about the things he had no experience with? Maybe. Probably.

“Definitely,” said Feanor, surprised. “You didn't know. How ironic.”

“I apologize. I— I don't think anyone has the right to expect from others something he had not gone through himself. And even now…” The shadows deepened around them, and the air smelled of wolves. Not too much, not out of control anymore, but it was noticeable. “I do not know how I managed to. I'm not who I had thought myself to be; I was terrified, and weak, and lost, and yet… it was enough, somehow. Just enough to do what I had to do. Not to tell anyone else what he should do. To know, yes. But not to claim any authority. Not to try to push you… I'm not making much sense, am I?”

Feanor stepped closer to him, emanating warmth, and the shadows moved back from the light of the fire that was his spirit. The vision was now equally imagined by both of them: a shadowed room blending various memories, unripe figs on the table blazing with light. Pieces of broken marble. Tapestries on the walls. Noticeable lack of blood on the floor. Smell of the sea, or maybe of tears.

“You are both the wasp and the fruit,” Finrod said warmly, looking at the gobelins. They were beautiful.

“I never asked to be a fig! I never—.”

“I know. Nobody asks for it, I suppose. I'm certain Beren didn't either. And yet, if I were to make that choice again, I'd make it all the same.”

Feanor traced the pattern of the tapestry with his finger. “You had a choice.”

“That is true. But does it change much?”

“I don't know.” He started to fade, and with him the tapestry and parts of the room.

“Wait.”

Feanor's presence returned. “There's nothing more to say. You can't convince me—”

“I don't intend to.” Finrod smiled. “Nor do I have anything wise to say to you. But we can simply be here. I miss you.”

“Soon you will go, I can feel life calling to you, your mind longing for its senses. As does mine. The only difference is that you are free to follow. But if you want to dream with me for a while more, I won't forbid you.”

“Thank you, uncle.”

Feanor didn't reply and they sat together, the wasps buzzing around them— or maybe they were moths? Something winged and surprisingly fragile, of that Finrod was certain.

[girlactionfigure]

the (Jewish) New Year of Trees

FEBRUARY 12, 2025

THE JEWISH NEW YEAR...OF TREES?

You are probably familiar with Rosh Hashanah, or the Jewish New Year, which takes place in the fall. But did you know that there are four new years in Judaism...one of which celebrates the “birthday” of trees?

Tu Bishvat is somewhat of a Jewish equivalent to Earth Day. It’s observed by religious and secular Jews alike, and often used to highlight environmental and natural causes. It’s also traditional to plant trees in Israel on this holiday.

SPARKNOTES HISTORY LESSON

The origins of Tu Bishvat can be traced back to ancient Israel. This is because the Torah warned the Israelites that, upon entering Israel, the fruits from a tree should be regarded as “forbidden” for the first three years of the tree’s life. After five years, the fruit could be consumed. 

However, this prohibition created a conundrum for the farmers: how do you mark the “birthday” of a tree...let alone all the trees in the Land of Israel?

This is how the rabbis eventually agreed to mark a date as the “birthday” for all trees. This date was the 15th of the Hebrew month of Shevat, or Tu Bishvat.

TU BISHVAT UNDERSCORES THE IMPORTANCE OF THE LAND OF ISRAEL TO THE JEWISH PEOPLE

Tu Bishvat is one of many Jewish land-based holidays that highlight the strong territorial links between the Jewish people, identity, culture, tradition, Judaism, and Eretz Israel, or the Land of Israel. 

The Jewish people became a nation in the Land of Israel, some 3000 years ago. Like other ancient nations, Jews have long revered their ancestral homeland, including its natural elements. It’s for this reason, for example, that the Seven Species -- wheat, barley, dates, grapes, figs, pomegranates, and olives -- feature so prominently in Judaism and Jewish culture. Many Jewish holidays assign special spiritual significance to fruits native to the Land of Israel, like the lulav and etrog during Sukkot. 

