DAILY READING Saturday, November 2, 2013 (C) 31st Week in Ordinary Time, Psalter II Solemnity of All Souls Day Readings: Wisdom 3:1-9; Psalms 27:1-14; Romans 6:3-9; Matthew 25:31-46 Rosary: Joyful Mysteries Key Verse: If we died with Christ, then we shall live with him too. SAINT OF THE DAY: Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed The Church has encouraged prayer for the dead from the earliest times as an act of Christian charity. If we had no care for the dead, Augustine noted, we would not be in the habit of praying for them. Yet pre-Christian rites for the deceased retained such a strong hold on the superstitious imagination that a liturgical commemoration was not observed until the early Middle Ages, when monastic communities began to mark an annual day of prayer for the departed members. In the middle of the 11th century, St. Odilo, abbot of Cluny (France), decreed that all Cluniac monasteries offer special prayers and sing the Office for the Dead on November 2, the day after the feast of All Saints. The custom spread from Cluny and was finally adopted throughout the Roman Catholic Church. The theological underpinning of the feast is the acknowledgment of human frailty. Since few people achieve perfection in this life but, rather, go to the grave still scarred with traces of sinfulness, some period of purification seems necessary before a soul comes face-to-face with God. The Council of Trent affirmed this purgatory state and insisted that the prayers of the living can speed the process of purification. Superstition easily clung to the observance. Medieval popular belief held that the souls in purgatory could appear on this day in the form of witches, toads or will-o’-the-wisps. Graveside food offerings supposedly eased the rest of the dead. Observances of a more religious nature have survived. These include public processions or private visits to cemeteries and decorating graves with flowers and lights. This feast is observed with great fervor in Mexico. READINGS FROM THE NEW JERUSALEM BIBLE: READING 1, Wisdom 3:1-9 1 But the souls of the upright are in the hands of God, and no torment can touch them. 2 To the unenlightened, they appeared to die, their departure was regarded as disaster, 3 their leaving us like annihilation; but they are at peace. 4 If, as it seemed to us, they suffered punishment, their hope was rich with immortality; 5 slight was their correction, great will their blessings be. God was putting them to the test and has proved them worthy to be with him; 6 he has tested them like gold in a furnace, and accepted them as a perfect burnt offering. 7 At their time of visitation, they will shine out; as sparks run through the stubble, so will they. 8 They will judge nations, rule over peoples, and the Lord will be their king for ever. 9 Those who trust in him will understand the truth, those who are faithful will live with him in love; for grace and mercy await his holy ones, and he intervenes on behalf of his chosen. RESPONSORIAL PSALM, Psalms 27:1, 4, 7, 8, 9, 13-14 1 [Of David] Yahweh is my light and my salvation, whom should I fear? Yahweh is the fortress of my life, whom should I dread? 4 One thing I ask of Yahweh, one thing I seek: to dwell in Yahwehs house all the days of my life, to enjoy the sweetness of Yahweh, to seek out his temple. 7 Yahweh, hear my voice as I cry, pity me, answer me! 8 Of you my heart has said, Seek his face! Your face, Yahweh, I seek; 9 do not turn away from me. Do not thrust aside your servant in anger, without you I am helpless. Never leave me, never forsake me, God, my Saviour. 13 This I believe: I shall see the goodness of Yahweh, in the land of the living. 14 Put your hope in Yahweh, be strong, let your heart be bold, put your hope in Yahweh. READING 2, Romans 6:3-9 3 You cannot have forgotten that all of us, when we were baptised into Christ Jesus, were baptised into his death. 4 So by our baptism into his death we were buried with him, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the Fathers glorious power, we too should begin living a new life. 5 If we have been joined to him by dying a death like his, so we shall be by a resurrection like his; 6 realising that our former self was crucified with him, so that the self which belonged to sin should be destroyed and we should be freed from the slavery of sin. 7 Someone who has died, of course, no longer has to answer for sin. 8 But we believe that, if we died with Christ, then we shall live with him too. 9 We know that Christ has been raised from the dead and will never die again. Death has no power over him any more. GOSPEL, Matthew 25:31-46 31 When the Son of man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory. 32 All nations will be assembled before him and he will separate people one from another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats. 33 He will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right hand, Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take as your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you made me welcome, 36 lacking clothes and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me. 37 Then the upright will say to