“Rejoice in the Lord Always!”
Father Peter Fitzgibbons
December 15 – 16, 2018
Scripture: Luke 3: 10-18
10) And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do? 11) He said to them in reply, “Whoever has two tunics should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise. 12) Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13) He answered them, “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.” 14) Soldiers also asked him, “And what is it that we should do?” He told them, “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.” 15) Now the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Messiah. 16) John answered them all, saying,l “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire. 17) His winnowing fan* is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” 18) Exhorting them in many other ways, he preached good news to the people.
Many of us take daily medications for high blood pressure or cholesterol that enable us to have better health and, therefore, live better lives. We don’t often feel reactions like: “Yippee! I’m doing great!” or “I feel like doing the happy dance!” No. It’s more of a quiet, slow, and steady process to better health. The same is true with our spiritual health. Rarely, do we have feelings of joy and ecstasy…that kind of happiness won’t happen until we meet Him.
I recently visited an 87 year old man who was in Hospice. I spoke with the family and asked if I could say the “Prayers for the Dying.” They agreed, and although they are not Catholic, they loved it. This man was dying a terrible and painful death, but his dead uncle visited him to reassure him that it’s not that bad and that he wouldn’t feel any pain. Often, I tell those who are dying to go and meet their Savior and to meet Him joyfully.
We have three opportunities to meet God up close and personal:
• Sacraments
• Our deaths
• At the end of the world when He returns
Rejoice that we have the opportunity each day to be renewed by Him. How wonderful it is that we have this great gift! At Mass, we receive Him into our souls and become one with Him. We are united with Him, and He is united with us. And, we can do this every day; two times a day. Christ is there waiting for us in the Tabernacle. Saint Therese of Lisieux wept after she received her first Holy Communion…not because her mother was dead and missed the event, but because Jesus had kissed her heart, and she knew that God was there.
Let us rejoice for this is only a foretaste of heaven. The Lord tells us that our time of waiting is almost over, and that He will come for us, and no longer will we need to participate in Mass to see Him. Rejoice that Christ is coming… either at our deaths or at the end of the world. When He comes, we will be in His presence forever.
We will be judged, and everything will be made present before our eyes. Does God send people to hell? No. We send ourselves to hell.
How will you apply this message to your life? Will you seek every opportunity, through the sacraments, to get up close and personal with God?