"Sharing in the Glorious Freedom of the Children of God" (See Romans 8: 18-250

In today's first reading, Romans 8: 18-25, St. Paul asks us "to consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed  for us. For creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of God; for creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it, in hope that creation itself would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God. We  know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies."

Each of us lives in hope of a future glory, the redemption of our bodies.  We know not the day nor the hour when we will be set free of our physical  bodies and be clothed with immortality, entering eternal life with the Lord and all those who have gone before us. When anyone of us is sick unto death, Jesus says to us what he said about Lazarus:  "This sickness will not end in death but in God's glory and through it the son of God will be glorified" ((Jn 11: 4).  Jesus himself said to those who were upset with him when he spoke of his upcoming death,  "Now the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell  you, most solemnly, unless a wheat grain falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single grain; but if it dies, it yields a rich harvest."  In faith and hope, we know that our loved ones in heaven are at work and yielding a rich harvest in accord with God's will for humankind.  As St. Paul says in today's first reading, "we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance," for that time, when, we, too, will, in eternity, continue to yield a rich harvest with all of the angels and saints before the throne of God.

Until that time, let us use the moments when we are called to die to whatever hinders God's will from being realized in our personal lives or in the lives of others.

The Marvels the Lord has done!

In today's first reading, Romans 8: 18-25, St. Paul reminds us that "the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed to us." "Creation," Paul says to us, "awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of God; for creation was made subject to futility not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it,  in hope that creation itself would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God...[A]ll creation," Paul tells us, "is groaning in favor pains even until now; and not only that, but we ourselves who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the reception of our bodies."

You and I and creation are all one, as we all move and live and have our being in God and God in us and, thus, we in one another.  The sufferings that any of us, and any part of creation,  "are as nothing compared with the glory" that awaits us in eternity.  The transformation of all of creation, of all creatures of this earth and of humankind will be mind-bottling. The glorious freedom that we all will experience is not something we can imagine on this side of the grave.  The robe of glory, the robe of salvation, the robe of righteousness that each of us wears and which God sees when He looks upon  us, even now, and which was bought for us by the blood of Jesus, we will see when the veil is lifted from our eyes and we enter our eternal homes.  That is why the psalmist in today's responsorial psalm proclaims:  The Lord has done marvels for us, as we will, like the Israelites brought back from exile, will be stored to our true home in eternity when we pass through the door of death!  PRAISE THE LORD! THANKS THE LORD! GIVE GOD THE GLORY!

Greater Will Be the Future Glory of this House

In today's first reading, Haggai 2: 1-9, Haggai asked the returning Israelites what they see as they look upon the ruins of the Temple built by Solomon.  "Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory?' he asks. He then challenges them to take courage, to get to "work". He reminds them that God is in their midst.   "One moment yet, a little while, and I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land.  I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will come in.  And I  will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts."  Do we believe that the Temple of the Lord will be rebuilt in our midst? that every nation, the world, our churches, our families, our religious communities will be returned  to their original glory? Returning closer to home, do I believe that I will, once again, be filled with my first love--if married, to the love I first felt for my spouse; if in religious life, to the first love I had for my religious community and its mission; do I believe that God is returning me to my first love when nothing was too much to grow in intimacy with the Lord? If I have fallen away from my faith, my trust, my deep love for the Lord and those with whom I share life and ministry, work and play, do believe that God will restore "this house in its former glory," if I am willing to cooperate with Him in doing so? Do I believe in the Lord's promise by the prophet Haggai, that "greater will be the future glory of this house,"  including the future glory of "this house" in eternity when I am clothed with immortality?