Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Today is the memorial of Saint Martin de Tours, bishop.

“Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it.”

Gospel Reading: Luke 17:26-37

Jesus said to his disciples: “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man; they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage up to the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Similarly, as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building; on the day when Lot left Sodom, fire and brimstone rained from the sky to destroy them all. So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, someone who is on the housetop and whose belongings are in the house must not go down to get them, and likewise one in the field must not return to what was left behind. Remember the wife of Lot. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it. I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. And there will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken, the other left.”  They said to him in reply, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the body is, there also the vultures will gather.”

In today’s Gospel reading, we hear prophecy about the final judgment. Christ uses examples from the Old Testament to let his disciples know that their divine judgment will come without warning. But when it comes, they will know it without a doubt. Every man, woman and child will find themselves before the judgment of our Father in Heaven. Therefore, we must be ready here and now for that final judgment. We must scrutinize our lives and our own souls so that when we are judged we will not be the one left behind.  If we bind ourselves to the treasures that are here on this earth, then these treasures will be our end.  They will fade and rot away.  But if we bind ourselves to the kingdom of heaven, our treasure will be eternal life with our Father in heaven.

Today’s message, while a warning of the pending judgment, is about reconciliation with God. Christ gave us the sacrament of Penance so that we could right ourselves with God. The power of the sacrament of penance is to restore us to the fullness of God’s grace. Penance is considered a second baptism because it renews us to our Baptismal purity. Jesus told his disciples, “Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it.” Jesus is telling us that we must let go of our earthly treasures and those things that bind us to earth if we wish to experience the ultimate joy of eternal life. We should have our eyes focused on one thing and one thing only – eternal salvation in heaven.

The gate to eternal life is narrow and we can easily miss it. To help focus us on the final goal requires us to examine our conscience regularly and cleanse ourselves of the sins which bar the gate to heaven. By examining our conscience daily, we will begin to identify not only the “big” sins, but the little sins that buildup and block the path. Daily examination of conscience helps to cleanse the soul of these little burdens making it easier for us to find the righteous path. When we go to bed in the evening, we should spend time reflecting on the day. We should identify those things that separated us from God that day and reflect on those items so that you can avoid them tomorrow. We should then reflect on the good things that happened that day. Being cognizant of the things that bring us closer to Christ will help us maintain the trail heaven. And lastly, we should reflect on those items which other have done to us. Not only must we ask for forgiveness for our sins, but we must forgive those who have sinned against us. In the morning, we should thank God and ask him to give us wisdom and guidance so that we will not fall from the path of righteousness. Ask God to guide you away from the sins that you committed yesterday.

A Simple Prayer

Lord Jesus, I am a sinner.

Help me to avoid sin so I can join you in Heaven

Help me recognize my sins so I can avoid them.

Give me the strength I need to walk in your steps.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon