A Message to the World

The events of the last week lay heavy on my heart today.  I woke up thinking about what this all means.  There are many who are convinced World War III has begun...some in panic and others just up in arms.  Most of this chaos is in regard to the terrorist attacks in Paris; however, there was so much more that happened this week.  One of my Facebook friends posted the following information:

Paris terrorist attack
Beruit attack
Japanese earthquake
Baghdad a funeral procession was bombed
Mexico earthquake
and all of this within a 24 hour period we lost over 115,000 lives.

I am sure the list could go on and on.  It is so easy to get bogged down by the state of affairs throughout the world.  I was so distressed by the state of our world.  My only solution has always been to pray for God's will as this is the only way I can make sense of it all.  God is in control.

This morning we woke up and prepared for church.  We left early as it was a rainy cold morning and I did not want to hurry.  We were discussing the saint of the day (Albert the Great) with the children, when Michael hollers out, "Look at that rainbow!"

It was the most amazing sight, especially since rainbows are rare in this area due to the angle needed for the sun.  It really is a sight to see and this one lived up to its potential...with the full spectrum arching across the entire sky.   There was even a double rainbow as we looked from one angle.

This sight was a way to bring hope...then we arrived at Mass.  Each year at this time of the liturgical year, we are asked to reflect on the end of the world.  One year is ending and another beginning, so the readings from Scripture are along this theme.  How fitting that we would have the following reading as the world around us wonders if we are facing the end times:

Jesus said to his disciples:
"In those days after that tribulation
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
and the stars will be falling from the sky,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

"And then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in the clouds'
with great power and glory,
and then he will send out the angels
and gather his elect from the four winds,
from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.

"Learn a lesson from the fig tree.
When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves,
you know that summer is near.
In the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that he is near, at the gates. 
Amen, I say to you,
this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place. 
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away.

"But of that day or hour, no one knows,
neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
(Mark 13:  24-32)

Our chaplain then gave us this amazing perspective.  I really felt like he was speaking for God to let us know that everything would be alright.

Earthquakes happen.
Terrorist attacks happen.
Trains will crash.
And these are just a few of the violent things that happen.
Others like violence closer to home through domestic abuse,
Cancer or other illnesses
Occur every day.
But we cannot let fear grip us
Keeping us from growing closer to God.

When looking through the Bible, especially the New Testament,
the message is assuredly to not be afraid.
The idea of "Do not be afraid" is found over 365 times!
God does not want us to fear Him.  
He does not want us to fear leaving our homes.
He does not want us to worry even about the end times.

This too shall pass.
When Jesus comes again it will not be the end
But merely the end as we know it.
Trust in God.
He will not fail us.

I praise God for all that He is and will be in my life.  I can not change everything around me.  I cannot fix all the problems of the world.  However, after today, I can vow to make a difference in my own small world.  As one of the survivors of the Paris attack (Isobel Bowdery) said in an interview, "Last night, the lives of many were forever changed and it is up to us to be better people. to live lives that the innocent victims of this tragedy dreamed about but sadly will now never be able to fulfill."

Our choir sang hymns that related to the Gospel message also.  One of these hymns was In This Place:

We are all hungry people,
we need shelter and strength.
We are one in our hurting,
we are one in our pain.
In our suffering and sadness,
we are saved by the grace
of the power and the Spirit
that is here in this place.

Though the world may tell us
to look at ourselves,
we reach out to another
where suffering dwells.
As our hands become
Christs hands,
we are healed by the grace
of the power and the Spirit
that is here in this place.

Let us pray for our world today.  That we will find hope in something greater than ourselves.  Let us remember that we have the future but we do not know when our end will come.  We do not need to fear our end time, but embrace it and live according to our desire to live a new life in Heaven with God.