Children Of The Light

"You know what hour it is.  This is the time to awake, for our salvation is, now, nearer than when we first believed; the night is almost over, and day is at hand.  Let us discard, therefore, everything that belongs to darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.  As we live in the full light of day, let us behave with decency, no banquets with drunkenness, no promiscuity or licentiousness, no fighting or jealousy.  Put on, rather, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and do not be led by the will of the flesh nor follow its desires." - Romans 13:11-14   

 

(You know what hour it is.  This is the time to awake.  Paul was just recalling the duties of a Christian in this world, and he already turns to the opposite direction: beware of settling down in this world.  The Christian is always awaiting the coming of CHRIST.

During the first thirty years of the Church, all waited for the imminent return of JESUS.  When it became clear to them that history was being extended, they began thinking more of each one's last end: it was then that they would meet CHRIST.  In the present century we have come to realize that history is going towards an end and that we not only have to be ready for the last hour, but that we must also work for the evangelization of the world.  The Gospel is the power that, directly or indirectly, brings all human history to maturity; by living holy and responsible lives we hasten the coming of the kingdom of GOD [2 Peter 3:11-12].)

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Be On Your Guard!

"Be on your guard: let not your hearts be weighed down with a life of pleasure, drunkenness and worldly cares, lest that day catch you suddenly as a trap.  For it will come upon all the inhabitants of the whole earth.  But watch at all times and pray, that you may be able to escape all that is bound to happen and to stand before the Son of Man.'" - Luke 21:34-36  

(Be on your guard.  After speaking about the imminent end of Jerusalem, Luke speaks of that day which will conclude human history with the coming of CHRIST, the Judge.

Be on your guard.  This invitation is not only addressed to those who will know that day, but it is for everyone, throughout the history of the Church.  Once more he invites us to watch and pray while the world is asleep [see Ephesians 6:18].

That you may be able to stand: to avoid errors and deceit [2 Thessalonians 2:9; 1 Thessalonians 3:13] during the trials preceding CHRIST's coming.  The Our Father expresses the same concern.  Those who are expecting the coming of the Kingdom pray: do not put us to the test.

In fact, vigils and prayers serve not only to prevent possible falls.  When the believer and the Church are more awake, they cooperate more in the development of the divine plan and hasten the coming of the LORD.)

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Vision Of The Four Empires

"In the first year of the reign of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions in his mind as he was sleeping.  When he woke up, he wrote down the dream.  This is how the narrative began:

Daniel said, 'I saw the following in my vision:  the four winds of heaven stirred up the great sea, and four great beasts, each one different from the other, came out of the sea.

The first was like a lion with eagle's wings.  As I looked at it, its wings were torn off.  It was lifted up from the ground, stood up on its feet like a man, and was given a human heart.  The second was a beast like a bear; it was raised up on one side and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth.  It was told:  Go and devour much flesh.  I went on looking and saw another beast like a leopard with four wings on its back; it had four heads, and dominion was given to it.

I continued seeing my visions of the night and saw a terrible fourth beast.  It was fearful and extraordinarily strong; it had great iron teeth; it ate, tore into pieces, and crushed underfoot whatever remained.  It was different from the previous beasts and had ten horns.  I was looking at the horns, when another small horn sprang among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots to make way for the new.  It had eyes like human eyes and a mouth that insolent words." -Daniel 7:1:8 

(The four empires which dominated the Jewish nation until the time of the great persecution are symbolized by beasts.  The fourth beast is the Syrian empire and the horn that insults GOD, is King Antiochus Epiphanes.)

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From The Depths I Cry To YOU, O LORD!

"Out of the depths I cry to YOU, O LORD,

O LORD, hear my voice!

Let YOUR ears pay attention

to the voice of my supplication.

 

If you should mark our evil,

O LORD, who could stand?

But with YOU is forgiveness,

and for that YOU are revered.

 

I waited for the LORD, my soul waits,

and I put my hope in HIS word.

My soul expects the LORD

more than watchmen the dawn.

 

O Israel, hope in the LORD,

for with HIM is unfailing love

and with HIM full deliverance.

HE will deliver Israel

from all its sins."

[Psalm 130:1-8]

(A penitential psalm, but above all, a prayer of trust in GOD.



The prayer during a long expectation.  Years of a human life, generations perhaps in the life of a nation.  Have we already asked for twenty years?

 

I waited for the LORD, I put my hope in HIS word.  It was true for the Jews expecting national liberation, it is also valid for us:  have we received and are we enjoying all that GOD has promised us?

 All has been given us in hope.  As the watchman waits for the dawn, so the believer waits for a coming of CHRIST - the coming that she longs for.) 