him in reply, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome, lacking clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we find you sick or in prison and go to see you? 40 And the King will answer, In truth I tell you, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me. 41 Then he will say to those on his left hand, Go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you never gave me food, I was thirsty and you never gave me anything to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you never made me welcome, lacking clothes and you never clothed me, sick and in prison and you never visited me. 44 Then it will be their turn to ask, Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger or lacking clothes, sick or in prison, and did not come to your help? 45 Then he will answer, In truth I tell you, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me. 46 And they will go away to eternal punishment, and the upright to eternal life. REFLECTIONS: AD MAJOREM DEI GLORIAM! For the greater glory of God! OPENING PRAYER: Lord, holy God, loving Father, you give us the task to love one another because you are holy and you have loved us before we could love you. Give us the ability to recognize your Son in our brothers and sisters far and near. Make us witnesses that love exists and is alive and that you, the God of love, exist and are alive now for ever. Amen. ON READING 1: Wisdom 3:1-9 (The Death of the Righteous) This passage describes at some length the contrasting situations of the righteous and the ungodly in this life, in death, and beyond the grave. The author has consoling things to say to the righteous as regards afflictions; they have every reason to hope. But evildoers he describes as foolish; theirs is a fundamental error which will cause them grief now; any suffering they experience will do them no good; their death is grievous and so is what lies beyond it: Two possibilities are laid open to us at the same time: life and death – and each person willome to the end that befits him. Life and death are like two types of coin, one belongs to God and the other to this world, each with its own hallmark: unbelievers deal in the currency of this world, and those who have remained faithful through love carry the coin of God the Father, which is marked with Jesus Christ. If we are not ready to die for him or to imitate his passion, we will not have his life within us (St. Ignatius of Antioch, Ad Magnesios, 5, 2). These very poetic lines convey very well the notion of the reward that awaits the just in the after-life, but they are not very specific about it. The author uses expressions that correspond to the time in history and Revelation in which he lives, but they do enable us to get an idea of the state of the blessed: The souls of the righteous are in the hands of God, and no torment will ever touch them (v. 1); the righteous dead are at peace (v. 3), that is, in the sphere proper to God; they can be sure of immortality, athanasia (v. 4). They will abide in the Kingdom of God forever and share in Gods power to judge and rule (v. 8; cf. Mt 19:28) – a pointer to their power of intercession. One could say that the most encouraging line of all is, the faithful will abide with him in love (v. 9). Still to come is the explicit New Testament revelation which tells us that the blessed shall see God as he is (1 Jn 3:2), not as in a (dull) mirror but face to face; they will know him as he knows them (cf. 1 Cor 13:12) and they will be with Christ forever in heaven (cf. 1 Thess 4:17). ON READING 2: Romans 6:3-9 (Baptism) The universal dominion of sin, which began with the sin of Adam, is not the only event to be reckoned with. When sin reached its full extent, the grace brought by Jesus Christ came in superabundance. Through Baptism this grace reaches each of us and frees us from the control of sin. When we receive this Sacrament we die: that is to say, our blameworthiness is destroyed, we renounce sin once and for all, and are born again into a new life. The Lord, St. Ambrose tells the newly baptized, who wanted His benefactions to endure, the serpents plans to be turned to naught, and the harm done to be put right, delivered a sentence to mankind: You are dust, and to dust you shall return (Genesis 3:19), and made man subject to death. The remedy was given him: man would die and rise again. You ask me how? Pay attention. So that in this world too the devils snare would be broken, a rite was instituted whereby man would die, being alive, and rise again, being alive. Through immersion in water the sentence is blotted out: You are dust, and to dust you shall return (De Sacramentis, II, 6). This passage of the epistle, which reveals the key truths concerning Baptism, also reminds us of the profound meaning of this rite which Christ established, its spiritual effects in Christians and its far-reaching effects with respect to the Christian life. Thus, we can apply to Baptism what St. Thomas Aquinas says about all the sacraments: Three aspects of sanctification may be considered -- its very cause, which is Christs Passion; its form, which is grace and the virtues; and its ultimate end, which is eternal