The Sunday Sermon Archive

Dear Friends,

Today we consider the end of the world. It is a frightening consideration for those who do not love God, but it is a comforting thought to those who love Him. Those who truly love God rejoice in the accomplishment of His Will. It is His Will that this earth pass away and is renewed. All that is evil is to be forever banished from this renewed earth. All His faithful and loving children will enter into an eternal happiness — body and soul — in this renewed world.

The question that we should be concerned with, is do we truly love God. This determines our fate in eternity, and whether we should fear or welcome the return of the Son of God. How are we to know the extent of our love? Do we love God enough? Christ instructs us very clearly: "If you love Me, you will keep my Word..." Do we seek out and hear the Word of God so that we my follow It? To the extent that we keep the commandments of God that is the measure of our love for Him. Our love is sufficient if we love Him without measure — with all that we have and all that we are — with a preferential love, which places Him above all else (even above ourselves).

Even if our sins are as numerous as the sands of the seas, our love of God brings forth the washing away of these sins. Even if our sins be the most vile, true love of God, washes us, making us as white as snow. The coming of One we love — the accomplishment of the Will of the One we love — fills us with joy and eager anticipation for His coming.

It is a vastly different situation for those who love themselves or anything else more than they love God. All that is not God is nothing, because God is everything. Those who choose the nothingness outside of God will obtain that eternal nothingness which they have chosen to love. They will ever be deprived of the presence of God — deprived of Light, Love, Truth, Beauty, Happiness, Joy, etc. These truly have much to fear from the return of Jesus Christ.

When King David's son was dying, King David wept, he mourned, put ashes upon his head. He fasted and did penance for the life of his son. After his son had died, he immediately put off the mourning and ashes, he washed himself and ate. The servants were confused by this behavior. He explains that once God's Will has been manifest, it is foolish to continue in prayer for this cause. His son was not to come to him, but He (King David) was now to go to his son when he dies.

King David obviously loved God and His Holy Will. He placed himself at the disposal of God's Holy Will — readily sacrificing his own personal will to God's. We are to consider the End of this World today. We should see that it is God's Will that this should be done. We should find joy in the accomplishment of His Holy Will. We should welcome His Will, rather than fear or dread it.

We are temples of the Holy Ghost. This is the Holy Place. Sin is an abomination. When we see sin in our lives, we see abomination standing in the Holy Place. When sin consumes us and leaves no room for the love of God, we become desolate or empty. This abomination of desolation standing in the Holy Place is our warning to flee from ourselves, to separate ourselves from sin and all that is holding us in sin. We must flee to the mountains of God's love and return that love that He has given us. This is our only chance of escaping the burning wrath to come and gaining eternal life.

There are some plants that require fire before their seeds can germinate. It appears that this is the case with the world and our physical lives. The world must pass through fire in order for it to be renewed. The chaff must be burned off to give all the space and resources to the grain so that it may germinate and sprout forth in a new life. We must also pass through this purging fire — burning off all that is not according to the Will of God — sins. If there is a tiny grain of love of God left after everything else has been purged, we should rejoice. We will rise to life again at the end of this world . If we fail to purge ourselves of sin now, we allow sin to predominate our lives and sin purges the love of God out of our lives (leaving us desolate). Then, when Christ returns and the purging fires purify the earth, these poor souls have nothing that will survive the purge. All that they have loved and tried to hold onto will be destroyed. They are left to darkness, emptiness, loneliness, of an eternity separated from God and all Love.

Let us flee sin now while we have time; let us purge sin now and remove the abomination from us; let us fill the empty desolation caused by sin with true love of God. Then we may lift up our eyes and truly welcome the One that we love — He Who has loved us more than we can ever understand.

email: father@friarsminor.org Franciscan Benefactor Seraph Subscription Vocations Have you remembered God?