Tuesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
As human beings, our natural perspective is very limited. We tend to see the world around us in terms of what we have individually experienced. This is especially so for young people who generally have less experience than those who have lived through more events, but we are all prone to view everything in regard to what has happened directly to us. It is this tendency that has led people to proclaim the end of the world time and time again amid a tragedy. We forget that the world has faced other tragic events before our time, causing us to overemphasize what is happening now. This is not to say that we should not mourn tragic events or close ourselves off from compassion, but we cannot live as though the world is constantly coming to an end.
A more Christian perspective is to accept that the world has – in a way – already come to an end. If our life is in Christ Jesus, our Savior and Lord, then we have already left this life behind and dwell with him in eternity. Of course, this is not fully realized for any of us, but it is what we seek, and it becomes more real as we unite ourselves more closely to Christ and allow him to live in us.
Reflection by Fr. Victor Schinstock, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections