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. …Learn this 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.”
Be vigilant. The
Universe is one amazing and complicated “thing” or reality. It took billions and billions of years for it
to come “together”. It will take
billions and billions of years for it to all fall apart. So much is out there, and for what? Why?
It took billions of years for life to appear on earth. Life, as we know it, struggled to exist and
even more so to survive, and for what?
Why? Was it created for the sole purpose
to fall apart?
All things pass away. You and I
will pass away. Be vigilant! Be attentive to what is important; to what
never passes away. Did you kill yourself
for more money; for more recognition; for more of just about everything, only
to see it all disappear before your very own dying eyes? I hope not.
Did you smile before you lost your teeth? Did you listen before you lost your
hearing? Will you spend time with your
family before you lose sight of your family?
All things pass away. You and I
will pass away. Even the Universe will
pass away. The stars from the sky will
collapse. The Sun will explode. But those who lived in the Son of Man will
remain in Him just as He remains in the Father, the author of life, the
Creator of the Universe.
My word and your words in God’s world will disappear. But His Word in His world will always
remain.
People will come and go, but those who lived by His Word and followed
His path and lived His life will never pass away.
Why do all things pass away? Maybe it's so that we never take for granted anyone or anything.
And just as we should never take for granted that which is fleeting, we
must be careful never to take for granted He who never departs! Yes, we tend to take for granted not only people who
are always around but those who fail to
respond.
Yes, we have a tendency to do both just as much as we have a tendency to sin in action as well as in omission. We spend way too much time and effort on all
that is wasteful and sinful and not enough time on all that is holy and
everlasting.
So many people come and go in our lives. Only Christ remains. Difficult times come and go. Only by God’s grace do we endure.
Today, I baptized five children into the faith. They received a white garment, symbol of
their newfound purity and Christian dignity.
I reminded their parents and Godparents of the nameless and passing
individuals who will one day attempt to throw mud on their child’s dignity and
purity. They must be vigilant at all times. I then handed to them a lite
candle, symbol of Christ’s presence in the world. I reminded the parents and Godparents that
there are many people in the world that would love to blow out Christ’s light
in their child’s life. They must be vigilant at all times.
Be vigilant at all times! Pray
at all times! The world will collapse
and fall into disgrace, just like the Son of God fell from “grace” and into the
hands of his enemies. But the old shall
be replaced by the new, just like the Old Law was replaced by the Law of
Love. The stars will fall and the sun
will collapse, but the Son of God will take its place and the “wise shall shine brightly like the splendor
of the firmament, and those who lead the many to justice shall be like the
stars forever” (Dan 12:3).
Learn this lesson.
Dear Fr. Alfonse & Fellow Readers of his Blog, You are probably familiar with the new series entitled "COSMIC ORIGINS". A Fr. Robert J. Spitzer has a great host of materials on his website "Magis Center of Reason & Faith".
ReplyDeleteAnyway, his works parallels your interest in challenging youth {& everyone else} to see the evidence of the divine that surrounds us. Keep up with your excellent insights and zeal! - bob
Yes, we tend to take for granted not only people who are always around but those who fail to respond. Yes, we have a tendency to do both just as much as we have a tendency to sin in action as well as in omission.
ReplyDeleteFunny that you bring this up Father. Just yesterday, I was waiting on a dear friend of mine to show up to an event where I knew he was going to be. I hadn't seen him in a while so I was really looking forward to talking with him. He didn't show. I want to think that he forgot but maybe he just didn't want to respond. How fast we are to judge one another! How do we know if someone is not responding to us? Maybe he was just too busy and doesn't have the same need that I have. I have been told to only love and expect nothing in return. This usually is not a challenge for me. It is a safe way to live. It is a loving way to live....it's just getting harder to live.