Revelation, Chapter
11, Verse 18
The nations raged, but your wrath has come, and the time for the dead
to be judged, and to recompense your servants, the prophets, and the holy ones
and those who fear your name, the
small and the great alike, and to destroy those who destroy
the earth.”
This verse refers to the
blowing of the seventh trumpet which proclaims the coming of God’s reign after
the victory over diabolical powers. End of time prophesies can be very
frightening and confusing. Yet, we need not fear: all we need do is seek the shelter of Christ’s church and to
do what we can to do His Holy will. Pope Francis recently commented that
humankind will bring about the end of the world unless we rein in our rapacious
greed. You might want to peruse Pope Francis’ Encyclical Letter Laudato
Si’ Of The Holy Father Francis On Care For Our Common Home.
Amoris Lætitia[1] Love in Marriage Love forgives (105-108)
Once we allow ill will to take root in our hearts, it
leads to deep resentment. The opposite of resentment is
forgiveness, which is rooted in a positive attitude that seeks to understand
other people’s weaknesses and to excuse them. Yet we keep looking for more and more faults,
imagining greater evils, presuming all kinds of bad intentions, and so
resentment grows and deepens. Thus, every mistake or lapse on the part of a
spouse can harm the bond of love and the stability of the family. Something is
wrong when we see every problem as equally serious; in this way, we risk being
unduly harsh with the failings of others. When we have been offended or let down, forgiveness is
possible and desirable, but no one can say that it is easy. The truth is that
“family communion can only be preserved and perfected through a great spirit of
sacrifice. Today we recognize that being able to forgive others implies the
liberating experience of understanding and forgiving ourselves. Often our
mistakes, or criticism we have received from loved ones, can lead to a loss of
self-esteem. We become distant from others, avoiding affection and fearful in our interpersonal
relationships. Blaming others becomes falsely reassuring. We need to learn to
pray over our past history, to accept ourselves, to learn how to live with our
limitations, and even to forgive ourselves, in order to have this same attitude
towards others. All this assumes that we ourselves have had the experience of
being forgiven by God, justified by his grace and not by our own merits. We
have known a love that is prior to any of our own efforts, a love that
constantly opens doors, promotes and encourages. If we accept that God’s love
is unconditional, that the Father’s love cannot be bought or sold, then we will
become capable of showing boundless love and forgiving others even if they have
wronged us. Otherwise, our family life will no longer be a place of understanding, support and encouragement, but rather one of constant tension and mutual
criticism.
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