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The Banquet Of Belshazzar

"King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for his nobles; a thousand of them attended; and he drank wine with them.  Under the influence of wine, he ordered that the gold and silver vessels his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem be brought in, so that he and his nobles, his wives and concubines might drink from them. The gold and silver vessels taken from GOD's temple were brought in; and the king and his nobles, his wives and concubines drank from them.  While they drank wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze and iron, of wood and stone.

Suddenly a man's fingers appeared opposite the lamp stand and wrote on the plastered wall of the king's palace.  Watching the hand as it wrote, the king turned pale.  So terrified was he that his knees knocked, and his legs gave way.

Daniel was brought in and questioned by the king, 'Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father brought from Judah?  I have heard that you have the spirit of the gods, that you have insight and extraordinary wisdom.

I have heard that you can interpret dreams and solve problems.  If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in purple, wear a gold chain around your neck, and be appointed third in rank in my kingdom.'

You have defiled the LORD of heaven.  You had the vessels from HIS temple brought to you, and, together with your nobles, your wives and concubines, you drank wine from them.  You praised the idols made of silver and gold, of bronze, iron and stones, which neither see, nor hear, nor understand; but you never glorified GOD who has power over your life and all your fortunes.  So, he sent the hand that wrote the inscription which read MENE, TEKEL, PHARSIN.  And these words mean: MENE, GOD has numbered the days of your reign and put an end to it; TEKEL, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting; PHARSIN, your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and the Persians.'" - Daniel 5:1-6. 13-14. 16-17. 23-28  

(This story could be called: punishment for sacrilege.  These words indicate the destiny of those who make fun of GOD:

- there comes an end which they cannot postpone;

- the fact that they did not do anything worthwhile during their lives is made clear;

- they disappear and so do their works with them.

Scripture knows that GOD reveals HIMSELF not only in events that show HIS goodness, but also in other events that are obvious signs that there is a GOD doing justice.  Many times, those who mock GOD are struck with misfortunes which come as an answer to their insolence.

The author of these chapters is not too concerned about historical facts at the time during which these people were living.  Cyrus is the one who conquered Babylon where Belshazzar died.  He was followed by Darius.)

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Signs Before The Destruction Of Jerusalem

"While some people were talking about the Temple, remarking that it was adorned with fine stonework and rich gifts, JESUS said to them, 'The days will come when there shall not be left one stone upon another of all that you now admire; all will be torn down.'  And they asked HIM, 'Master, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?'

JESUS then said, 'Take care not to be deceived, for many will come claiming MY title and saying:  'I am HE, the Messiah; the time is at hand.'  do not follow them.  When you hear of wars and troubled times, don't be frightened; for all this must happen first, even though the end is not so soon.'

And JESUS said, 'Nations will fight each other and kingdom will oppose kingdom.  There will be great earthquakes, famines and plagues; in many places strange and terrifying signs from heaven will be seen. - Luke 21:5-11 

(When JESUS speaks of the destruction of the Temple, the apostles think of the end of time.  The answer of JESUS is clear; the tragedy that will end with the destruction of Jerusalem is near but that would not be the end of the world.

This discourse contains JESUS' warnings about the destruction of the Jewish nation that would occur 30 years later, but what HE said regarding these agents clarifies the meaning of the conflicts that occur at present in the whole world.)

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The Widow's Mite

"JESUS looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasure box; HE also saw a poor widow dropping in two small coins.  And HE said, 'Truly, I tell you, this poor widow put in more than all of them.  For all gave an offering from their plenty, but she, out of her poverty, gave all she had to live on.'" - Luke 21:1-4 

(The poor widow was the only one from among so many worshipers who made retribution to GOD as HE deserves.  She was the personification of those uncountable poor, who have practically nothing but somehow find a way to give part of the little they have.  GOD calls on the poor before anybody else, because only the poor give all that they have to live on.)

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"You Will Be With ME Today In Paradise."

"The people stood by watching.  As for the rulers, they jeered at HIM, saying to one another, 'Let the man who saved others now save HIMSELF, for HE is the Messiah, the chosen one of GOD!'

The soldiers also mocked HIM and when they drew near to offer HIM bitter wine, they said, 'So YOU are the king of the Jews?  Free YOURSELF!'  For above HIM was an inscription which read, 'This is the King of the Jews.'

One of the criminals hanging with JESUS insulted HIM, 'So YOU are the Messiah?  Save YOURSELF and us as well!'  But the other rebuked him, saying, 'Have you no fear of GOD, you who received the same sentence as HE did?  For us it is just: this is payment for what we have done.  But this man has done nothing wrong.'  And he said, 'JESUS, remember me when YOU come into YOUR kingdom.'  JESUS replied, 'Truly, you will be with ME today in paradise.'" - Luke 23:35-43  

(The leaders of the Jews have put JESUS where HE belongs, since HE decided to take our sins upon HIMSELF.  The two men look at the one who has come to share their destiny.

