happy endings
"The Lord watches over the lives of the wholehearted; their inheritance lasts forever." — Psalm 37:18
Israel bitterly mourned for his son, Joseph, whom he had to assume to be dead. "Though his sons and daughters tried to console him, he refused all consolation, saying, 'No, I will go down mourning to my son in the nether world.' Thus did his father lament him" (Gn 37:35). After fifteen years of intense grief, Israel found out that Joseph was alive. "He was dumbfounded; he could not believe them" (Gn 45:26). Israel set out to see Joseph. When Joseph met his father, "he flung himself on his neck and wept a long time in his arms" (Gn 46:29). A miraculous, happy ending!
If you are a Christian, your enemies will arrest and flog you (Mt 10:17). They will bring you to trial, and you will be betrayed by your parents, children, or family (Mt 10:21). "You will be hated by all" (Mt 10:22). However, in the end, you "shall see Him face to face and bear His name" on your foreheads. The Lord will lead you "to springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe every tear from" your eyes (Rv 7:17). Another miraculous ending!
Jesus was tortured, crucified, and murdered. But on the third day, Jesus rose from the dead. "At nightfall, weeping enters in, but with the dawn, rejoicing" (Ps 30:6). The ultimate, happy ending!
The mass apostasy is approaching (2 Thes 2:3). The world may end soon. "The present heavens and earth are reserved by God's word for fire" (2 Pt 3:7). "The Lord Himself will come down from heaven" (1 Thes 4:16) Another miraculous ending?
Prayer: Father, give me special graces at the hour of my death or at the end of the world.
Promise: "Whoever holds out till the end will escape death." —Mt 10:22
Praise: Benedict gave all but five loaves to the needy during a famine and trusted God to provide his needs. The next morning, two-hundred bushels of flour appeared at the monastery door.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Ralph J. Lawrence, November 12, 1996
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, December 10, 1996