life. And all these are signified by the sacraments. Consequently, a sacrament is a sign which is both a reminder of the past, that is, of the Passion of Christ, and an indication of what is effected in us by Christs Passion, and a foretelling and pledge of future glory (Summa Theologiae, III, q. 60, a. 3). In the specific case of Baptism, the various things which the Sacrament implies carry a special nuance -- a new birth which presupposes a symbolic death. It reproduces in us not only the Passion, Death and burial of Christ, symbolized by immersion in water (verses 3-4, 6), but also new life, the life of grace which pours into the soul, enabling the person to share in the Resurrection of Christ (verses 4-5). This sharing in Christs Resurrection to immortal life is a kind of seed which will ultimately produce the glorious resurrection of our bodies. The baptized person is, therefore, someone newly created, someone born into a new life, someone who has moved out of darkness into light. The white garment used at Baptism symbolizes innocence and grace; the burning candle, the light of Christ -- two symbols the Church uses in the baptismal liturgy to signify what is happening. Thus, in Baptism, God removes every trace of sin, whether original or personal (The Rite of Baptism, Introduction, 5) and also remits the penalties that these sins incur. On being baptized in the name of the Three Divine Persons, the Christian is shown God the Fathers love for him (a love he has not merited), is given a share in the Paschal Mystery of the Son, and to him is communicated new life in the Spirit (cf. Instruction on Infant Baptism, 20 October 1980, 9). Baptism, which is also described as the door of the spiritual life, unites a person to Christ and to the Church by means of grace, which makes us children of God and heirs to Heaven. Finally, in addition to the infused virtues and supernatural gifts, the person is given the graces necessary to live in a Christian way, and on his soul is impressed the sacramental character which makes him a Christian for evermore (St. Pius X Catechism, 250). Baptism, which confers a character, that is, a kind of seal confirming our Christian calling, gives us a share in Christs priesthood and makes us capable of receiving the other sacraments. It is easier to grasp the symbolism of burial and resurrection if one remembers that in earlier times, and particularly in the apostolic period, Baptism was usually administered by immersion in water -- in some cases by total immersion, up to three times, with one Person of the Blessed Trinity being invoked each time. They asked you, Do you believe in God the Father almighty? You said, I believe, and you were immersed, that is, you were buried. Again they asked you, Do you believe in our Lord Jesus Christ and in His Cross? You said, I believe, and you were again immersed. This time you have been buried with Christ, and he who is buried with Christ rises with Christ. For a third time you were asked, Do you believe in the Holy Spirit? You said, I believe, and for a third time you were immersed, so that by this three-fold confession you might be loosed of your many attachments to your past life (St. Ambrose, De Sacramentis, II, 7). Today Baptism is normally administered by pouring water over the head -- a method also used in apostolic times and which gradually came into general use because it was found more convenient. Just as the ingraft and the plant form a single thing and make a single principle of life, Christians by being grafted onto or incorporated into Christ through Baptism form one single thing with Him and begin to draw on His divine life. We are also united with Him in a death like His: Christ suffered physical death; we, in Baptism, die spiritually to the life of sin. St. John Chrysostom explains this as follows: Baptism is for us what the Cross and burial were for Christ; but with this difference: the Savior died physically, He was physically buried, whereas we ought to die spiritually. That is why the Apostle does not say we are united with Him with His death, but in a death like his (Hom. on Rom., 10). Jesus Christ chose to bear all the consequences of sin, even though He was sinless. His voluntary death on the Cross and His glorious Resurrection broke the bonds of death, for Himself and for all His own. Death no longer shall have dominion: [Christ died] that through death He might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage (Hebrews 2:14-15). And as a consequence He won, for His own human nature and for us, a new life. In all those who have been baptized these same events in Christs life are in some way reproduced. Our past sins have been wiped out by the action of grace. Now, so as to stay dead to sin after Baptism, personal effort is called for, although Gods grace continues to be with us, providing us with great help (Chrysostom, Hom. on Rom., 11). This personal effort might be encapsulated in a resolution: May we never die through sin; may our spiritual resurrection be eternal (St. J. Escriva, Holy Rosary, 1st Glorious Mystery). ON THE GOSPEL: Matthew 25:31-46 (The Last Judgment) The Gospel of Matthew presents Jesus, the