You will be with ME in paradise.  What is paradise?  We lack adequate words to express what lies beyond.  In JESUS' time, the Jews used to compare the Place of the Dead to a huge country divided up into regions separated by insurmountable barriers.  Hell was one of the regions, it was reserved for the wicked, from there no one could escape.  Another region was Paradise where the good people would be with the first ancestors of holy people, awaiting the moment of resurrection.

You will be with ME, says JESUS, that is with the Savior, who for a day and a half was in the peace and joy of GOD, before the resurrection.  This statement puts us at ease as to our own destiny at death, although we cannot know what will become of us before the Resurrection.  We will not be anesthetized, nor will we cease to exist, as some claim, but we will rather possess everything, being with JESUS who came to share death and HIS brothers' and sisters' rest [see Philippians 1:23 and Revelation 14:13].)

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Resurrection Of The Dead

"Then some Sadducees arrived.  These people claim that there is no resurrection, and they asked JESUS this question, 'Master, in the law Moses told us, 'if anyone dies leaving a wife but no children, his brother must take the wife, and any child born to them will be regarded as the child of the deceased.'  Now, there were seven brothers: the first married, but died without children.  The second married the woman, but also died childless.  And then the third married her, and in the same way all seven died, leaving no children.  Last of all the woman died.  On the day of the resurrection, to which of them will the woman be a wife?  For all seven had her as a wife.'

And JESUS replied, 'Taking a husband or a wife is proper to people of this world, but for those who are considered worthy of the world to come, and of resurrection from the dead, there is no more marriage.  Besides, they cannot die, for they are like the angels.  They are sons and daughters of GOD, because they are born of the resurrection.

Yes, the dead will be raised, as Moses revealed at the burning bush, when he called the LORD the GOD of Abraham and the GOD of Isaac and the GOD of Jacob.  For GOD is GOD of the living, and not of the dead, for to HIM everyone is alive.'

Some teachers of the law then agreed with JESUS, 'Master, YOU have spoken well.'  They didn't dare ask HIM anything else.'" - Luke 20:27-40 

(Luke has his own expressions in speaking of the resurrection.  It is because in those countries of Greek culture [Luke wrote for them] many people believed in the immortality of the soul as something natural.  Luke clarified for them that the other life is not something natural; it is a gift of GOD for those who are considered worthy to enter it.

They too are sons and daughters of GOD.  Using a Hebrew expression, the text says: they too are sons of GOD [at that time the sons of GOD were the angels] because they are born of the resurrection.  This resurrection is not like coming back to the life we know, it is the work of the Holy Spirit, who transforms and sanctifies those HE resurrects.  Therefore, the resurrected are sons and daughters of GOD in a much more authentic way than those of this world: delivered from sin, they are reborn of GOD.

To HIM everyone is alive.  They started to become alive when GOD knew them and called them, and they will not disappear, since GOD called them from this world to bring them into HIS own.

Faith in the resurrection contrasts with the doctrine of transmigration that says that souls come back to life in a body and social condition that befits their merits.  The cycle will continue as long as purification has not been completed.  It is a powerful theory capable of enticing many people in the West.

It could be said that it is convenient and leads to irresponsibility since all could be settled.  Actually, however, this is not the case with the Hindus: their moral concern is often greater than ours, for they are keen to escape from these recurring beginnings.  The difference is elsewhere.  There are two conceptions of a human.  In one, the soul is imprisoned in a body, in the second GOD saves the indivisible person.  The body is not a clothing for the soul, which may pass from an old person to a newly born.

That is why Christian hope awaits a resurrection, that is to say, the possibility for each one to be reborn of GOD in GOD and express oneself fully in a "glorified body."

Scripture teaches us that this present life is our only opportunity.  Humans die only once and afterward are judged (Hebrews 9:27).) 

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MY House Shall Be A House Of Prayer

"Then JESUS entered the Temple area and began to drive out the merchants.  And HE said to them, 'GOD says in the Scriptures: My house shall be a house of prayer: but you have turned it into a den of robbers.'

JESUS was teaching every day in the Temple.  The chief priests and teachers of the Law wanted to kill HIM and the elders of the Jews as well, but they were unable to do anything, for all the people were listening to HIM and hanging on HIS words." - Luke 19:45-48 

(Nowadays, do we really consider that the structure [Church] is a holy place for us to commune with GOD, and not for anything else?)

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