Luke 17: 26-37 (Friday, November 16, 2007)

In today’s gospel, Jesus is simply telling us that we need to always be ready because we do not know when the parousia would occur. It will may occur when we least expect it – maybe you would be in your desk at work; or your may be in the saloon fixing your hair or at Walmart shopping. The second important point from today’s gospel is that salvation is a personal invitation and not a communal invitation. Jesus calls the members of his church to be saved but this is in personal relationships with him. Judgment would be personal. Your spouse cannot stand in judgment for you; your parents cannot stand in judgment for you; your children cannot stand in judgment for you. You will go before the Lord alone and him an account of your stewardship – how you were able to respond to his invitation to you to be saved. That is what the last judgment simply is. Let us live our lives every day as people who believe in the parousia.

Prayer:
God our Father, thank you for the salvation which you have extended to us in the person of Jesus. Help us to respond wholeheartedly to this invitation to be saved, so that when you come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, you will say to us, “welcome home, good and faithful servants.”

John 3: 13-17 (Friday, September 14, 2007 – Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross)

Belief in Jesus Christ is necessary for salvation. Sometimes we get overly concerned about what happens to members of other religions who do not profess a belief in Jesus Christ. That is not so much our problem as the problem of God. We have no jurisdiction over that judgment; we leave it for God to decide. The biblical teaching is clear that Jesus Christ is the singular mediator of salvation. In Acts of the Apostles, St. Peter is very clear that, “There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are saved.” (Acts 4:12) Due to the sin of our forefathers, God condemned the world, but because of his deep love for us, he sent Jesus Christ to redeem us.

The event of the Cross, and his subsequent resurrection opened wide the gates of heaven, in order that we who accept him as our personal Lord and savior would be able to enter into eternal life. It is not the wish of God that any one of us be condemned in hell, but it is our free choice to choose hell over God. A decision to glory in the sinful things of the world, rather than following the path of Christ, is your own personal free choice to condemnation. By the Cross, Jesus has redeemed the world.

Prayer:
O my Jesus, forgive me my sins, save me from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those who are most in need of your divine mercy.

Mathew 25: 1-13 (Friday, August 31, 2007)

For some of us, our greatest sin is that of procrastination. We can never get anything done on time. We keep putting things off. A few years ago, I learnt a principle which I truly try to keep. It is a very simple principle, “if you can do it now, why keep it for later.” I always try to keep this in mind as I joggle through my daily commitments. I have discovered that this helps me to accomplish on time all that I need to. We do not want to be like St. Augustine who prayed, “Lord give me chastity, but not now.” If you are in a serious sin, you do not want to wait till the Lenten penance service to confess it. You want to take care of it immediately and keep moving with your spiritual life. The parable of today’s gospel emphasizes the consequences of waiting till the last minute to do things. Many a student had failing grades in school because they waited till the last moment to do their homework only to discover that the computer crashed the previous night and so they couldn’t turn in their work when it was due.

Do not wait till the last minute in order to work out your relationship with Jesus, you may never have the opportunity. We do not know the time or the hour. If you do not have that opportunity, you also would not be able to borrow the relationship your parents or grandparents have with Jesus. You need your own personal relationship with Jesus. Again, let us prepare ourselves, so that when Jesus comes, he will find us ready to join him in the marriage feast in heaven.

Prayer:
Take away from us the spirit of procrastination and empower us to prepare ourselves so that we will be ready when you come to take us. May each day of our lives draw us closer to you, that we might know your will for our lives and follow it.