FAITHFUL UNTIL THE END - 11/22/22 (Memorial of Saint Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr)

Luke 21:10-11

“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.”  

For the full readings, click here: 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/112222.cfm

Blessed Memorial of Saint Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr! We are in our last week of the liturgical year in preparation for the Advent season. This is why we are seeing more passages that speak of the end times. Our Lord Jesus spoke of prophecies of what would happen before His second coming. As we see in the gospel reading, there will be nations fighting one another, and there will be calamities such as earthquakes, famines, plagues and many more. But, why did Jesus reveal this to us? It's not for us to predict the "exact time" of His coming which is only knowable to God. It also doesn't mean that we should be afraid or discouraged when we see these unfortunate events. Rather, God desires for us to be faithful until the end of our lives. We may lose hope when things do not go to our ways, not just in our personal life, but also in what we desire for our world. It's natural that we want the whole world to know Christ and follow Him, but the reality is that many people are neglecting God and His commandments. Despite all of this, our Lord is reminding us that everything is under His control, and we should trust in Him and not dwell on the negative things around us. 

One good example is St. Cecilia. St. Cecilia was a virgin and martyr who lived during the 3rd Century. This was the time when Christians were persecuted. Her parents planned to marry her with Valerian, who was pagan at the time. Still, St. Cecilia renewed her vow of celibacy, and she revealed to Valerian the secret that she consecrated herself to God. By God's grace, she was able to convince Valerian to be baptized and be a Catholic. Despite the persecutions around, they remained firm in Catholic faith and even helped to bring more people to Jesus Christ. May we imitate the example of St. Cecilia by following Jesus Christ amidst all the difficulties in life, including the negative news around us. When we become sad hearing news where more people support such ideologies that are contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church, let's persevere in our prayer for them and for the whole world with the hope that the truth will prevail because Jesus is the Truth. May we not forget that the crown of life in heaven is for the people who remain faithful until the end. 

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

 

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic

Life of St. Cecilia:

https://sanctoral.com/en/saints/saint_cecilia.html

Ultimate Catholic Parents Guide:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ls6IcexZAls

Summary and Defense of Catholic Teachings:

https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth

Examination of Conscience and Guide to Sacrament of Confession:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/