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Christ did not come only for those who, since the time of the Emperor Tiberius, have believed in him, nor has the Father exercised his providence only in favour of people now living, but in favour of all without exception, right from the beginning, who have feared God and loved him and practised justice and kindness towards their neighbours and desired to see Christ and hear his voice, in accordance with their
abilities and the age in which they were living.
- Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies
(This is a very early [2nd C.] intuition into what eventually became known as the "baptism of desire." How does this passage speak to your image of Christ?)
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Dn 7:2-14; Daniel 3:75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81
Lk 21:29-33
Jesus told his disciples a parable.
“Consider the fig tree and all the other trees.
When their buds burst open,
you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near;
in the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that the Kingdom of God is near.
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.”
USCCB lectionary
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Reflection on the Scripture
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“The heavens and the earth will pass away, but My words will not pass.” ¬—Luke 21:33
Only two days remain before this liturgical year comes to an end; upon what will you focus your attention? Will it be pre-Christmas sales? Will it be sports?
Compared to eternity, only a short time remains in our life; until we die or until Jesus comes again, upon what will you focus your attention? Will it be making money? (see 1 Tm 6:9-10) Will it be power, pleasure, food, clothes? (Mt 6:24-34) The things of this world, upon which we focus so much attention, shall pass away (Lk 21:33). “Since everything is to be destroyed in this way, what sort of [people] must you not be!
How holy in your conduct and devotion, looking for the coming of the day of God and trying to hasten it!” (2 Pt 3:11-12)
Therefore, let us set our hearts on what is above, not on what is of earth (Col 3:1-2). With St. Paul, let us profess: “I have been crucified with Christ, and the life I live now is not my own; Christ is living in me. I still live my human life, but it is a life of faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal 2:19-20). Let us finish this Church year focused on what will last, not on what will pass
away.
Prayer: Father, in these next two days, I ask You to bring to completion all that You wanted to accomplish in my life during this Church year.
Promise: “His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, His kingship shall not be destroyed.” ¬—Dn 7:14
Presentation Ministries
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Growing in Inner Freedom: A Guide for Today
- by Philip St. Romain. Liguori Publ., 1986.
17. Count Your Blessings
“Every worthwhile gift, every genuine benefit comes from above, descending from the Father of the heavenly luminaries, who cannot change and who is never shadowed over” (James 1:17).
After drifting about in the ocean for several weeks in a life raft, Eddie Rickenbacker was asked what he had learned from this experience. “I think if a person has all the fresh water he can drink and all the food he can eat, he should never complain about anything,” was his reply. How petty are many of our complaints in comparison!
One of the most serious consequences of sin is that it makes us myopic, or fixated on ourselves and what we lack. Like people in a beauty contest, we are more concerned over being prettier, or better, when instead we can be grateful for our own giftedness and the blessings of others as well. Instead of seeing the doughnut, we see the hole. Such narrow-mindedness will take all the fun out of life.
Typically, we do not appreciate a gift until we lose possession of it. But it is possible to stop taking gifts for granted and to rejoice now in all that we do have. This is what God, our gift-giver, desires that we do.
How gifted are you? If you are reading the words on this page, you already belong to the educated minority of this world who happen to possess a computer with e mail access. If, in addition, you possess normal faculties of hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching, you are very blessed indeed! What a blind person would give for five minutes of our visual time.
If you are physically healthy: dance for joy. If you are mentally healthy, you have almost all that is necessary to gain happiness. If you have people who love you, you should never complain. If you have faith in God, you possess the pearl of great price—the greatest gift of all.
Suggested Practices
- Take stock. Make a list of the gifts available to you for your happiness. Consider health, family, friends, education, material goods, country, Church, etc.
- Gifts that are given to you should be received in gratitude. Give thanks to God for the gifts that bless your life.
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