Revelation 14:14-19
...“Use your sickle and reap the harvest, for the time to
reap has come, because the earth’s harvest is fully ripe.” ...So the angel
swung his sickle over the earth and cut the earth’s vintage. He threw it into
the great wine press of God’s fury.
When we have an appointment or a schedule it requires us to
make necessary preparation for it before the date itself. There are times when
we have to go through stressful activities in order to meet some requirements
that go with it. This should make us think all the more of the greatest
appointment we have to face on that final day and act in accordance to the
demand of the inevitability and reality of this day. How much more are we
supposed to prepare for that unknown day if indeed we believe that we have to
be there and get there, where we are supposed to be in God's Kingdom. We should
always be prepared for the day when we will come face to face with God. Every
single day should be lived as if it's our last. How easy it is to put ourselves
in the center of the universe. We are not the center of the universe, God is.
We are just here on earth for a few fleeting years. 70 if we are strong in
which to serve God. St. Theresa of Avila
said to never waste a moment in time because she knows that every moment in
time can secure heaven. When all is over and the battle has been won as in
Revelation, God's name will be written in our foreheads and it will never be
night again nor will we still need lamp or sunlight again because the Lord is
our Light. There are so many things in life that worry us every day. We
encounter people and circumstances that disturb our peace. We can't help but be
stirred up and sometimes lose our focus. The truth is there is nothing that
should bother us at all. We've got to hold on to the truth always that God is
on top of everything. We have to be perfectly aware of the fact that the Lord
has the whole world in the palm of His hand and will surely rule it with
justice and constancy. It is always worth our all when we stand by the
principles of God. No matter what it is that we are going through right now we
can always draw strength and inspiration in this truth and not be moved. Jesus
came and entered humanity in the most humble way. He loved us as we are and was
willing to be born in a manger. He doesn't wait for us to transform ourselves
but take us for who we are. It is very consoling to know that we have a God who
was willing to be born into the messiness of our lives. We may not have
received all the things we have been asking for specifically but we continue to
believe that God in His goodness and mercy did answer all our prayers in the
way that He deemed is best. It doesn't change the fact that He is God, always
in control and every single thing works according to His master plan and divine
purpose. We can be assured that He will carry out the plan He has for us, as in
Jeremiah 29:11, For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the
LORD, plans for your welfare, not for woe, plans to give you a future full of
hope. God is over, above, around, about and all over the world. Amen.
Hallelujah!
Psalm 96:10, 11-12, 13
R: The Lord comes to judge the earth.
10 Say among the nations the LORD is king. He has made the
world firm, not to be moved; he governs the peoples with equity. (R) 11 Let the
heavens be glad and the earth rejoice; let the sea and what fills it resound;
12 let the plains be joyful and all that is in them! Then shall all the trees
of the forest exult. (R) 13 Before the LORD, for he comes; for he comes to rule
the earth. He shall rule the world with justice and the peoples with his
constancy.
I believe that all of us will be given ample time to prepare
for the day of judgment but there is a need to recognize that the time and the
hour is at hand so as not to miss our appointment and always be ready for it.
We really have to prepare well, that's the message. Have you heard of athletes
preparing for a competition like Manny Pacquiao having to train rigorously
before his upcoming boxing match with Marquez. God is urging us to do the same
for our faith. Take every possible means of enriching our faith and love for
God so that we can always withstand whatever is coming our way. When we go
beyond our limits we also exercise our endurance so that we not only benefit
physically but spiritually as well. We
are the children of God and we are born to be winners so let us always train
hard to maintain that wonderful physique that God has given us for His greater
glory. Strong and mighty is our God and so are we! There are several things
happening in our life one after another and sometimes we are overwhelmed by it
that we tend to be sidetracked and distracted as to what we are supposed to do.
We see and hear a lot of things around us and we come to a point when we are no
longer sure which one to follow. If there's one sure thing that we can be
assured of that is we should not be terrified despite the enemy's deceptions
for as long as we are able to live our lives according to the truth of God
which we all have a responsibility to know and uphold. There is a vast source of
information and knowledge that we need to learn about our Infinite God and
sometimes we make the mistake of rushing and go in strides but with our limited
human capacities we always fall short and come up inadequate. Once again my
vision of a ladder is coming to view as if telling me that God will always be
with us every single step of the way, guide us through by showing us every
facet of life from the 1st or easiest to the succeeding and more difficult
steps and finally to the highest level. Today's gospel tells us of the
certainty that this world will come to an end but when it is going to happen,
nobody knows. Whether it is going to happen sooner or later should be the least
of our concerns. What's most important is that we are always ready. It is easy
for us to say, "Do not worry." or "I am not worried." but
are we a picture of what we say we are. Our actions speak louder than the words
we say. We ought to make a firm stand on this and really mean it. It is not
like we just believe in something then that's it. It will require more than
that in order for us to truly be a reflection of what we believe is true. If we
think that we can just go along with the majority or we have won over the
support of many and we are safe already then we are wrong. It is more of a
personal conviction on our part to really stand by it no matter what. What's
worse is that when we don't know what we really believe in then the worst
happens. As the gospel says, we should not be deceived. We've got to grow in
wisdom and understanding not as the world may put it but as the Holy Spirit of
God fills and empowers us. It is especially important that we build confidence
on the One True God, the source of our strength and courage. As in Ephesians
6:10-18, "Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty
power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against
the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with
the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present
darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of
God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done
everything, to hold your ground. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth,
clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness
for the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to
quench all (the) flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of
salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all
prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit. To that end,
be watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the holy
ones..."
These are the things we ought to focus on rather than be
bothered of the frightening things that are being said about the end times. I
heard from a priest's homily that there are just 3 things we need to do instead
of being bothered by these end of the world predictions. They are: 1. Do no
harm to others. 2. Do good to others. 3. Spread the word of God. It may not be
as simple as just 1,2 and 3 but it is definitely worth doing for it can surely
secure our lives on that final day. No one can really say when it is going to
happen but one thing is sure we all have to prepare and be ready for it right
now. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 21:5-11
5 While some people were speaking about how the temple was
adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, Jesus said, 6 “All that you
see here — the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another
stone that will not be thrown down.” 7 Then they asked him, “Teacher, when will
this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to
happen?” 8 He answered, “See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my
name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’ Do not follow them! 9 When
you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must
happen first, but it will not immediately be the end.” 10 Then he said to them,
“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be
powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome
sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.”
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