To the Ends of the Earth: Legacy – Catholic Men's Devotionals, Week 3 – Our Legacy is Our Hope

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband; and I heard a great voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.”

Revelation 21:1–4

The world seems to be getting worse instead of better. People are divided politically, culturally, and spiritually. There are wars and rumors of wars, poor people suffering all over the globe, and selfishness and sin at an all-time high. It might seem like God has forgotten us, but Jesus talked about this extensively (see Matthew 24). It is all part of living in a broken world.

Still, we can take courage. Our legacy as Christians is a legacy of hope. The cross brought salvation and began the Church. We are on a journey through the storms of history with the heavenly throne room in sight. The Church has gone through her infancy and adolescence and is coming into maturity as her people continue to fight the good fight of faith.

What can we as Catholic men take away from God’s word concerning our hopeful future? This week we will consider the following points:

1.         The new is coming and the old will pass away.

We sometimes forget that the way the world is now is not how it will always be. Jesus promises that there will be a new heaven and a new earth where all the evils of the past will vanish away. Because this new and eternal life is our legacy, we can look forward with expectation and hope.

2.         Like a bride, the Church is being readied for her wedding.

In the early Church, a bride was given a ceremonial bath before her wedding. Now, Jesus is purifying the Church, his Bride, for the great wedding feast that is to come. We are marching down the aisle as we prepare to meet our heavenly Bridegroom.

3.         God will dwell with his people in the world to come.

Some have forgotten that Jesus came to live with us and will one day bring us to live with him forever. We need to reclaim this great mystery, take hold of it with joy, and never let go.

4.         Our tears and our struggles will be nothing compared to the hope that is to come.

Creation is groaning as in labor, awaiting its redemption in the new birth to come (see Rom 8:18–25). In Jesus, we have been given the first fruits of heaven through the cross. The best is yet to come!

5.         We will pass through the rising waters and the raging fire and find heaven.

No matter how heavy and difficult they may be, the trials we face now shall not sweep us away or consume us (Is 43:2). The power that raised Christ from the dead lives in us and is carrying the People of God to our final home, our New Jerusalem.

A Call to Action

One of the greatest obstacles we face in bringing people to Christ is giving an answer for the struggles of this world. As Catholics, we need to proclaim the powerful truth that the best is yet to come, so that others can discover the same hope that is ours.

We proclaim this truth first of all in the way we live. We know we can hold on through the storms of life because we can trust the One who holds the lightning in his hand (see Jb 36:32) and calms every storm (Lk 8:22–25).

This week, focus your prayers, your speech, and your actions on the hope we have in Christ. Consider what it means to belong to the Church, the Bride of Christ, who is readying herself for the Bridegroom. Let that shape how you respond to the sin, sadness, and falsehood you experience in the world. Strive to show love, to trust that the end of the story is in God’s hands, and to know that all our concerns can be laid at the feet of our God, who is all-powerful and all-loving.

You can learn more about the To the Ends of the Earth Series HERE