The end of time is a moment of celebrating with the Lord the fullness of salvation. It is not a reckoning time of death, judgment and punishment. Our Christian reality is one that whether we are dead or alive, we are in the Lord. As such, the Second Coming is not something for us to be afraid of rumours of many frightening things happening in heaven and earth
The beauty of life is that we can practice generosity in poverty. Giving and sharing out of the little we have in life. We cannot wait until we have in abundance before we can share with others. There is one thing that is certain about sharing generously with others out of our limited sources. The God of providence never let us lack anything. He replenished all our giving with abundant blessings, favours and graces.
God is love (1John 4:8). This statement has a fundamental implication for all who adherents followers or devotees to God in the Christian religion. The fact is clear here being a Christian implies being a lovable person. This is what it means to love is to be a Christian.
The mission of God (Missio Dei) is the encouragement of God to us to be good on earth as followers of his Son Jesus Christ. The Christian life calls to be an encouragement to one another at all times. This is the mission entrusted to us by Christ himself.
The Christian life is not only a life of self-effacing alone. It is also a life of loving service to others. This is the life Jesus Christ himself lived for others and called us all to embrace as well. Whether those we live for or serve are grateful or not.
Discipleship is making that fundamental or radical choice for God through the Word of God. Indeed, in life, we have many preferential options. God cannot be one of them. He has to be our priority above everything: wealth, power, authority and affluence.
The reflection of this Sunday invites us to see the institution of marriage as something holy in the natural order of the creation of God. The topic of marriage is one of the touchy topics of our time. This is because of many controversies around it.
An authentic living out of the Christian life and principles demand of us a sense of tolerance. In addition, social responsibility is in our conduct towards others. As Christians, we are a call to think, speak and act with and in the character of Christ (Rom. 12:1-2; 1Cor. 11:1; Eph. 4:22-24; Eph. 5:1-2).
The Christian life faces an imminent threat from within that is responsible for Christian suffering in modern times. The mentality of trivializing the Christian testimony concerning suffering. This is so prevalent among the clergy, religious as well as the laity of our time. This mediocrity is a bandwagon mentality of many who seem to settle for the less authentic Christian life.
The joy of suffering in the Christian way of living is total submission to do the will of God. The suffering of a Christian is never a curse, punishment from God. Nor it is due to his sinfulness or as a result of the carelessness of God. God is not stoic or sadist when it comes to our suffering. Instead, our sufferings are proofs of his love, grace and redemption to do his holy will.