Unfortunately, after centuries of foreign conquest, the Land of Israel, once the land of “milk and honey,” underwent a process of desertification that depleted the local ecology due to man-made erosion and malaria. 

Since then, however, Israelis have gone through great lengths to rehabilitate the environment, restore its water, and even bring long-extinct ancient trees like the Judean date palm back to life.

TU BISHVAT IN MODERN ISRAEL 

Though Tu Bishvat is considered a “minor” Jewish holiday, it’s enthusiastically celebrated by religious and secular Israelis alike. Every year, over a million Israelis participate in tree-planting activities during Tu Bishvat. 

The tradition of planting trees in Israel on Tu Bishvat dates back to the late 19th century. It likely originated with Rabbi Ze’ev Yavetz, who, in 1890, took his students to plant trees at a moshav (Israeli cooperative agricultural community). This new tradition was quickly adopted by the Association of Hebrew Teachers in Ottoman Palestine in 1906, which made it mandatory for schools to participate in tree-planting activities on Tu Bishvat. 

In addition to planting trees, many Israelis observe a “Tu Bishvat seder,” reviving a Kabbalistic tradition from the 16th century. 

Finally, Tu Bishvat is used as a day to highlight important environmental and ecological causes.

THE STORY OF THE JUDEAN DATE PALM: WHERE ANCIENT ISRAEL MEETS MODERN ISRAEL 

The Judean date palm is a plant native to Eretz Israel. In ancient times, its fruit was not only a staple in Israel, but it became a spiritual symbol during the period of the Kingdom of Judah (930-587 BCE), and was even used medicinally. It is also mentioned multiple times in the Torah and adorned ancient Jewish currency. 

But by the 13th century, thanks to the environmental abuse of foreign empires, the Judean date palm became fully extinct. 

In 1963, Israeli professor Yigal Yadin uncovered date palm seeds from ~155 BCE-64 CE preserved in an ancient jar while carrying out archeological excavations at Masada. 

Then, in 2005, scientists at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies were able to sprout several seeds. Three of the seeds were planted, and 8 weeks later, one of the seeds sprouted. The plant is known as “Methuselah,” named after the oldest-lived person in the Hebrew Bible.

"And you, mountains of Israel, you shall give forth your branches and you shall bear your fruit for my people Israel, for they shall soon come."

Talmud Sanhedrin 98a

ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITMENT ON BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL PROGRAMS

In keeping with the spirit of the Jewish dedication to the preservation of the Land of Israel and the environment, Birthright Israel is one of the Israeli organizations taking important steps to pursue a sustainable and environmentally friendly future through Greening, their dedicated sustainability initiative. Some initiatives within Greening include:

Successful completion of the pilot project offsetting carbon emissions through tree planting, with plans to scale up to 5,000-10,000 trees annually.

The Birthright Israel Onward Green Energy cohort facilitating internships for 30 US college students in Israeli environmental companies.

Birthright Israel Excel participants engaging in sustainability internships with prominent organizations, contributing to real-world impact.

Growth and development of specific “Green” modules for participation on 10-day trips.

Contributing to a network of greening sites along key trip routes, highlighting environmental sustainability while seamlessly integrating Jewish content.

You can learn more about the Israeli ecosystem and experience Israel for FREE on Birthright Israel.

rootsmetals

This evening marks the beginning of Tu Bishvat, also known as the “New Year of Trees,” one of the many holidays proving the ancient connection between the Jewish people and Israel. To sign up for your free trip and learn more about Israel, visit the link in my bio. Chag sameach!

[twiggy-in-pink]

“Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.”

Matthew 24:32-35

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Readiness at Any Hour

36-41 But about that actual day and time no one knows—not even the angels of Heaven, nor the Son, only the Father. For just as life went on in the days of Noah so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man. In those days before the flood people were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage until the very day that Noah went into the ark, and knew nothing about the flood until it came and destroyed them all. So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one is taken and one is left behind. Two women will be grinding at the hand-mill; one is taken and one is left behind.

