Nothing concealed that will not be revealed
A fellow waiting in line for judgment noticed that some souls marched right through into heaven while others were hurled into the fire by Satan. Some others Satan would toss on a small pile.
"Excuse me, Prince of Darkness," he said. "Why are you tossing those people aside instead of flinging them into the fires of hell with the others?" "Ah, those," Satan said with a groan. "They're all from Seattle, they're too wet to burn."
As we approach the end of another liturgical year, we notice the scriptural readings focussing on end times and judgement. How many of us tremble when we he hear Luke’s gospel “There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed”?
There is great news in that passage. Everything we have done, the good and the bad, will be revealed! That sounds wonderful! Every little act of kindness, perhaps done in secret, will be revealed. Giving a simple cup of water will be remembered, Jesus said.
God notices each action of our lives. One day God will meet us face to face and say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Luke 19:17). Every act of love done to family, friends, strangers, and the needy, will be remembered.
I think perhaps much of eternity will be spent receiving warm thanks from everyone whom we have touched with our lives. And we will be thanking others for their many sacrifices done on our behalf. It will take a slice of eternity to thank our parents and family members.
Today we thank God for his many blessings showered on us throughout our lives. If we are retired seniors, we can find comfort that God does not forget all we have done. We forget because of age or illness, but God who counts the hairs on our head remembers.
If we are raising a family and are too busy with work and home life to realize our lives as we are living them, we can be consoled because God does not forget each act of love and kindness.
If we are single and dedicated to our jobs and society, struggling to make this world a better place with our social action concerns, we can be consoled. God does not forget.
If we are children finding it difficult to respect and obey our parents, we can be hopeful. Every time we say no to our inner selves and leave that larger slice of cake for a sibling, God notices.
Saying “no” to temptation, praying daily for others and ourselves, all of these efforts are noticed by God. This God who forgave King David’s adultery, who forgave Peter’s betrayal and that of the other disciples, this God sees the saint in us.
Jesus shared long conversations with St Margaret Mary Alacoque. He picked her specially to make the love of his sacred heart known. "My divine Heart is so consumed with love for men, and for you in particular, that, being no longer able to contain the flames of its ardent charity, it must spread them by means of you, and manifest itself to them, to enrich them with its precious treasures.”
Jesus knew St Margaret’s unworthiness: “I have chosen you – who are an abyss of unworthiness and ignorance – for the accomplishment of this great purpose, so that everything may be done by me."
Wow! That we could be unworthy enough for Jesus to choose us to carry out our life’s mission! I think I might qualify for that.
(584 words)