New Messiah. Like Moses, Jesus also promulgates the Law of God. As the Ancient Law, the new one, given by Jesus, also contains five books or discourses. The Sermon on the Mountain (Mt 5, 1 to 7, 27), the first discourse opens with eight Beatitudes. The discourse on vigilance (Mt 24, 1 to 25, 46), the fifth discourse, contains the description of the Last Judgment. The Beatitudes describe the door of entrance into the Kingdom, enumerating eight categories of persons: the poor in spirit, the meek, the afflicted, those who hunger and thirst for justice, the merciful, the pure of heart, the peacemakers and the persecuted because of justice (Mt 5, 3-10). The parable of the Last Judgment tells us what we should do in order to possess the Kingdom: accept the hungry, the thirsty, the foreigners, the naked, the sick and the prisoners (Mt 25, 35-36): At the beginning as well as at the end of the New Law, there are the excluded and the marginalized. The three parables (Matthew 24:42-51; 25:1-13; and 25:14-30) are completed by the announcement of a rigorous last judgment, a last act in a drama, in which all matters of justice are resolved. Christian tradition calls it the Last Judgment, to distinguish it from the Particular Judgment which everyone undergoes immediately after death. The sentence pronounced at the end of time will simply be a public, formal confirmation of that already passed on the good and the evil, the elect and the reprobate. Opening of the Last Judgment. The Son of Man gathers together around him the nations of the world. He separates the persons as the shepherd does with the sheep and the goats. The shepherd knows how to discern. He does not make a mistake; sheep on the right, goats on the left. Jesus does not make a mistake. Jesus does not judge nor condemn. (cfr. Jn 3, 17; 12, 47). He hardly separates. It is the person himself/herself who judges and condemns because of the way in which he/she behaves toward the little ones and the excluded. In the Prophets and in the Book of Revelation the Messiah is depicted on a throne, like a judge. This is how Jesus will come at the end of the world, to judge the living and the dead. The Last Judgment is a truth spelled out in the very earliest credal statements of the Church and dogma of faith solemnly defined by Benedict XII in the Constitution Benedictus Deus (29 January 1336). All the various things listed in this passage (giving people food and drink, clothing them, visiting them) become works of Christian charity when the person doing them sees Christ in these least of His brethren. Here we can see the seriousness of sins of omission. Failure to do something which one should do means leaving Christ unattended. We must learn to recognize Christ when He comes out to meet us in our brothers, the people around us. No human life is ever isolated. It is bound up with other lives. No man or woman is a single verse; we all make up one divine poem which God writes with the cooperation of our freedom St. J. Escriva, Christ Is Passing By, 111). We will be judged on the degree and quality of our love (cf. St. John of the Cross, Spiritual Sentences and Maxims, 57). Our Lord will ask us to account not only for the evil we have done but also for the good we have omitted. We can see that sins of omission are a very serious matter and that the basis of love of neighbor is Christs presence in the least of our brothers and sisters. St. Teresa of Avila writes: Here the Lord asks only two things of us: love for His Majesty and love of our neighbor. It is for these two virtues that we must strive, and if we attain them perfectly we are doing His will [...]. The surest sign that we are keeping these two commandments is, I think, that we should really be loving our neighbor; for we cannot be sure if we are loving God, although we may have good reasons for believing that we are, but we can know quite well if we are loving our neighbor. And be certain that, the farther advanced you find you are in this, the greater the love you will have for God; for so dearly does His Majesty love us that He will reward our love for our neighbor by increasing the love which we bear to Himself, and that in a thousand ways: this I cannot doubt (Interior Castle, V, 3). This parable clearly shows that Christianity cannot be reduced to a kind of agency for doing good. Service of our neighbor acquires supernatural value when it is done out of love for Christ, when we see Christ in the person in need. This is why St. Paul asserts that if I give away all I have...but have not love, I gain nothing (1 Corinthians 13:3). Any interpretation of Jesus teaching on the Last Judgment would be wide of the mark if it gave it a materialistic meaning or confused mere philanthropy with genuine Christian charity. The sentence for those who are at the right hand of the Judge. Those who are at the right hand of the judge are called “Blessed of my Father!”, that is, they receive the blessing which God promised to Abraham and to his descendants (Gen 12, 3). They are invited to take possession of the Kingdom, prepared for them from the foundation of the world. The reason for the sentence is the following: “I was hungry, a