42-44 “You must be on the alert then, for you do not know when your master is coming. You can be sure of this, however, that if the householder had known what time of night the burglar would arrive, he would have been ready for him and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. That is why you must always be ready, for you do not know what time the Son of Man will arrive.” — Matthew 24:36-44 | J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS) The New Testament in Modern English by J.B Phillips copyright © 1960, 1972 J. B. Phillips. Cross References: Genesis 6:5; Genesis 6:8; Genesis 7:7; Genesis 7:23; Exodus 11:5; Exodus 22:2; Deuteronomy 24:6; Matthew 14:25; Matthew 16:27; Matthew 24:3; Matthew 24:27; Matthew 25:10; Matthew 25:13; Mark 13:32; Luke 12:39; Luke 21:36; Luke 17:36; Acts 1:7

[cultkinkcoven]

Lucifer The Trickster

Daemon Barzai

“Among different masks and guises of Lucifer, without a doubt, the Trickster is one of the most attractive. This aspect of Lucifer has a close relationship with men, their needs and desires. It is easy to find him in everyday life. He enjoys the company of humans. But this aspect of Lucifer not always answers the magician’s calling. His nature is changeable, ambiguous, and, above all, tricky. Those who are looking for him, can find him at the crossroads in the middle of the night or in wild forests. Lucifer always tests the magician who summons him. We can find evidence of this in many legends and stories. In classical grimoires, we found detailed descriptions of a pact between a magician and Lucifer. The magician wishes for wealth but in exchange he sells his immortal soul, and 20 years later the magician becomes the devil’s slave.

If we analyze this legend, the message is simple, Lucifer puts the magician through ordeals and tests. With this aspect of Lucifer, hardly anything is for free and everything has a price. An ambitious magician may pay with his own life after a period of material wealth and pleasures. But above all, the magician should bear in mind that there are always tests and ordeals. If the magician is able to pass the tests, he will find real wealth, which is waiting not on the material plane, but on the spiritual.

It is interesting to see how this mask of Lucifer is present in different cultures. In Argentina, there is a secret cult/form of dark witchcraft known as “El Legado de San Diablo” (The Legacy of Saint Devil). This legacy works with the folklore aspect of Lucifer. In this cult, the aspirant should summon Lucifer at the crossroads, in a solitary place, alone in the middle of the night and make a pact with him. But first, the magician should pass all kinds of tests, and if he passes them he will gain a powerful ally.

The Legacy of Saint Devil is a very dark form of witchcraft. It has a foundation in the native folk tradition. It is easy to see that “Saint Devil” is a pejorative name which reflects the antinomian nature of this form of witchcraft. In the Legacy, it is Lucifer that teaches the secrets of the cult.

In another Argentinean legend Lucifer appears in a native story called Salamanca. According to the legend, on special and magical nights a secret cave opens its doors in the middle of wilderness, where nature is untamed and there is no civilization. The legend has it that the cave opens its doors for those who look for Lucifer. But one more time, the person has to pass all kinds of tests and ordeals. These tests are about rationality. The person can sell one's soul in exchange for knowledge or whatever he/she wants. In this legend, Lucifer appears as half-human half-animal with a tail, horns and a devilish face. Also, he can appear as a Black Man, like in descriptions of old legends of witchcraft.

Another legend speaks of Saint John’s Night. A person who wishes to make a pact with Lucifer should go alone, at midnight, under a fig tree and call Lucifer with pure will and without fear. The fig tree has only one flower. The magician has to “grasp” this flower and Lucifer will appear ready to make a pact.

