Persecution and Perseverance
Signs in the Sun, Moon and Stars
Photo by Ryan Holloway on Unsplash
A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:
"And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory" (Luke 21:27).
As November ends, so do the Gospel readings about the Second Coming, when, according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “...the glorious Christ will reveal the secret disposition of hearts and will render to each man according to his works, and according to his acceptance or refusal of grace.” (Para. 682)
Only the Father knows when that day will come, but in the Gospels Jesus forewarns of signs in the sun, moon and stars, roaring of the waves in the sea and people dying of fright! When these things begin to happen, He tells us to “stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand” (Luke 21:28).
How will we have the strength of mind and body to stand erect amidst such frightful occurrences?
Jesus taught that if we’ve prepared ourselves to receive Him by keeping our hearts filled with the light of His love, by loving our neighbor and by serving Him in faith through all of our earthly struggles, we can be confident that on the Last Day, He will renew our strength and remove all fear. The Greatest Love of all did not come to judge, but to save and to give us the life He has in Himself.
But we must ask Him to create in us a new spirit and then work hard to keep it alive - we must start now, because when we reject His grace in this life, we already judge ourselves and will receive according to our works, perhaps even condemning ourselves forever by rejecting His Spirit of Love.
What perfect timing with the start of Advent! How better to prepare ourselves for Jesus’ Second Coming than by recalling the wondrous days leading to His First Coming. May your Advent Season be one of peace and love.
"Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap; for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth. But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:34-36).
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About the Author
Elizabeth Tichvon is a Catholic writer and Consecrated Marian Catechist under the Direction of His Eminence Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke. Always faithful to the Magisterium, she spreads and defends the Catholic faith as a true witness of Christ, confessing the name of Jesus boldly, never ashamed of the Cross.
Elizabeth became aware of the need for the New Evangelization while in the two years of her formation as a Marian Catechist and wrote over 200 published meditations on Sacred Scripture from the daily Liturgy of the Word for various Catholic websites, and following Jesus' example, now teaches through her own parables so that by sharing her stories through social media, might bring others closer to the heart of Christ. She is currently a regular columnist at Catholic365 and as a Marian Catechist, her spiritual life is the foundation of her writing.
She completed UCLA's Graduate Program With Honors and worked as a Paralegal for 32 years before retiring from Chrysler's Office of the General Counsel in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
