Maranatha!

The ban will be lifted. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in its place in the city; his servants will worship him, they will see him face to face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. It will never be night again and they will not need lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will be shining on them. They will reign for ever and ever.
Apoc.22:3,5

Saint John's revelation has come to its climatic end. The saints and God are reunited  in the new Jerusalem where the glorious light from God illuminates everything forever. Maranatha!

On this New Year's eve of the Church, we are guided to gaze on the glorious splendor to come. This reminds me of the throat-catching final chapter in The Last Battle, the final book in the Narnian Chronicals. C.S. Lewis beautifully describes the indescribable, where the children can swim up thundering waterfalls, stare into the sun, have telescopic vision, can run so fast it's literally like flying and where the constant, joyful cry is "further up and further in!", until they meet Aslan (Jesus) face to face.

Oh happy longing within me for this day! Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus come!
Little Flower, please pray for me.

Stand up an Lift Your Head

And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand."
Lk.21:28

Jesus knows that his betrayal is about to happen and his time of ministry is nearing its end. He turns his focus to the eternal, prophesying the destruction of the temple and then the end of time. But in this catastrophic calamity he says to do a strange thing, stand up and lift your head. Why? Because our redemption draws near.

Troubles happen in this life. It comes with having a beating heart and drawing breath. I can't avoid it. How I react to troubles is something I do have control over. Jesus' advice in today's Gospel is directly related to the end of time, sure, but I can see an application to everyday trouble as well.

Having an eternal perspective helps put troubles in right perspective.  That puncture in my bike tyre making me late for work is actually not the end of the world. In two weeks time I'll hardly recall it. Dealing with these "dust of daily battle" situations in this way gives me a more positive outlook on life.

Meanwhile, when the end of time does come, and it will, I will be better prepared to stand up and lift my head.

Lord Jesus, help me develop an eternal perspective by keeping you firmly in my view today, no matter what may happen.
Little Flower please pray for me.

House of Prayer

Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out those who were selling things, saying to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.'" Lk.19:45,46

Jesus has just entered Jerusalem on a donkey and has been hailed as king by the people. As a king should, he has entered his throne room, the temple, only to find it crowded with money lenders and traders. These he drives out with the authority of a king and re-establishes the purpose of the temple. It is a house of prayer.

I love going to Mass at our Hamilton Cathedral. I've heard a priest say that as Catholics, we build what we believe. The very architecture of a church reinforces our faith. For me this happens at the Cathedral. It is set on a hill with a wide welcoming stairway leading up to it from the street. "Come, let us go up to the House of the Lord".  On passing through the foyer the very first sight that I cannot ignore is a huge Icon of Mary. This encourages me to thank Mary for her "yes" to God's plan for my redemption and then to ask her to interceed for me that I may meet her Son in the Mass I am about to attend. To enter the church proper I must pass a huge baptismal font. Here I ceremonially cleans myself before fully entering the House of Prayer. "Lord, wash away my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin." . As I kneel  in the pews I look over the alter of transformation where my life is transformed by the presence of Jesus. Behind the altar I see the price of God's love to achieve this transformation, the death of His Son. To the left of the sanctuary I see then tabernacle where His ressurected presence is contained in body, soul and spirit. 

Oh House of Prayer, you are my place of succour. May I always long to enter your gates.
Little Flower, please pray for me.

Trustworthy

The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones. If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth?
Lk.16:10,11

Jesus is teaching again about how to treat money. He highlights how our attitude to even small amounts of wealth reveals how trustworthy we are.

I remember a New Zealand prime minister in the eighties who at the hight of his international fame was having an affair with a woman. I've often recalled this scripture when thinking about that tragedy. How could he be trusted with the affairs of a nation when he couldn't be trusted in his marriage?

Of course, this is a great lesson. I need to be trustworthy in the smallest things to develop a right attitude for all things, great or small.

Getting back to money, Jesus was right. My attitude to money reveals much about my trustworthiness. It's a great litmus test.  I'll watch how I handle money today and take note of what it says.  How should I treat money? With an open hand.

Lord Jesus, You know how tight-fisted I am. Help me be generous and trust worthy in small things so You may entrust me with greater.
Little Flower, please pray for me.

Vainglory

Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but for the interests of others.
Ph.2:3,4

Saint Paul is writing to the church at Philippi encouraging them in the christian life. Here he addresses the fundamental sin that is the foundation for all sins... vainglory.

Vainglory. It is such an old fashioned sounding word. Yet it describes painfully well the fundamental flaw in human nature, pride. The dictionary defines vainglory as, 'excessive or ostentatious pride especially in one's achievements". Yep, I know exactly what they are talking about.

 I think I've just found something to take to the confessional, that great place which is the antidote to vainglory.

 Lord Jesus, here I am again with my pride painfully before me. Help me be less so I may see more of you in others. Little Flower, please pray for me.

Rejoice and be Glad!

He began to teach them, saying: 
Blessed are the poor in spirit, 
Blessed are they who mourn,  
Blessed are the meek, 
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, 
Blessed are the merciful, 
Blessed are the clean of heart, 
Blessed are the peacemakers, 
Blessed are they who are persecuted, 
Blessed are you when they insult you, 
...Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Mt.5:1-12

Jesus begins his great sermon on the mount listing nine conditions that the world considers hardships but what he redefines as causes for rejoicing.

When I am firmly in Christ nothing can take my joy away! What a great way to live out today!

LordJesus.You are my joy and hope today. Help me pass this on to all I meet today.
Little Flower, please pray for me.