What will happen to humanity and the entire universe at the end of time? Fr. Mike shares with us the joyous hope of the new heaven and the new earth that awaits us after the Last Judgment. We learn that “at the end of time, the Kingdom of God will come in its fullness,” and all of creation will be redeemed and renewed. There will be no more weeping, mourning, nor pain, for death shall be no more. Fr. Mike invites us to hold on to this hope as we struggle on this side of heaven and await this great promise. Today’s Catechism readings are paragraphs 1042-1050.
God created heaven and earth — all that we see and all that we don’t see. We learn that the earth is filled with men and many things we can see, but our faith tells us that there are many things on earth that we cannot see, including the presence of God and angels. Fr. Mike explains how human beings are spiritual and corporeal creatures, but angels are immortal, purely spiritual creatures. He tells us more about the role of angels and how, possessing intellect and will, they too are created to glorify God. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 325-330.
When you see yourself as a part of the greater whole, you not only give greater honor to the whole, but you also gain a healthy perspective on your own significance. This is just one of the many gifts that Creation has to offer us. Growing a garden, taking meditative hikes, and increasing your environmental stewardship are all ways you can find your place within the whole. Getting your body, soul, and mind in tune with the natural world can have significant benefits to your quality of life. You are not an isolated creature, not a mere accident tasked with going through life on your own. Your physical body is an integral and natural part of the planet you are on—one where your actions, attitudes, and even your thoughts impact the whole.
Stepping out into nature can remind you that you are not the center of the world. In relation to both the splendor and suffering of the earth, the way you feel about your physical appearance truly is a very small thing. You are part of something so much bigger—something so much better than the number on the tag of your pants. Animals delight in their life without ever considering their shape or size. Plants do their work of photosynthesis without self-consciousness. Spending time in Creation—and finding your interconnectedness to it—invites you to stop taking yourself so seriously. Step outside and let nature heal you. Appreciate the way your body connects you to the primal longing to belong— and belong here, you do.
“By accepting the sufferings ‘offered’ by life and allowed by God for our progress and purification, we spare ourselves much harder ones. We need to develop this kind of realism and, once and for all, stop dreaming of a life without suffering or conflict. That is the life of heaven, not earth. We must take up our cross and follow Christ courageously every day; the bitterness of that cross will sooner or later be transformed into sweetness.”— Fr. Jacques Philippe, p. 49
Pope Pius XII established this feast in 1954. But Mary’s queenship has roots in Scripture. At the Annunciation, Gabriel announced that Mary’s Son would receive the throne of David and rule forever. At the Visitation, Elizabeth calls Mary “mother of my Lord.” As in all the mysteries of Mary’s life, she is closely associated with Jesus: Her queenship is a share in Jesus’ kingship. We can also recall that in the Old Testament the mother of the king has great influence in court.
In the fourth century Saint Ephrem called Mary “Lady” and “Queen.” Later Church fathers and doctors continued to use the title. Hymns of the 11th to 13th centuries address Mary as queen: “Hail, Holy Queen,” “Hail, Queen of Heaven,” “Queen of Heaven.” The Dominican rosary and the Franciscan crown as well as numerous invocations in Mary’s litany celebrate her queenship.
The feast is a logical follow-up to the Assumption, and is now celebrated on the octave day of that feast. In his 1954 encyclical To the Queen of Heaven, Pius XII points out that Mary deserves the title because she is Mother of God, because she is closely associated as the New Eve with Jesus’ redemptive work, because of her preeminent perfection, and because of her intercessory power.
Reflection
As Saint Paul suggests in Romans 8:28–30, God has predestined human beings from all eternity to share the image of his Son. All the more was Mary predestined to be the mother of Jesus. As Jesus was to be king of all creation, Mary, in dependence on Jesus, was to be queen. All other titles to queenship derive from this eternal intention of God. As Jesus exercised his kingship on earth by serving his Father and his fellow human beings, so did Mary exercise her queenship. As the glorified Jesus remains with us as our king till the end of time (Matthew 28:20), so does Mary, who was assumed into heaven and crowned queen of heaven and earth.
