From The Deacon’s Desk November 28, 2021

Dear Friends:

The reading from the Gospel of Luke 21:25 – 28, 34 – 36 today might be a little disturbing. Most of us are thinking of the coming of Jesus as a little baby. Instead, we are told some frightening things that will happen when Jesus comes the second time. Why would this information even be in Luke’s Gospel? Perhaps it is because no one really knows when the end of the world will be. Only Our Father in heaven knows when that will happen. Perhaps it is an encouragement to live a better life starting today. If we do the best we can to live good lives from this day forward, it won’t really matter when the end of the world comes because we will be ready.

One of the ways that we can begin to live better lives is to be careful to recognize the times when our brothers and sisters need us the most. All one needs to do is open the newspaper to see how much sadness and hurt there is in the world. That sadness and hurt touch us just as it does the rest of the world; maybe not in the same way, but it does touch us.

Our commission is to make sure that those of us who need help are getting it. We must make an effort every day to assist those who need our help. This may be helping out when people are hungry, assisting those who are homebound, or maybe just recommending that they see or talk to someone else that is able to help them. I guess it means that we must be attentive to each other.

When we open ourselves to help another person we receive special grace from God. We just might find that as we reach out to others, others reach out to us.  Getting ready to enter the kingdom of God is to enter it now. We can start by helping those who need us.

Peace and All Good!

Deacon Jim