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12 November 2011
Rejoice and be glad for your reward will be great in heaven - Extracted from Matthew, Chapter 5: 1-12
Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his disciples.
Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:
‘How happy are the poor in spirit; theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Happy the gentle: they shall have the earth for their heritage.
Happy those who mourn: they shall be comforted.
Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right: they shall be satisfied.
Happy the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them.
Happy the pure in heart: they shall see God.
Happy the peacemakers: they shall be called sons of God.
Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right: theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on My account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.’
We shall see God as He really is - Extracted from 1 John 3: 1-3
Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us, by letting us be called God’s children; and that is what we are.
Because the world refused to acknowledge Him, therefore it does not acknowledge us.
My dear people, we are already the children of God but we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed; all we know is, that when it is revealed we shall be like Him because we shall see Him as He really is.
Surely everyone who entertains this hope must purify himself, must be as pure as Christ.
Our Reflections: “We shall be like Him” because the lover and the beloved will always look alike. 8-)
Our gifts differ according to the grace given to us - Extracted from Romans 12: 3-13
In the light of the grace I have received, I (hereinafter referred to the Apostle “Paul”) want to urge each one among you not to exaggerate his real importance.
Each of you must judge himself soberly by the standards of the faith God has given him.
Just as each our bodies has several parts and each part has a separate function, so all of us, in union with Christ, form one body, and as parts of it we belong to each other.
Our gifts differ according to the grace given us.
If your gift is prophesy, then use it as your faith suggest; if administration, then use it for administration; if teaching, then use it for teaching.
Let the preacher delivers sermons, the almsgivers give freely, the officials be diligent and those who do works of mercy do them cheerfully.
Do not let your love be a pretense, but sincerely prefer good to evil.
Love each other as much as brothers should, and have a profound respect for each other.
Work for the Lord with untiring effort and with great earnestness of spirit.
If you have hope, this will make you cheerful.
Do not give up if trials come; and keep on praying.
If any of the saints are in need you must share with them; and you should make hospitality your special care.
There will be rejoicing in heaven over 1 repentant sinner – Extracted from Luke 15: 1-10
1 The tax collectors and sinners, were all crowding round to listen to Jesus,
2 and the Pharisees and scribes complained saying, 'This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.'
3 So Jesus told them this parable:
4 'Which one of you with a hundred sheep, if he lost one, would fail to leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the missing one till he found it?
5 And when he found it, would he not joyfully take it on his shoulders
6 and then, when he got home, call together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, "Rejoice with me, I have found my sheep that was lost."
7 In the same way, I tell you, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner repenting than over ninety-nine upright people who have no need of repentance.
8 'Or again, what woman with ten drachmas would not, if she lost one, light a lamp and sweep out the house and search thoroughly till she found it?
9 And then, when she had found it, call together her friends and neighbours, saying to them, "Rejoice with me, I have found the drachma I lost."
10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing among the angels of God over one repentant sinner.'
Stay awake, because He comes at the hour you do not expect – Extracted from Matthew, Chapter 24:
Jesus said, ’…
43 You may be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what time of the night the burglar would come, he would have stayed awake and would not have allowed anyone to break through the wall of his house.
44 Therefore, you too must stand ready because the Son of Man (hereinafter referred to “Jesus Christ”) is coming at an hour you do not expect.
45 'Who, then, is the wise and trustworthy servant whom the master placed over his household to give them their food at the proper time?
46 Blessed that servant if his master's arrival finds him doing exactly that.
47 In truth I tell you, he will put him in charge of everything he owns.
48 But if the servant is dishonest and says to himself, "My master is taking his time,"
49 and sets about beating his fellow-servants and eating and drinking with drunkards,
50 his master will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not know.
51 The master will cut him off and send him to the same fate as the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.'
Extracted from Wisdom, Chapter 6:
Wisdom sought is Wisdom Found
12 Wisdom is brilliant, she never fades. By those who love her, she is readily seen, by those who seek her, she is readily found.
13 She anticipates those who desire her by making herself known first.
14 Whoever gets up early to seek her will have no trouble but will find her sitting at the door.
15 Meditating on her is understanding in its perfect form, and anyone keeping awake for her will soon be free from care.
16 For she herself searches everywhere for those who are worthy of her, benevolently appearing to them on their ways, anticipating their every thought.
17 For Wisdom begins with the sincere desire for instruction, care for instruction means loving her,
18 loving her means keeping her laws, attention to her laws guarantees incorruptibility,
19 and incorruptibility brings us near to God;
20 the desire for Wisdom thus leads to sovereignty.
21 If then thrones and sceptres delight you, monarchs of the nations, honour Wisdom, so that you may reign for ever.
Solomon sets out to describe Wisdom
22 What Wisdom is and how she was born, I shall now explain; I shall hide no mysteries from you, but shall follow her steps from the outset of her origin, setting out what we know of her in full light, without departing from the truth.
23 Blighting envy is no companion for me, for envy has nothing in common with Wisdom.
24 In the greatest number of the wise lies the world's salvation, in a sagacious king the stability of a people.
25 Learn, therefore, from my words; the gain will be yours.
So stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour – Extracted from Matthew, Chapter 25:
Jesus told this parable to his disciples:
1 'Then the kingdom of Heaven will be like this: Ten wedding attendants took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. (Interpretation: The lamp is “the faith that God has given to each person as a free but precious gift”)
2 Five of them were foolish and five were sensible:
3 the foolish ones, though they took their lamps, took no oil with them,
4 whereas the sensible ones took flasks of oil as well as their lamps. (Interpretation: The oil refers to “Sanctifying Grace & our Good Works”.)
5 The bridegroom was late, and they all grew drowsy and fell asleep.
6 But at midnight there was a cry, "Look! The bridegroom! Go out and meet him."
7 Then all those wedding attendants woke up and trimmed their lamps,
8 and the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, "Give us some of your oil: our lamps are going out."
9 But they replied, "There may not be enough for us and for you; you had better go to those who sell it and buy some for yourselves." (Interpretation: The oil also represents the close personal relationship of each person with God, thus it is impossible to transfer to another even if you want to. For God on His part, has always been actively loving us.)
10 They had gone off to buy it when the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall and the door was closed.
11 The other attendants arrived later. "Lord, Lord," they said, "open the door for us."
12 But he replied, "In truth I tell you, I do not know you."
13 So stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour.
(Interpretation: The light from each lamp refers to each of us, who should be “the light of the world” that draws people to Christ with our good example and good works; see Matthew 5:14-16. ) 8-)
God will bring with Him those who have died in Jesus - Extracted from the 1st letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians, Chapter 4: 13-18
We want you to be quite certain, brothers, about those who have died, to make sure that you do not grieve about them, like other people who have no hope.
We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and that it will be the same for those who have died in Jesus: God will bring them with Him.
We can tell you this from the Lord’s own teaching, that any of us who left alive until the Lord’s coming will not have any advantage over those who have died.
At the trumpet of God, the voice of the archangel will call out the command and the Lord himself will come down from heaven; those who have died in Christ will be the first (1st) to rise, and then those of us who are still alive will be taken up in the clouds, together with them, to meet the Lord in the air.
So we shall stay together with the Lord for ever.
With such thoughts as these you should comfort one another. 12 November 2011
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