As we move towards the end of the liturgical year the readings turn towards “the end of days”. One day the world will end...Christ will return…and the great judgment Mathew 25 depicts will take place where those who cared for the poor, the stranger, the sick and the imprisoned will be separated out from those who did not. But when will this day of reckoning come?
Some Christians routinely (and wrongly) announce the return of Christ…they seem to forget that Jesus clearly said that no one, not even “He”, knew when the world would end -- only His Father!
And yet they continue to claim to know the date and time. Remember the “Jesus is coming on May 21st” billboards that dotted the highways some years ago? A perfect example of some Christians believing they have some special inside knowledge as to the end times, forgetting that Jesus clearly said no one will know the hour nor the day.
Today’s Gospel is not about “knowing” when Christ will come…but rather about being ready when Christ does come! So, the question is: am I ready?
At the center of the readings this weekend is a message of total reliance upon the mercy and love of God. It is about keeping our hearts and minds open to God’s presence within us and within our daily lives and in the world around us!
As I said last week…God’s love for us as individuals is both lavish and passionate; it knows no bounds and it is the very reason for the incarnation of our God in Jesus Christ.
Jesus was the manifestation of God’s magnanimous love for us and through Him! God’s love and forgiveness was, and continues to be, freely poured forth upon each of us and indeed upon the entire world.
The psalmist reminds us that God is our portion and cup, our inherence and therefore our hearts are glad and our souls rejoice…for we are God’s beloved!
By keeping God at the center of our daily lives we indeed will be ready if the world were to end in our times. Because of the love and mercy of our God we need not fear “the end” for we will be transformed into beings that shine like the stars in the heavens!
This is true in the dark times and the struggles of our lives, keeping God at the center of our daily lives helps us navigate these times and keep centered and feel empowered by the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us and guides and guards us even in the darkest of our days.
Through Christ we have inherited eternal life and each of us is a part of “the great cloud of witnesses” who gives glory to God, and we give that glory by living out our discipleship and loving God with our whole being and our neighbor as ourselves.
When and where do I most feel the presence of God in my life? How do I actively engage in keeping God at the center of my life? How do I best show my love of God and neighbor?
Blessings,
Fr. Tim
Some Christians routinely (and wrongly) announce the return of Christ…they seem to forget that Jesus clearly said that no one, not even “He”, knew when the world would end -- only His Father!
And yet they continue to claim to know the date and time. Remember the “Jesus is coming on May 21st” billboards that dotted the highways some years ago? A perfect example of some Christians believing they have some special inside knowledge as to the end times, forgetting that Jesus clearly said no one will know the hour nor the day.
Today’s Gospel is not about “knowing” when Christ will come…but rather about being ready when Christ does come! So, the question is: am I ready?
At the center of the readings this weekend is a message of total reliance upon the mercy and love of God. It is about keeping our hearts and minds open to God’s presence within us and within our daily lives and in the world around us!
As I said last week…God’s love for us as individuals is both lavish and passionate; it knows no bounds and it is the very reason for the incarnation of our God in Jesus Christ.
Jesus was the manifestation of God’s magnanimous love for us and through Him! God’s love and forgiveness was, and continues to be, freely poured forth upon each of us and indeed upon the entire world.
The psalmist reminds us that God is our portion and cup, our inherence and therefore our hearts are glad and our souls rejoice…for we are God’s beloved!
By keeping God at the center of our daily lives we indeed will be ready if the world were to end in our times. Because of the love and mercy of our God we need not fear “the end” for we will be transformed into beings that shine like the stars in the heavens!
This is true in the dark times and the struggles of our lives, keeping God at the center of our daily lives helps us navigate these times and keep centered and feel empowered by the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us and guides and guards us even in the darkest of our days.
Through Christ we have inherited eternal life and each of us is a part of “the great cloud of witnesses” who gives glory to God, and we give that glory by living out our discipleship and loving God with our whole being and our neighbor as ourselves.
When and where do I most feel the presence of God in my life? How do I actively engage in keeping God at the center of my life? How do I best show my love of God and neighbor?
Blessings,
Fr. Tim
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