All these legends have one thing in common—Lucifer is a tricky and wise spirit. He enjoys the company of men. And also, he enjoys tempting man with mundane riches but then he comes back to demand payment for his favors. The lesson here is simple, Lucifer has a great power, he can give the magician whatever he wants, power, money, etc. But first, the magician should dare to make a pact with him. However, bear in mind that the true wealth is not in material things but in the spiritual world. This is the secret of a successful pact with Lucifer. This does not mean that you cannot achieve wealth or power, but all this should have a proper balance between both realms. Also, it is important that Lucifer always asks something in exchange for his favors. He can be a powerful ally and the best teacher, but you need to know how to negotiate with him...”

[myremnantarmy]

𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟕, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐆𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐥

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Mk 13:24-32

Jesus said to his disciples:

"In those days after that tribulation

the sun will be darkened,

and the moon will not give its light,

and the stars will be falling from the sky,

and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

"And then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in the clouds'

with great power and glory,

and then he will send out the angels

and gather his elect from the four winds,

from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.

"Learn a lesson from the fig tree.

When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves,

you know that summer is near.

In the same way, when you see these things happening,

know that he is near, at the gates.

Amen, I say to you,

this generation will not pass away

until all these things have taken place.

Heaven and earth will pass away,

but my words will not pass away.

"But of that day or hour, no one knows,

neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

[williamoftyred]

The Phoenix of Jerusalem

Chapters 11 and 12

Chapter Eleven: The Words Never Said

Some things are written only when the heart is too proud to speak them.

Then.

He hadn't meant to hurt her.

But boys of eight rarely know how to stop their tongues before they strike.

They had been in the orchard again—where they always went when the palace grew too loud. Baldwin had just returned from a lesson in strategy, full of Latin and frustration, and Ysolde had met him at the fountain with a stolen fig and that infuriating smirk she always wore when she was right.

They argued—over a falcon, of all things.

She said he shouldn't keep it tethered so tightly. He said she shouldn't pretend to understand things meant for princes. The words came out sharper than he'd intended.

"You always think you know better, Ysolde," he snapped. "But you're just the physician's daughter. You play at being important."

She flinched as though struck.

Then she went still. Cold.

"You think I play?" she whispered.

He opened his mouth, realized too late, and closed it again.

She set the fig down, untouched, and turned to leave.

"Ysolde, wait—"

But she didn't.

And he didn't follow.

Instead, Baldwin went back to his chamber, pacing, biting his knuckles to keep from crying. His pride wouldn't let him chase her. But his chest ached with the wrongness of it.

So he did what he never let anyone see.

He wrote.

21 September, Feast of St. Matthew.

Today I said something cruel to her.

I don't know why. She makes me feel like I'm not only a prince. Like I'm just... myself. Maybe that frightens me.

She was right about the falcon.

She is often right. That frightens me, too.

If I could say one thing to her now, it wouldn't be an apology.

It would be: don't stop coming to the orchard.

Please.

Now.

The journal was dust-covered, its leather cracked with age.

Baldwin hadn't even remembered the chest. It sat behind a row of rarely worn garments, near the back of his chamber's armoire. He'd been searching for something else entirely—a misplaced decree, perhaps—but when he opened the lid, the scent of parchment and cedar hit him like incense at a childhood mass.

He lifted the bundle of books gently.

Some were records, old maps. Letters.

But one was small, battered, and tied with a blue ribbon.

He undid the knot slowly.

Pages rustled like dry leaves. His own handwriting greeted him, half-formed and spidery. The script of a boy who had not yet known pain—or at least not by that name.

Then he saw it.

21 September.

He read the entry twice, then a third time.

He could barely breathe.

Ysolde.

You think I play?

Her voice rang in his head now—clearer than it had been in years. The way she drew her shoulders back when wounded, how she used silence as a blade.

And suddenly, everything rushed back.

The orchard. The falcon. The scent of figs and ink. Her scolding laughter. The curve of her brow when he made her blush. The strange pride he'd felt when she beat him at riddles. The emptiness when she didn't return the next day.

And the days after that.

And the day the riots came.

He sat heavily at the edge of his bed, the journal open on his lap.

