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| Last Judgment |
Jeremiah 18: I -6,
Responsorial Psalm 146:1B-2, 3-4, 5-6AB,
Matthew 13:47-53 Full Readings
The Last Judgement
Today's Gospel gives us another image of how the kingdom of God is like. Jesus says that it is like the dragnet which is cast into the sea and catches every kind of fish and then after the fishermen choose the best and throw the rest. This is how it will be at the end of the time when God's Angels will separate the good from the bad, putting the good into the kingdom of God and the bad into everlasting fire.
For a couple of days we have been reflecting on many images of the kingdom and some have pointed out how the last day and last judgement will be. This really shows that the justice of God is coming and it is real, and that these readings are intended to awake us so that we can do what is right and worthy of entering into the kingdom of heaven. They further tell us that our life after death depends on how we live our lives. So dear brother, dear sister how are you living your life? If the last judgement is tomorrow, will you and I be able to fall on the good side and enter the Kingdom of God?
Today's Gospel shows us God's patience and inclusiveness. Firstly, God is really patient with us and that is why as the dragnet catches all types of fish, so does God by allowing both the bad and the good to live together until the final day where judgement will be done. His love and mercy are eternal for He even makes rain fall both on the good and bad. He doesn't leave us alone and is always waiting for those who have gone astray to come back with a contrite heart so that He can accept them back. He keeps warning us and putting us in the right way as a parent would do to his or her child. Surprisingly, He doesn't force us to do a certain thing, but makes us know the consequences of doing a certain thing. This is God's patience. It's quite unfortunate that we are misusing this patience and have turned everything to be normal including sin.
This is also seen in the first reading, where God Himself declares that as when the clay goes wrong the Potter starts afresh, so does God to us. When we go wrong He has to start afresh and recreate us. God recreates us every minute of our lives but this happens when we take ourselves as clay, with a high level of docility to be moulded by God. The challenge comes when we forget that we are clay in God's hands and we start doing things in our own ways, we become gods of ourselves. When we live like this, we have to remember that God's justice is coming. His patience doesn't mean that that day won't reach. So let us live lives worthy of passing the last judgement.
The second thing is that God is inclusive. Just as a drag-net catches every kind of fish in the sea, so the church acts as God's instrument for gathering in all who will come. Just as the drag-net does not or cannot discriminate, so the church does not discriminate between the good and the bad, the useless and the useful. God's kingdom is open to all who will accept and believe. But there will come a time of separation, at the close of the age, when the angels will send the good and the bad to their respective destinations. Our task is to gather in all who will come. God, in the end, will give the good (those who accept and follow Christ) and the bad (those who refuse Christ) the reward they deserve. God offers the treasure of his kingdom to all who believe in Christ. Do you hunger for God and for his kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy? Where do you want to belong, the good fish or the fish that is thrown away?
Reflect today on the day of the Last Judgement. How would you like to be judged and in which side would you like to fall? If you want to enter the Kingdom of heaven, do good and avoid evil and if you don't do so, we all know the consequences. Pray for the Holy Spirit to always guide you in choosing to do what is right.
Let us Pray
Almighty Father, I would like to be in that number which will be allowed to enter the kingdom of heaven on the last day. I implore you to send me your Holy Spirit to always show me the way to the Kingdom. Amen
Be blessed
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