Starting the journey in a moment of grace may be easy but persevering in the ‘straight and narrow road’ take effort in co-operation with God’s abundant grace. Jesus warns us that only ‘he who stands firm to the end will be saved’ Matt. 10:22. There are many obstacles and enemies along the way, not least the devil who delights to deceive us, ‘prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour’ 1Pet. 5:8 . God in Jesus Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit has given everything we need to arrive to our eternal destiny in heaven - the gift of prayer to draw us into intimacy with Him, His Word to guide us and show us His will and to help us grow in faith, the Church to teach us, the Christian community to encourage us, the Eucharist and the sacraments to sustain us and Mary the Mother of the Church to intercede for us. The way is not always easy and like Mary we will often need to sit under the Cross and carry it before we will see the Resurrection power break through. Yet as St Teresa says, once we arrive there, we will look back to our life on earth that will seem like to have been the difficulty of spending just one night in a one star hotel. For ‘this is how God loved the world: he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life’ John 3:16
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Heb 12:1-2
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me — put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Phil. 4:1-9
The urgent need to live and prepare for eternity has been lost because the sense of sin and guilt and accountability for our lives before God has also been lost. In a relativistic society it is considered to be cool and modern when young people live and do what God calls evil, which includes living as if He doesn’t really exist, Of course sin is called by various attractive names and euphemisms. However God’s loving plan is designed to usher those who repent, obey and live their lives in His grace and in communion with Him, into eternal joy forever. This journey starts from now, turning to God sincerely and leaving a life of serious sin. If the ‘cleaning up’ process and the walk towards holiness is not completed here on earth, it is perfected in purgatory. This is not a ‘second chance’ place or a ‘halfway house’ but a state of purification which prepares us to enter in the Lord’s Presence. How therefore do we repent and make sure that we live such a life, that we do not risk getting left out forever? When we humbly accept God’s view of things, confess and ask for His forgiveness we are assured of His infinite mercy and compassion.
Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:1-10
“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. “Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’ “But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. Matt. 25:1-13
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Matt. 25:46
The whole world can be likened to ‘heaven’s womb’ since each and every human being was designed to go there. We are all born with the desire for heaven. For young peoplethe picture of angels with a golden harps sitting on tops of fluffy white clouds may not be their idea of happiness. Yet speak about eternal happiness and joy and it will quickly grasp our attention. In fact this is what heaven is, the place where the ‘dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them… (where) there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain (Rev 21:3,4). Indeed the very word of God tells us it is beyond description ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor 2:9). Heaven is home, our home with God. It is the place Jesus died and rose again to take us to. It is not pie in the sky. However even though the existence of heaven, the desire for heaven, the nature of heaven, and the relevance of heaven are all important questions there is only one question that’s absolutely essential: ‘What must I do to be saved?’ (Acts 16:30)
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:1-6
However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” — but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. 1 Cor 2:9-10
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. Rev. 21:1-6
What we believe about eternity and what happens to our souls when we die will effect the way we live and the choices we make. Today we hear little about hell in sermons and when we do it is either the feeling that everyone is going there or in more recent times that nobody is going there. Given the fact that Jesus warned us so much about the possibility of perdition, it is no surprising that his disciples asked him ‘Will many be saved’? Rather than giving population statistics the Lord’s answers with an emphatic appeal ‘Make very effort to enter by the narrow gate to eternal life in heaven since ‘wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. Matt. 7:13.Once he said it he means it. Hell has not closed down by popular vote. This dreadful and terrible state of eternal separation from God is the obvious consequence of two other fundamental Christian beliefs: our freedom and heaven. If there is a heaven, there needs to be a not-heaven. And if there is free will, we can act on it and abuse it. Those who deny hell must also deny either heaven (as does Western secularism) or free will (as does Eastern pantheism). Many people today do not want to talk about hell, a state which is even worse than the symbols of fire used in the Scripture. However once such a possibility really exists, a place where we have the misery of sin without its glamour, it is the least compassionate of things to tell a traveller facing an abyss ‘Don’t worry’. Our love for God and for others require us to tell the truth about hell. Watch the vox pop here
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Matt. 7:23
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. Gal. 5:21
As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good — except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” Mark 10:27
Welcome to this year’s ezercizzi blog. You are invited to read the ‘blog entry’ everyday and to take time to reflect and pray with it if you wish. Feel free to leave your comments, questions, thoughts or prayer requests. You do not need to tell us who you are.
In this blog you will also find the audio recording of Fr Elia’s sermon which you can listen to online or download as well as the photos of the day.
Perhaps some may ask, why did you choose this title? Many people do not think about eternal life unless they are faced with the realities of sickness in their own life or the death of friends, family and loved ones. Yet it is the one surest reality every human being has to face. Why therefore do we not prepare well for it? For a few people it is because of faulty beliefs like reincarnation or perhaps they believe in the complete annihilation of the soul after death. Others think fatalistically ‘whatever will be will be as fate predestined it’? (Watch the Vox Pop)
However by far the most common way of thinking of is ‘I’m a good person so I should be alright’. However being nice and being ‘good’ according to our own standards is not what living the Christian life is all about. Most youth today in Malta still profess to be Catholic Christians but many do not seem to be clear about what it means to walk in such a way where all our life is lived in the shadow of the eternal joy that awaits us if we live faithfully with Jesus (the opposite is also true). It is essential therefore to ask ourselves: what does Jesus, God’ word to us for all times, tell us about eschatology - death, eternity, His Second Coming and judgement. How we are to live our lives standing firm till the end in order to be saved (Matt 24:13.)
Consider the following scripture passages:
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. 2Cor. 5:10
Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.
Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, Matt. 24:5-12
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. 2Tim. 3:1-5
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Starting the journey in a moment of grace may be easy but persevering in the ‘straight and narrow road’ take effort in co-operation with God’s abundant grace. Jesus warns us that only ‘he who stands firm to the end will be saved’ Matt. 10:22. There are many obstacles and enemies along the way, not least the devil who delights to deceive us, ‘prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour’ 1Pet. 5:8 . God in Jesus Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit has given everything we need to arrive to our eternal destiny in heaven - the gift of prayer to draw us into intimacy with Him, His Word to guide us and show us His will and to help us grow in faith, the Church to teach us, the Christian community to encourage us, the Eucharist and the sacraments to sustain us and Mary the Mother of the Church to intercede for us. The way is not always easy and like Mary we will often need to sit under the Cross and carry it before we will see the Resurrection power break through. Yet as St Teresa says, once we arrive there, we will look back to our life on earth that will seem like to have been the difficulty of spending just one night in a one star hotel. For ‘this is how God loved the world: he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life’ John 3:16![[del.icio.us]](http://yfezercizzi2010.blog.com.mt/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/delicious.png)
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