NOVEMBER 25, 2010
DAILY PRAYER WITH REGNUM CHRISTI
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SCARY TIMES
_Father Edward McIlmail, LC_
_Luke 21:20-28_
Jesus said to his disciples: "When you see Jerusalem surrounded by
armies, know that its desolation is at hand. Then those in Judea must
flee to the mountains. Let those within the city escape from it, and
let those in the countryside not enter the city, for these days are
the time of punishment when all the scriptures are fulfilled. Woe to
pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days, for a terrible
calamity will come upon the earth and a wrathful judgment upon this
people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be taken as
captives to all the Gentiles; and Jerusalem will be trampled
underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are
fulfilled. "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of
the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of
what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be
shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with
power and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand
erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand."
INTRODUCTORY PRAYER: Jesus my Savior, thank you for another day
and another chance to grow in holiness with your grace. I love you
and wish to make you the true center of my thoughts, desires and
actions.
PETITION: Lord, give me a healthy, but realistic Christian
optimism.
1. DESOLATION AT HAND What a grim Gospel passage! Lots of talk of
armies and calamity and roaring seas. Jesus is speaking of the coming
destruction of Jerusalem (in A.D. 70) as well as images of the
End-Times. In our day we can think of wars, tsunamis, floods and
wonder why the world is such a nasty place sometimes. Why can't life
be easier? Why do so many innocent people suffer? Alas, Our Lord
asked the same questions. All the evil we see springs from original
sin, from the fall of Adam. It wasn't God's plan to have all this
suffering -- but he allows it. He allows it because he respects our
freedom. He allows it too because he knows he can bring good out of
it. How do I use my freedom? Do I have enough faith in Christ to be
optimistic?
2. TRAMPLED UNDERFOOT The fall of Jerusalem didn't mean that God
abandoned the world. True, the focus of religion would no longer be
the Temple; rather, it would be a new focus: Christ, truly present
in the Eucharist. The tabernacle would be the new center of
attention. How few souls grasp that truth? After 2,000 years, Jesus
is still humble, allowing himself to be kept in a tabernacle. Does
that fact influence the way I act in a church? Does it affect the way
I dress when going to church? Do I try to enter church with the
proper state of heart and mind?
3. REDEMPTION AT HAND Faithful following of Christ gives us the
best assurance that our lives have meaning. Christ will make sense of
everything at the end of our lives. All our struggles to live the
Gospel will be worth it. On the last day we might regret many things,
but we will never regret the things we did for Christ. Does that
truth guide our lives each day? Do we live each day as if it were our
last? What is there in my life that I would be ashamed of on the
last day? Why not weed it out of my life now?
CONVERSATION WITH CHRIST: Lord, help me to judge the things of my
daily life against eternity. Let me see things with your eyes. Let me
see what is really valuable and what is fleeting. And help me to act
accordingly.
RESOLUTION:I will make a fresh effort to get rid of the biggest
vice in my life meditation.regnumchristi.org