Daily Readings: Is. 65:22-25; Gal. 6:14-18; Matt. 24:30-36
Ընթերցուածքներ: Եսայ. ԿԵ 22-25; Գաղ. Զ 14-18; Մատթ. ԻԴ 30-36
In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen!
The days are getting darker; the weather is getting cooler and soon my dears fall and winter will be upon us. I always find it strange that in August, when I go to the stores, I start seeing Halloween, Thanksgiving and even Christmas decorations for sale. We barely start summer when we are already preparing to end the year. Of course, when we see these items in the store, they capture our attention and remind us that not only are these events coming up but summer is ending, and soon we will need to prepare for the colder months. What is perhaps surprising to some of us is that the Holy Scriptures do this as well. Not to live by worrying about colder weather but Christ gives us instructions, sets before us warnings, of what is to come and ultimately to ask, are we prepared.
In the Gospel of Matthew, we read about tribulations and difficulties that will come upon this earth, “then will appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Yet, after these trying times, Christ begins to talk about summer. “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near.” (v.32) Unlike department stores who are advertising seasons to bolster their profits, Christ is instructing us to pay attention to certain signs for another reason.
“Then will appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn…” The prophet Isaiah speaks about God’s judgment especially towards the rebellious and hypocritical Israelites. Those who claim to be faithful, to be God’s chosen, and yet, deny it with their lives and choices. Rebellious people who chose to follow their own stubborn ways rather than God’s will. And Isaiah says, this persistent of rebellion, will bring about God judgment which is coming for the disobedient, as a consequence, separating those who forsake Him from those who truly serve Him. These are the ones my dears who will mourn when they see that coming of Christ. They are the one’s caught unprepared for the winter. For them the Cross is foolishness today as St. Paul says but will be a cause of fear later. Yet, for the faithful, the Cross is a sign of victory and a remind that God does not abandon the faithful.
(vv. 22) “They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.” God declares His ultimate promise to create a new heaven and a new earth – harmony my dears for His beloved. This my dears the what the Holy Scriptures invite us to reflect upon.
When Christ gives the example of the fig tree and about the summer, He is reminding us that the “summer” represents calm and harmony, but only for the righteous after a harsh storm, contrasted with the final accountability for those who remain unprepared – who remain in the cold. In other words, my dears, ask of ourselves, what kind of life are we living? Are we like the rebellious Israelites, who pick and choose what we believe, what we practice from the commandments of God that fits our way of life? Are we hypocrites who come to Church, sing and pray, volunteer and “do” all the right things outwardly, yet, our hearts have become barren and cold to the commandments of God? The truth is all of us my dears, throughout our lives we all face difficulties; we all face storms and tribulations; we all experience the bitterness of life’s winter. Just as winter kills and silences nature, the “winter” of human life represents aging, illness, and the approach of death. Yet, if we remain faithful, if we focus on the Cross, by reading our Holy Scriptures, the Word of God, repenting and turning to God, asking for guidance and wisdom from the Holy Spirit, after those difficulties, we will see the fruits of the fig tree. We will see the harmony and summer of the blessings of God. In the same way, decorations and items in the store tell us about the change in seasons, the changing of the leaves on the fig tree tells the us that the cold, dead winter is passing and the warmth of summer is right at the door.
The invitation is therefore before us my dears; The signs are before us. The weather is already changing, the hours are getting shorter and the seasons are changing. Are we ready not just physically but spiritually? Pray for discernment; pray for wisdom; take hold of the life-giving Cross and seek the Lord in all our choices. When we see the signs, the warnings of life, when we face the bitter cold, trust in the Lord even more. Be ready to forgive, eager to repent, and filled with love for God. And we will not be counted among the rebellious hypocrites but faithfully, we will glorify our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, with the Father and Holy Spirit; we will enjoy God’s harmony and the warmth of His embrace. We will take glory “in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” Amen!
