Dear Brothers and Sisters,
http://www.universalis.com/20111124/mass.htm
Reflections:
Will you be able to hold your head high when the Son of Man comes?
In today’s Gospel, Jesus prophesied the end of Jerusalem and the eventual end of the world. He speaks of great trials and tribulations that will overcome the earth then, but, He promises that as long as we have been living in the light, we can stand with our heads held high.
In good times, at Fides sessions, at Amplify Fridays, it’s easy to give praise to God, it’s easy to feel the love of God. But I guess the real test comes when we are in times of trial, cut off from our support groups. In these times, it is not easy to praise God, in fact, the temptation to be angry/shun him is much stronger. However it is in these difficult times that our worship and praise to God actually becomes valuable and means so much more. For if we can praise God even when we are feeling down, we can be sure that our worship is not just lip service. It is only when we persevere in prayer and strive to stay in the light, in the midst of difficult times, that our faith becomes stronger.
Within all of us, there is a darkness. For some of us this darkness is more deeply entrenched, and is much more overpowering. This darkness tells us that we should look out for ourselves first, satisfy our own needs. It tells us that we will never be worthy of God’s love, that we will never be able to break free from sin. It tells us that there is no hope. Each time we listen to it or let it take control, we are making it stronger. A sad but true fact is that for some, this darkness becomes so strong, it completely overwhelms them and they give up fighting it altogether.
Never lose hope however – it is one of the most powerful weapons that God has given to us. One of my favourite scripture verse reads, The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness can never extinguish it – John1:5. All it takes to pierce even the darkest of nights, is the smallest of lights. All of the darkness that you think you got inside you, all it takes is just a little bit of light to keep it at bay.
Surrender all things to God in prayer!
If you have time (try to make some!), Fr William’s insightful reflection can be found here: http://csctr.net/thursday-24-november-2011-34th-ordinary-week-cycle-1