foreigner, naked, sick and prisoner, and you accepted me and helped me!” This sentence makes us understand who are the sheep. They are the persons who accepted the Judge when he was hungry, thirsty, a foreigner, naked, sick and prisoner. And because of the way of speaking “my Father” and “the Son of Man”, we can know that the Judge is precisely Jesus Himself. He identifies himself with the little ones! A request for clarification and the response of the Judge: Those who accept the excluded are called “just”. That means that the justice of the Kingdom is not attained by observing norms and prescriptions, but rather by accepting those in need. But it is strange that the just do not even know themselves when they accepted Jesus in need. And Jesus responds: “Every time that you have done this to one of my brothers, you have done it to me”. Who are these little brothers of mine?” In other passages of the Gospel of Matthew, the expression “my brothers” and “the smallest brothers” indicates the disciples (Mt 10, 42; 12, 48-50; 18, 6.10.14; 28, 10). This also indicates the members of the community who are more abandoned and neglected who have no place and are not well received (Mt 10, 40). Jesus identifies himself with them. But not only this. In the broader context of the last parable, the expression “my smallest brothers” is extended and includes all those who have no place in society. It indicates all the poor. And the “just” and the “blessed by my Father” are all the persons from all nations who accept, welcome others with total gratuity, independently of the fact that they are Christians or not. In describing the exigencies of Christian charity which gives meaning to social aid, the Second Vatican Council says: Wishing to come to topics that are practical and of some urgency, the Council lays stress on respect for the human person: everyone should look upon his neighbor (without any exception) as another self, bearing in mind, above all, his life and the means necessary for living it in a dignified way, lest he follow the example of the rich man who ignored Lazarus, the poor man (cf. Luke 16:18-31). Today there is an inescapable duty to make ourselves the neighbor of every man, no matter who he is, and if we meet him, to come to his aid in a positive way, whether he is an aged person abandoned by all, a foreign worker despised without reason, a refugee, an illegitimate child wrongly suffering for a sin he did not commit, or a starving human being who awakens our conscience by calling to mind the words of Christ: As you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me. (Gaudium Et Spes, 27). The eternal punishment of the reprobate and the eternal reward of the elect are a dogma of faith solemnly defined by the Magisterium of the Church in the Fourth Lateran Council (1215): He [Christ] will come at the end of the world; He will judge the living and the dead; and He will reward all, both the lost and the elect, according to their works. And all these will rise with their own bodies which they now have so that they may receive according to their works, whether good or bad; the wicked, a perpetual punishment with the devil; the good, eternal glory with Christ. The sentence for those who were at the left hand side. Those who were on the other side of the Judge are called “cursed” and they are destined to go to the eternal fire, prepared by the devil and his friends. Jesus uses a symbolical language common at that time to say that these persons will not enter into the Kingdom. And here, also, the reason is only one: they did not accept, welcome Jesus hungry, thirsty, a foreigner, naked, sick and prisoner. It is not that Jesus prevents them from entering into the Kingdom, rather it is our way of acting, that is our blindness which prevents us from seeing Jesus in the little ones. A request for clarification and the response of the Judge. The request for clarification indicates that it is a question of people who have behaved well, persons who have their conscience in peace. They are certain to have always practiced what God asked from them. For this reason they were surprised when the Judge says that they did not accept him, did not welcome him. The Judge responds: “Every time that you have not done these things to one of my brothers, the little ones, you did not do it to me”. It is the omission! They did not do anything extra. They only missed practicing good towards the little ones and the excluded. This is the way the fifth Book of the New Law ends! People want to know what it will be like when Jesus comes back. There is a sensational/speculative tone to the inquiries people raise about the end of time. While that kind of interests is understood regarding the ultimate dramatic event, there is something very personal that should consume our thoughts. Instead of instinctively focusing on the dramatic, the speculative and subjective, there is a personal perspective that must never escape our notice. Something Jesus said just hours before His death should help fasten our attention on this personal aspect. Whether you are ready or not, Jesus will come “in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him,” and He will “sit on the throne of His glory.” We do not know when (24:36-51; 25:13). It will be unexpected, sudden and universal. “All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.” This is the final judgment scene, described elsewhere as “the coming of the day of God,” (2 Pet. 3:10). To get in touch with the eternal importance of this, jump ahead to the last verse and observe only two destinies: “everlasting punishment” or “eternal life.” “The Lord’s first coming was inglorious according to the worldly standards, but His second will be in a splendor that fully reflects His might and majesty (16:27; 17:2). Accompanying Him will be the angelic host (2 Thess. 