Friar’s Corner: Carrying our cross is not always joyful

Fr. Bob Hilz, TOR

Malachi 3:19-20a; Ps 98:5-9; 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12; Luke 21:5-19

Jesus, we thank you for showering on our nation and us your mercy and great wisdom for our election last Tuesday. We thank you that our polling places were protected. I think most of us were quite surprised at the results. Most citizens realize we need a change in direction yet don’t know what that should be. We helped God begin to make the changes with that election.

Now we need to continue to beg God’s wisdom for the transition to a new administration. We beg you, Lord, to put into place those men and women you want to guide us into your new kingdom for our country and the world. You have a plan, as you always had. In the past many years we have turned away from your plan and tried to throw you out of our culture. We beg forgiveness and ask for your grace to help move our country to where you want us to be. We want your plan to be implemented. Thank you, Jesus.

Focus on Jesus as year ends

We are now at the last two weeks of our Liturgical Year of 2016. Then Advent begins as we will be preparing for the Christmas Season. Next week we shall celebrate Jesus Christ, our Messiah, as Ruler of the Universe. We want to adjust our lives in such a way that we focus on Jesus and how he continues to teach us about living in his kingdom and not that of the world.

Jesus came into our broken humanity and world, to re-direct it into his kingdom. He did that during his thirty-three years on earth. He formed a new covenant between us and his Father sealed in his own Blood. He did that by his death and resurrection. Our baptism and the other sacraments plugged us into that redemption. By the sacraments we are continually empowered to live a different life. As we continue to be filled with his divine power, we radiate Christ’s love and joy to those around us.

New direction

Jesus came to earth and set his new direction for the world and us. As we work at that new life, we still have many trials as we carry our cross behind Jesus. The world of Jesus was not perfect. The early followers of Jesus had many trials as we still do today, wars and rumors of wars plus many natural disasters. We continue to see and experience those difficulties almost two thousand years later. This is not the end of the world. As we remain faithful we are assured of a place in heaven. There we shall experience a perfect place of love, peace and joy. God will show us more about his love for us and the joy of that will last forever.

What we are experiencing now and will in the future is not the end of the world. Jesus is most likely not going to come back on Tuesday. We have been waiting for almost two thousand years now. He told us not to run after strange things. Many prophecies in the last one hundred years or so, have told us that there will be great difficulties as the evil forces try to take us off to hell. As we stand firm in our faith we oppose going there.

Jesus calls us closer to himself. And as we pray more each day, he pierces our hearts with more of his love. This brings us more joy. That is an inner happiness that is very hard to explain. Have a blessed week, keeping your eyes on Jesus, Hebrews 12:2.

Peace!
+ Fr. Bob Hilz
(© 2016 Fr. Bob Hilz, TOR}