Be Like the Stars Forever

Be Like the Stars Forever

November 18, 2012

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time 2012 B

By Rev. Joe McCloskey, SJ

"But 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."  Daniel 12:3

But this one offered one sacrifice for sins, and took his seat forever at the right hand of God; now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool.  For by one offering he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated.  Hebrews 10:12-14

"Learn a 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."  Mark 13:28-31

Piety

The best preparation for the end times is our piety.  Piety is our relationship to Christ.  The extent and the depth of our relationship to Christ are seen in the love we show for Christ in our daily life.  How intense our love is seen in how consuming of our time and efforts our piety is.   A healthy piety is our preparation for the coming of Christ in the end times.  We are all born to die.  Caught up in the excitement of life one does not think too often or often enough that our destiny is heaven.  Reaching the age people call old gives a stimulus to be ready to go.  Yet life is always the now of being with the Lord.  How attentive one is to what is right to do gives a foothold in the door of eternity.  The now of life is the fullness of God’s love for us because God cannot love less.  The only limit on God’s love for us is in our unwillingness to accept what we do not deserve.  God loves us into freedom.  We dare not limit God’s love to what we deserve.  To live our lives in the joy of the resurrection is the secret of happiness

Study

How often we think of Christ’s resurrection is not often enough.  The Sacrament of the Present Moment is the truth that only the “nows” of our lives in their “nowness” touch the mystery of God.     Now is the portal on eternity and how we meet up with what God is really asking of us is the essence of spirituality.  I have to reflect on the moment I am in to see beyond appearances.   Because God is love and by his very nature the fullness of love, it makes it possible to say wherever there is love, God is there.  We live our lives in the richness of Eucharist when we face each moment as the expression of the fullness of God’s love for us.  We study how to find Christ in all things.

Action

The greatest action of our lives will be the way we make Christ our life.  Entering into the sacrifice of Christ gives our lives their eternal value.  Christ offered his life on the cross and made that now a forever moment of love.  We pray that his love be our love and thus receive back the gift of our freedom.  The prayer of oblation makes Eucharist out of our lives and gives what we are doing in the name of Christ the meaning of his Eucharist for us.  Christ gave Eucharist to the disciples.  The disciples built Church around Eucharist.  Our love makes us Eucharist to those we serve.  We are the Church.