Bible
Study: Daniel 12, 1 to 3. Hebrews 10, 11 to 18. And
Mark 13, 24 to 32.
The fact
that we all shall die is a reality no one can deny. From the very day we are
born, we become old enough to die. We even count our age based on how old we
are. Some of us here are five years old, others are fifty years old, whether it
is one or a hundred, all of us are old. And death has no particular order, we
do not die the same way we are born. Some live very old and die, others live
for a relatively short time but die all the same.
In the
wave of the terror attacks in France recently, the world as a whole has been
thrown into some degree of shock, even Pope Francis is been quoted as saying
this attacks may just be the beginning of a third world war. Should that be the
case, then history is about to repeat itself and the very images our readings
conjure in us today may as well become living realities.
Our readings
today simply remind us of something that we already know; the fact that this
world as we see it is not everlasting; that it would surely come to an end
someday; that Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead; that
there is a reward for us if we live righteously and eternal punishment awaits
those who live wickedly.
The fact
that we have not yet died right now and these things are yet to happen simply
means we have a little time on our hands; time to prepare! Just like runners
about to begin a race, we must position ourselves and wait patiently for the
sound of the gun. Does this mean we can no longer go about our daily
activities? Does this mean we should stop working, and start spending our
entire lives right inside the church waiting for the last day? Not at all.
Preparing
for death simply means that we have to change our attitude to life generally. It
means that we have to be more passionate about the things of heaven than the things
of this world. It means we have to constantly remind ourselves that everything we
have will pass away someday and that there is no guarantee that we shall be
alive tomorrow. It means that we have to live in constant expectation of death
even as we perform our daily activities.
That is to
say, we should no longer be afraid of death. And when we hear about the death
of anyone, it should not leave us feeling sad and worried, it should simply
reinforce our conviction that very soon we would follow suit. Living in
expectation of death brings about a certain degree of lightness. We no longer
take things too seriously, we no longer see the need to amass wealth upon
wealth as if that was the essence of life. Knowing that we must die imprints
within us a desire to give, to share and to care knowing that we can never take
anything with us out of this life.
Let us
Pray:
Lord
Jesus, help me to get ready so that the d-day whenever it comes will not be a
shock to me. Amen.
Good morning.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. Happy Sunday.
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