As the Genesis creation story points to so poetically, we are literally made up of the Earth—every molecule of our being ultimately came from the Earth. We are children of Earth, flesh of the Earth’s flesh and bone of her bone. We are not some aliens that fate dropped onto this planet to make shift. We human animals are native to this place and have co-evolved with the Earth for millions of years. We may have isolated and insulated ourselves with technology, but deep in our collective psyche, deep in our instinctual drives and our inherited knowledge, we know that we belong. True, it can sometimes be a contentious relationship. The Earth can be cruel and unforgiving, and survival can be a struggle. But it is the struggle of family, not contention between strangers.
“We will never be free of trials and temptations as long as our earthly life lasts. For Job has said: ‘Is not the life of human beings on earth a drudgery?‘ (Job 7:1). Therefore, we should always be on our guard against temptations, always praying that our enemy, the devil, ‘who never sleeps but constantly looks for someone to devour.‘ (1 Pet 5:8), will not catch us off guard. No one in this world is so perfect or holy as not to have temptations sometimes. We can never be entirely free from them. Sometimes these temptations can be very severe and troublesome, but if we resist them, they will be very useful to us; for by experiencing them we are humbled, cleansed, and instructed. All the Saints endured tribulations and temptations and profited by them, while those who did not resist and overcome them fell away and were lost. There is no place so holy or remote where you will not meet with temptation, nor is there anyone completely free from it in this life; for in our body we bear the wounds of sin—the weakness of our human nature in which we are born.” — Thomas á Kempis, p. 31
I was talking to one of my fellow chaplains with whom I share an office at the VA. We call it the cell. So, I said to my cell-mate, “Hey Gary, you’re a bright guy, even though you went into the Air Force, you’re a bright guy.” He was too old for Girl Scouts, but he does have a master’s degree in Divinity. “Where are the green pastures that our Lord, the Good Shepherd, leads us to give us repose?” Gary said “Heaven.” That’s true. Then, I said, “Would you say that, before we get there, He leads us to heaven on Earth…to a place in His Sacred Heart?” That is Heaven. Our Savior’s heart beats with love for us, and our two hearts will beat as one in Heaven. The Good Shepherd calls us, not just to follow Him, but to be part of His Sacred Heart and to take our rest there. It is in our Lord’s Sacred Heart that we will find peace and rest for our souls.
Our Lord said in Matthew 11:30: “…my yoke is sweet and my burden light.” The sweet yoke is our crosses that are just for us and not for anyone else. In that lovely green garden and pasture where He gives us repose, He also gives us strength, courage, and consolation as we carry our cross. We carry our cross with the Good Shepherd, if we let Him, so that we are able to carry it for our redemption and the redemption of others. And sometimes, but not nearly often enough, we will find joy in it. We will find joy in carrying our cross.
The Good Shepherd would like to lead us to His Sacred Heart. Saint Augustine said, “Our heart is restless until it rests in thee.” We will find peace for our souls which is what our souls need, but we try to fill it with every person, place, or thing. In His Sacred Heart, we will find rest. We will find strength, and we will find contentment. We walk with our Lord by the way of the Cross. First He leads us to His Sacred Heart, and then He walks with us all the way through to our passion and death.
How will you apply this message to your life? Will you let Him help you carry your cross for your redemption and the redemption of others?
Father’s Afterthoughts:
I had a meeting with the Bishop the other day. Sadly, I’m still not a monsignor. I had to drive 50+ miles to hear that bad news. Anyway, I felt safer in Iraq while driving to Charlotte on Hwy 485. Those people are crazy! I was never so glad to see Walmart in Locust and Mecklenburg County in my rear view mirror. One thing we discussed at the meeting is that, in the next couple of months, the Bishop will probably reinstitute the Sunday Mass obligation. When he does, the Mass will be a bit longer than those I’ve been giving.
I really don’t like the word “obligation.” Are you are obligated to remember your mother’s birthday or remember her on Mother’s Day? If you have to be told that, you need to be taken outside with a few of the guys for a chat. We come here out of love. If we say, “Oh, I’m too tired” or “I’m too whatever,” we lose the opportunity to grow in love.
Also, keep in your prayers, Father Michael Kottar. He’s 57 years old and a great priest. Father Kottar has been diagnosed with bovine spongiform encephalopathy or Mad Cow Disease. There is no treatment, so please keep him in your prayers.
You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to https://annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com/ and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes.” From a cell phone, click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories” (located at the end of page). There is also a search box if you are looking for a specific topic.
