GOD’S WORD FOR THE DAY (based on Catholic Liturgical Readings)
DATE: 22ND NOVEMBER 2016
TUESDAY OF THE 34TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
(MEMORIAL OF SAINT CECILIA, VIRGIN, MARTYR)
1ST READING: Revelation 14:14-19
PSALM: Psalm 96:10,11-12, 13
GOSPEL: Luke 21:5-11
THEME: DON’T BE LATE FOR HEAVEN!
Valuable appointments are generally treated with a sense of urgency. Think of it — a young person who is seriously in search of a job would not delay in responding to a call for an interview at a reputable firm or company; a final year student at the university who is desirous of obtaining good grades would keep the deadline for submision of thesis in view so as not to be caught off guard. There are different types of appointments but there is a particular appointment that awaits all of us, i.e. the appointment with the eternal judge.
In our First Reading, John narrates that he saw “a white cloud and sitting on the cloud was one who looked like a son of man, with a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand” (Rev. 14:14). An angel, in a loud voice, said to the one sitting on the cloud, “Use your sickle and reap the harvest, for the the time to reap has come, because the earth’s harvest is fully ripe” (Rev. 14:15).
The reaping of the harvest in the above text is symbolic of the gathering of the elect in the final judgement. As a farmer keeps the fruits of his field at harvest time, the elect whose lives have borne good fruits would make it to the eternal city but the ungodly would be trodden like grapes (cf. Rev. Rev. 14:19f).
Everything here on earth will one day come to an end. Even the magnificent temple built by Herod had its expiry date as explicated in our Gospel text. With the passing of each day, we draw closer to the judgement seat of God. Where do you hope to spend your life after meeting the impartial eternal judge?
As long as we live here on earth, we can choose our eternal destinies but the day we die, “alea iacta est” (a latin phrase meaning, “the die is cast”) and the choice would be out of our hands. Just as it is a painful thing to miss an important earthly appointment by some few seconds, it would be painful, in fact eternally painful, to miss heaven’s appointment. Time is not on anybody’s side. Don’t be late for heaven.
Prayer: Eternal Father, I thank you for the innumerable opportunities you offer daily for my salvation. Deliver me from the spirit of procrastination and grant me the grace to make a firm decision and avail myself to be saved. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen
Andrews Obeng, svd
DIVINE WORD MISSIONARIES
BIBLICAL PASTORAL MINISTRY
(Ghana Province)
“May the darkness of sin and the night of unbelief vanish before the light of the Word and the Spirit of grace. And may the heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all people” (St. Arnold Janssen).