Be Encouraged!

A Reflection on the Second Reading for Sunday, November 12th, 2023:
Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

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1 Thessalonians
4.13-18

​We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died.
For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the Archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

 We “will be caught up in the clouds … to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.” 

Thanks be to God this world is a passing one! I don’t mean to be morbid, but there are times when I find immense comfort in the notion that, in the gross and scope, I’m not long for this world – not compared to how long I will be with the Lord. Don’t get me wrong: I have a good life. I’m blessed by any standard. I love and am loved. But this is not a perfect world, not by a long chalk. Why would I want to cling to this world when there’s a better one, a perfect one, after death? And I want everyone to be there with me!

What do I have to do to help this happen?

Step one is to put on my own oxygen mask first: make God the centre of my life and practise walking with Him every day so that I grow more and more inclined to lean on His arm, to steady my steps and listen to His directions while navigating this life.

Step two is to be a good witness to the joy of walking with a strong and utterly dependable God. Sharing my delight in the Lord with others in a sensitive, respectful, and enthusiastic way is a gesture of love toward others, a self-effacing act that allows them a glimpse into my heart to see who I really am – as opposed to some persona I deliver to the world so that I will be accepted and admired.

Step three is to invite others. I’m not great at this one, so I put extra effort into step two, hoping that people will see my joy and ask me why I have it. Inviting others takes courage, which I lack. Also, I don’t have much faith in my timing. I fear I will invite people too early or too tentatively. The truth is, though, I know God will step in and fix my mess-ups. I must remember always not to give myself too much responsibility for bringing people alongside the Lord. I just need to invite and let God do the mop up.

Finally, and most importantly, I need to pray for myself and others, that in our short time in this world we will at least follow step one. That is the mercy of God: that we need take only one step, and He will gladly carry us the rest of the way.




Donna Davis

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