The kingdom of heaven is a love feast. This morning, I went to the ultimate wedding feast, the Holy Mass. Then I went to breakfast with my son and his fiancée. To dine with an engaged couple who are newly in love was a reminder of the heavenly wedding feast. My morning was a microcosm of the kingdom of God: being surrounded by love and joy forever.
Throughout the Old and New Testaments, the most common comparison of the relationship of God and His people is a wedding (Hos 2:21ff; Mt 22:2; Rv 21:2). Jesus' first sign of His glory took place at a wedding (Jn 2:5-11). In the Old Testament, we often hear "You shall be My people, and I will be your God" (see e.g. Ez 36:28). The marriage covenant between husband and wife is a reflection of the covenant between God and His people. God waits for us as a groom waits for his bride. Mysteriously, it's as if our love was necessary for God's happiness. There is plentiful suffering in this worldly valley of tears. How good it is to have tangible reminders of the fresh, all-consuming love of God (Heb 12:29). Love is the greatest gift of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 13:13). May the love of God sweep us off our feet and into the center of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Who is Love (1 Jn 4:8, 16).
The future is an eternal wedding feast of the Lamb of God. Will we be prepared or will we be found not suitably dressed in a garment of righteousness? (Mt 22:11ff) Devote yourself to the wedding feast of God on earth, the Mass, the meeting of heaven and earth. Go to Mass as often as possible, even daily.
| PRAYER: | Father, may I fall in love with You all over again. Let my life reflect Your love to many thousands of people. |
| PROMISE: | "I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you." –Ez 36:26 |
| PRAISE: | Dr. Jones stays faithful to Church teaching by refusing to prescribe birth control pills. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College