Revelation, Chapter 18, Verse 11-18
11 The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn for her,
because there will be no more markets for their cargo: 12 their cargo of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls;
fine linen, purple silk, and scarlet cloth; fragrant wood of every kind, all
articles of ivory and all articles of the most expensive wood, bronze, iron,
and marble; 13 cinnamon,
spice, incense, myrrh, and frankincense; wine, olive oil, fine
flour, and wheat; cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is,
human beings. 14“The fruit you craved has left you. All your luxury and
splendor are gone; never again will one find them.”15 The
merchants who deal in these goods, who grew rich from her, will keep their
distance for fear of the torment
inflicted on her. Weeping and mourning, 16 they
cry out: “Alas, alas, great city, wearing fine linen, purple and scarlet, adorned [in] gold, precious stones, and pearls. 17 In
one hour this great wealth has been ruined.” Every captain of a ship, every
traveler at sea, sailors, and seafaring merchants stood at a distance 18 and
cried out when they saw the smoke of her pyre, “What city could compare with
the great city?”
The world is mourning
Babylon’s fall in these verses. After watching this year’s MTV awards show I am
convinced that we morally are much closer to a Babylonian culture than we are
to the original vision of the founders of this great nation of “A city on the
hill” and a shining light to the world. Is America the new Babylon or that
shining city on the hill? Yet for those who are united in Christ there is hope.
Don’t worry the victory is for those who are in the risen one.
Behold my servant
whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I delight; I shall place my Spirit upon
him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not contend or cry
out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not
break a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory.
And in his name the Gentiles will hope. (Matthew 12:18-21)
You
cannot receive if you do not ask. Let us ask for God’s mercy and count on it,
to deliver our soul from death and keep us alive through this earthly famine
for ourselves and others. In fact one pious work we could do this week is a
Novena to the Divine Mercy. In the novena Christ asks us to pray each day for a
certain group of people.
1.
All
Sinners
2.
Priests
and Religious
3.
Devout
Souls
4.
Unbelievers
5.
Departed
brethren
6.
Children
7.
Saints
8.
Those
in purgatory
9.
And
the Lukewarm
A
good time to pray the novena is the hour of Christ’s death. “At three
o’clock, implore My mercy, especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief
moment, immerse yourself in My Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the
moment of agony. This is the hour of great mercy…”
Angels are often represented in art
as having wings which attest to their ability to transcend time and space. In
fact angels true nature is in reality more like that of a mirror reflecting the
infinite perfections of the Triune God. Just like men no two angels are alike.
No two men, no two women are identical. Yet, with angels the difference between
them is vast and complete and every species of angel is incredibly lovely and
they are perfect having no shadows of imperfection or defect. It is of
paramount importance for us to realize and ask these holy beings to assist us
in our pursuit of happiness for they wish in every way to share with us God’s
love. Their generosity knows no bounds and to receive their assistance we have
only to ask. Unfortunately, we limit their efforts for our welfare and
constantly impede them by our sins and imperfections. Yet they love men even as
imperfect as they are because of the love of God that flows through them. It is
an indescribable delight for them when they are certain that the merits of the
redemption through the Divine Blood of Christ will not be lost on the souls
committed to their care.
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