These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. (Rev 11:19-12:1)
The Resurrection of the Lord Jesus is the promise and the foretaste of the future resurrection of all who follow him and the great reunion of all the saints. The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary celebrates that reunion that Mary now shares with her Son.
But I will remember the covenant I made with you when you were young; I will set up an everlasting covenant with you. (Ezekiel 16:60)
That God remembers is the foundation of faith. We trust that even though we forget, God will never forget us.
Saint Maximillian Kolbe gave his life to save the life of another prisoner in the concentration camp of the Nazis. His sacrifice reminds us that God never forgets an act of kindness.
Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. (Mt 18:21-22)
For stingy people like us, Peter asks the right question: “How often must i forgive, as many as seven times?” But no one is prepared for the Lord’s reply: “Not seven times but seventy-seven times!”
Then the glory of the LORD left the threshold of the temple and rested upon the cherubim. These lifted their wings, and I saw them rise from the earth, the wheels rising along with them. They stood at the entrance of the eastern gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel was up above them. Then the cherubim lifted their wings, and the wheels went along with them, while up above them was the glory of the God of Israel. (Ezekiel 10:18-22)
The summer of the prophets continues with the prophet Ezekiel. In the Scriptures, Ezekiel’s strange visions are only topped by those of the Book of Revelation. But the visions from both books have the same purpose—to present of message of hope and salvation to people who are suffering. For Ezekiel, the people are in exile, having been defeated. For the Book of Revelation, Christian communities are experiencing terrible persecution. Perhaps in our own troubled times, these ancient visions can bring us new hope in the “glory of the Lord.”
The disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. (Mt 18 1-4)
What is greatness? Is it power, success, money, possessions? Clare of Assisi heard Francis preaching about the Poor Christ and left everything to follow the humble way of poverty.