When your world is falling apart:

• "above all, let your love for one another be constant" (1 Pt 4:8).
• "put your trust in God" (Mk 11:22),
• "do not be perturbed" (1 Pt 4:7),
• "remain calm so that you will be able to pray" (1 Pt 4:7),
• "when you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance" (Mk 11:25),
• "put your gifts at the service of one another" (1 Pt 4:10),
• "do not be surprised, beloved, that a trial by fire is occurring in your midst" (1 Pt 4:12),
• "rejoice instead, in the measure that you share Christ's sufferings" (1 Pt 4:13).

To summarize, when "the consummation of all is close at hand," that is, when the world is falling apart, love, trust, pray, forgive, serve, and rejoice. Don't be upset or surprised.

This may seem to be a very unusual way of reacting to the end of the world or of our own world, but we can react this way because of our personal relationship with Jesus. When we have totally surrendered our lives to Him, we can confidently say: "I am certain that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor powers, neither height nor depth nor any other creature, will be able to separate us from the love of God that comes to us in Christ Jesus, our Lord" (Rm 8:38-39). "The Lord is my Light and my Salvation; Whom should I fear?" (Ps 27:1)

Rescript:  †Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, October 9, 2009

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