1:7-8). After He is seated upon His throne, all who have ever lived will be gathered before Him,” (Ken Chumbley, p.#445, Commentary on Matthew). This will be a great separation. Have you noticed in many court rooms, the accused occupies a place separate from the innocent, the victim or the prosecutor. According to Boles, “it was the custom of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish high court, to place the guilty person on the left hand of the judges, and the innocent on the right. The right hand was considered the place of honor (Psa. 45:9).” More directly related to Jesus’ illustration, shepherds in that time would separate sheep and goats. Given the context, Jesus wants us to know that this day is ahead and it will witness a great separation between those destined for “everlasting punishment” and those with the better destiny, “eternal life.” The King speaks to those on the right hand. They hear words positive, warm and approving. “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Next, the King explains the approval: “for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.” The righteous are surprised and inquire: “When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?” The answer: “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” Regarding this benevolence as directed to the followers of Christ, note that phrase: “You did it to one of the least of these My brethren.” No thoughtful person can conclude that Jesus equated salvation with benevolence in the usual sense. It is not mere charity, but help of Christs followers that is highlighted here. If this principle were more widely understood and accepted, it would revolutionize mens attitude toward the church. In the final essence, what men do to his church, they do to him. To neglect, flout, or dishonor the church is to do the same to Christ who is the head of the church. On the other hand, those who support and provide for the church and extend their concern and constant aid upon behalf of her poor and needy, do the same for Christ whose body is the church. (Burton Coffman, Commentary on Matthew). Observe, the King’s judgment does not depend upon amount the of knowledge amassed, fame acquired, wealth earned and reputation gained. The approval is based on service rendered to those who belong to Christ; such service is ultimately to Him! This is about simple acts of help rendered to those in need who belong to Christ; things which anyone can do. Yet, it is not simply a humanitarian form of charity or worldly philanthropy. This service is given out of hearts where God is present. This service is offered through lives lived in submission to the King. We know that because of one simple phrase, “you did it to Me.” What counts here is not just service to others, but service to others that is “unto Him.” Every person is to be rewarded according to their works (see Matt. 16:27; 2 Cor. 5:10). You will not be able to “borrow” righteousness from your neighbor (see Matt. 25:1-13). You will not be justified in the claim that you were “clothed” or “protected” by the “righteousness of Christ,” when in fact you did not live in obedience to Him (Heb. 5:9). You must be ready to account for what you have done. Have you responded to Christ to be forgiven of your sin (Acts 2:38)? Have you walked in the light, confessing your sins (1 Jno. 1:7-9)? If your answers to these questions are “yes,” your service to others will be manifest from a heart that submits to the King. This judgment scene “tells me that I am accountable. I am free to live my life just as I please, but at the end I shall have to give account to the one who gave me my life.” I need to be ready for this day. And I need to warn everyone I know of this day that will be, for many, “the weeping and gnashing of teeth.” FINAL PRAYERS: The precepts of Yahweh are honest, joy for the heart; the commandment of Yahweh is pure, light for the eyes. (Ps 19,8) O God, who at the table of your word and of the bread of life nourish us so that we may grow in love, grant that we may welcome your message into our heart so that we may become yeast and instruments of salvation in the world. Through Christ our Lord. Amen Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. -- St. Jerome The Father uttered one Word; that Word is His Son, and He utters Him forever in everlasting silence: and in silence the soul has to hear it. -- St. John of the Cross
Posted on: Sat, 02 Nov 2013 00:22:51 +0000
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