Matthew 24 offers a sobering picture of our era, perhaps of every era since they are all filled with both environmental, cultural, and spiritual challenges. We would do well to behave as if we were in the end times because, in the hour of death, we all are all in the end times.
And when he was sitting on mount Olivet, the disciples came to him privately, saying: Tell us when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the consummation of the world?
4And Jesus answering, said to them: Take heed that no man seduce you:5For many will come in my name saying, I am Christ: and they will seduce many.
Ukraine - Russia War: Ukrainian fighting tactics endanger civilians
(Mark 13:10-13; Luke 21:10-19)
9Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall put you to death: and you shall be hated by all nations for my name's sake.
10And then shall many be scandalized: and shall betray one another: and shall hate one another.
And a final scripture passage:
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| CNS photo Paul Haring |
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| Fr. James Martin and Cardinal Blase Cupich, seducers in clerics! |
6And you shall hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that ye be not troubled. For these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom;
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| War in Ukraine: members of Ukrainian neo-Nazi Azov Battalion |
and there shall be pestilences, plagues,
and famines,
Unprecedented European drought dries up rivers, kills fish, shrivels crops
Global Famine to Plague the Earth from 2022-2024
and earthquakes in places:
8Now all these are the beginnings of sorrows.
(Mark 13:10-13; Luke 21:10-19)
9Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall put you to death: and you shall be hated by all nations for my name's sake.
Persecution of the Church in America
10And then shall many be scandalized: and shall betray one another: and shall hate one another.
11And many false prophets shall rise, and shall seduce many. 12And because iniquity hath abounded, the charity of many shall grow cold.
13But he that shall persevere to the end, he shall be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom, shall be preached in the whole world, for a testimony to all nations, and then shall the consummation come.
And a final scripture passage:
Fear not, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you a kingdom. Luke 12:32
Christ the King, Lord of the Universe, have mercy on us.
A comment about your final picture of your post, which is called the Christ In Majesty mosaic, focal point of The National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, built into its Apse - as you stroll the Shrine and view the various images of our Blessed Mother in the Faith around the world and throughout time, Christ in his power and glory is with you everywhere you go.
ReplyDeleteI used to travel a lot and have been to this Shrine more times than I can count. I am a convert to the Catholic Faith, and I have always found this Shrine to posess within it the essence of why I left the Faith of my family (Protestantism). So many things to see and meditate on. If you're lucky you might hear a choir practice filling the space.
But I have spent countless hours meditating on the image above - "Christ In Majesty". Why? Because it is a depiction of Our Lord never seen in the weak, feminized version of Christianity in our age. It is a depiction that best matches my understanding, in faith, who we worship and adore, who it is surrounded by Cherabim and Seraphim and choirs of Saints in adoration - Jesus Christ, Rex Tremendae. When we approach the terrible judgement seat of God, occupied by the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, we will likely see some variation of this image in real time, in pure form beyond imagining.
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil 2:10,11)
- And -
7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. (Rev 1:7)
But the point of all this is the tiny little image, the small statue elevated in space that you see, whom *YOU MUST* see, before you get to and see the terrible image of Jesus our Judge, our King: Mary, blessed Mary, Holy Mary Mother of God, Our Mother ... "through Mary to Jesus".
As a former Protestant, born with standard biases against veneration of Mary, THIS image perfectly depicts why we not only must venerate Mary, it is a privilege of our Merciful God that he deigns to let us approach His terrible Throne accompanied by mercy itself - Mary Full Of Grace.
Thanks be to God!
Thank you so much for that beautiful reflection, Aqua. I loved the picture when I saw it among dozens showing the mosaic without Mary. God is using you to explain exactly why I was drawn to that particular photo. God bless you!
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