He'd buried her. Grieved her. Forgot her face to survive her absence.

But she had never left him, not truly.

And now, as he read the words he'd written but never said, a single name hovered like a breath he'd held too long.

Ysolde.

And in the woman who now walked his halls—Amira—he heard her again.

In her silences.

In her steadiness.

In the ache he felt when she turned to leave.

He set the journal down.

Hands trembling—not with sickness, but memory.

And whispered, like a child in the dark:

"Is it you?"

Chapter Twelve: Before the Fire

"I'll forgive you if you forgive me," she'd meant to say. But she never got the chance.

She hadn't wanted to walk away.

Not really.

Ysolde had waited in the garden the next morning. And the next. Sitting cross-legged in the same spot where the fig tree curved low to the ground, where they'd shared secrets and stolen pastries and ridiculous, whispered dreams.

She had meant to return with a smile.

To say: I overreacted. You're a prince. I'm... me. We both said things.

To say: I missed you.

To say: I forgive you if you forgive me.

But she never saw him again.

She could still hear his voice in that last argument, sharp and flushed with pride. You're just the physician's daughter. You play at being important.

It had wounded her more than she let show.

Because it wasn't true. Because it was partially true. Because she had spent her short life learning how to speak softly but still be heard, how to walk between servants and royalty like someone who belonged nowhere and everywhere. And Baldwin... he had been the one person who never treated her like she was temporary.

Until he did.

She thought she'd have the chance to forgive him.

She thought they had more time.

The riot began not with shouts—but with silence.

A priest was found dead near the market quarter—stabbed, they said, his body desecrated with strange symbols. Whispers moved like smoke through the stone streets: Jews. Healers. Infidels. In the shadow of holy places, suspicion found its fuel. One word too many. One merchant too loud. One monk with a torch in his hand and no one to stop him.

By noon, the crowds had gathered outside her father's quarters near the scholars' wing.

By mid-afternoon, the first stone was thrown through the stained-glass window of their apothecary.

By nightfall, Jerusalem burned.

She remembered the sound first—the splintering of the door, wood groaning beneath boots. Her father shouting for her to stay hidden. The crash of a shelf falling. The smell of smoke and blood tangled together, thick enough to choke.

She had hidden in the cistern beneath the courtyard, crouched between barrels of water and jars of salt. Through the slats, she saw her father strike one of them with a pestle, shouting something in Arabic. A second blow took him in the ribs. A third—no voice after that.

Her mother had fled to the garden with Ysolde's brother in her arms. There were flames by then. She never saw them again.

Someone had tried to drag open the cistern hatch. Her brother's voice—crying? Screaming?

She bit her knuckles until she tasted blood and did not make a sound.

Hours passed.

Then a hand—rough, scarred, trembling—pulled the hatch open. A man she didn't know. A Frankish soldier with a crooked nose and bloodied armor.

He didn't speak.

He just reached in and lifted her out.

"Your father saved my life once," he muttered. "This is the only way I can repay it."

She didn't ask his name. Didn't ask where her mother was.

She only ran.

Aleppo. Damascus. Years of silence. Years of burying her name. Learning new languages. Folding her grief into anatomy charts and fevered patients. Refusing to feel the ground beneath her feet because it no longer belonged to her.

But sometimes—when the sky turned the color of cinders—she heard the crowd again.

Heard the priest's death. Heard her father's last breath. Heard the riot roar like a cathedral full of ghosts.

And she heard his voice.

Baldwin.

Sharp. Soft. Stumbling in apology.

A voice she had promised herself she would one day find again.

Not for revenge. Not for penance.

For healing.

[sunshineandrosess]

Mark 13:24-37

24“But in those days, after that suffering,

the sun will be darkened,

and the moon will not give its light,

25and the stars will be falling from heaven,

and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

26Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. 27Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

28“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. 31Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

32“But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. 34It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. 35Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, 36or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. 37And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”