28 November 2024 - Only By Grace Reflections

#OnlyByGraceReflections #CFC #CouplesforChrist NOTE: Please click the Subscribe key on YouTube and press the black notification bell to receive the daily reflections. Or, open in YouTube for easy access. View and Like. Thank you. TOPIC: AM I READY TO MEET THE LORD WHEN HE COMES AGAIN? First Reading: Revelation 18: 1-2, 21-23; 19: 1-3, 9a Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 100: 2, 3, 4, 5 Alleluia: Luke 21: 28 Gospel: Luke 21: 20-28 In today's Gospel, our Lord Jesus speaks of the terrible calamity which will come as wrathful judgment on the earth. Here, Jesus, who is meek and humble of heart, sounds quite harsh. His intent is not to frighten us so much as to awaken us to the coming of "the time of punishment when all the Scriptures are fulfilled." (Luke 21:22) His warning is to stir our hearts deeply, and expose the ways in which we have become complacent, taking our relationship with Him for granted. This mindset is quite common in the world today, even among Christians. As the saying goes, "Life is long. I have plenty of time. Let us drink, eat, enjoy and be merry. Later when I am older, I can pay attention to God, repent of my sins and follow His ways." But we do not know when or how our life will end. Hence, we should always be prepared as if our life were going to end tomorrow. Let us, therefore, adopt the mindset and lifestyle of the faithful and prudent servant in the Gospel (cf. Matthew 24:45-47) - following God, seeking and doing His will, and choosing the way of loving service. And in the end, we can welcome the day of the Lord confidently as the end of our Gospel today proclaims, "But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand." (Luke 21:28) This is the 1677th installment of our CFC contemplation series focusing on the daily liturgical readings. [NOTE: Let us listen to our brother Rouquel Ponte, a member of the CFC Board of Elders, and the International Coordinator of the CFC Servants of the Lord, as he brings us today's reflection. All the regular reflections are between 3-7 minutes long, enough time for us to ponder what God's message is for us individually and to pray that we may live them out in our lives. This video is also available on Couples for Christ’s Facebook page. In You Tube, just type ONLY BY GRACE REFLECTIONS]