This week’s Clergy Corner
taken from the November 8th Bulletin:
As Autumn leaves signal the end of another season and the approach of Winter, the church invites us to pause for serious thought, especially that our liturgical year is also ending. This reminds us about the eschatology of the individual human being.
Relativism is the position that there is no objective truth, only subjective opinions. Therefore, the Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma are all subjective opinions. We believe that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Truth is absolute. “Heaven is the ultimate end and fulfillment of the deepest human longings, the state of supreme, definitive happiness” (CCC, no. 1024).
The basic conviction which holds our faith community together is the Lordship of Jesus Christ. His Lordship is one of love. In life and death, we belong to him. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. If we are wise (like the five wise virgins) in the ways of the Lord and hold firm to our basic belief, we will be ready to meet him when he comes in glory!
Christ is always prepared to meet us, so we, on our part, must be prepared to meet him. He does not give us an appointment but comes as he wills into our lives. The Gospel brings home the importance of being ready and prepared while we wait, by loving God and our neighbor. Love is the lamp that must be burning. St. John of the Cross said, that “in the evening of life we will be examined in love. Is our love of God and neighbor burning brightly? With what do you feed the flame to keep the lamp of love burning?
If we are carrying God in our hearts wherever we go, heaven will not come as a surprise, but as a full blossoming of the world we have been building for ourselves. We are people with a glorious future, so let’s not spoil it by refusing to live upright lives.
Christ has come. Christ is coming to us in the Eucharist. Christ will come again to take us home. Let us give him and ourselves endless joy by being ready. He says, “Stay awake for you do not know the day nor the hour.” In our journey of faith, let us make Christ our number one priority. Our fidelity to Christ will give us inner peace, inner healing and inner freedom. Jesus is our light and our salvation.
– Fr. Cosme