Our hope is in Jesus

Jesus is talking about in today‟s Gospel, that he is about to be glorified, and that God is glorified in him. It is true that Jesus is talking about his suffering and death – pure sacrificial love – and he knows that doing God‟s will wins for us the grace that leads us, his faithful people, into the new heaven and new earth, where God will be all in all. The word glory means that God is the Creator of all that is truly good. He is the sustainer of all of creation which points to God‟s creative love for us and that he and his plan of salvation matter most in all our decision making. We have been made in God‟s image and likeness, male or female he made us, and so we need to give God glory by receiving our life and praising him for saving our life for heaven through Jesus Christ. Thus, when the last day of history happens, God will restore our body perfectly to our soul, and there will be a new heaven and a new earth, which we heard in today‟s second reading: from the Book of Revelation: “Then I, John, saw a new heaven and a new earth. The former heaven and the former earth has passed away… I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” Rev. 21:1-3. When we pray in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, as Jesus taught us through our baptism, we are giving glory to God. We are praising him for revealing to us that he is One God living in community of Father, Son and Holy Spirit – the Holy Trinity – Eternal Life, Infinite Love and Perpetual Wisdom. Jesus promises us that when two or three people gather in his Name, that is, when we gather to pray and praise God with humble, fervent and grateful hearts, Jesus the Crucified and Risen Lord will be present to us. One miraculous story of this promise of Christ is when a mom and dad discovered that their son, who lived in California, was addicted to illegal drugs. The son started falling further away from them. They called their close Catholic friends and prayed and fasted for their son to break the addiction and come home to them. They gathered and prayed and praised God for many hours, entrusting the young man to God through the hearts of Jesus and Mary.

A few days later they discovered that their son went through a night of terrible sweats and purification, but when he awoke he no longer had any desire to use the illegal drug. He was free! This is the power of sharing in the glory of Jesus Christ. Sacrificing out of love for the glory of God and the salvation of others. Another story of God‟s love working through a par-ent for a child, is the story of St. Monica and St. Augustine. St. Monica prayed for many years that her wayward son, Augustine, who had a child out of wedlock, would convert to the Catholic Christian faith. When I searched on Google for the number of years she prayed for him I found two answers, 17 years and 30 years. In any case, we know that God was moved by the sacrificial love and persistent prayers of his mother, St. Monica, whose son, Augustine, converted, was baptized by St. Ambrose and became a great saint and doctor of the

church. St. Monica also prayed for the conversion of her pagan husband Patricius, who received baptism, and her pagan mother-in-law, who converted. Those who have struggles in their marriage and among family members who are lack-ing in faith or have never embraced the faith are encouraged to pray to St. Monica for a deepening conversion in their own life first (which is true humility), as well as for a conversion of those who may be hardened in their sins. The Church assists those who want a deepening con-version to a deeper marriage with Marriage Enrichment programs; and for a deeper healing there is Retrouvaille, which is a French word meaning “to find each other again.” It is interesting to note that our new pope, Pope Leo the XIV, is from the Augustinian order, which finds its inspiration in the converted life and teachings of St. Augustine. St. Augustine died in 430 AD and is known to be the Doctor of Grace for his theological explanation of how God saves us through the grace of repentance and then seeking and receiving his holiness - sanctifying grace – which is promised to us in the sacraments when we receive them appropriately. St. Augustine is often quoted in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. For example in paragraph, #1863: “Venial sin weakens charity; it manifests a disordered affection for created goods; it impedes the soul‟s progress in the exercise of the virtues and the practice of the moral good; it merits temporal punishment. Deliberate and unrepented venial sin dis-poses us little by little to commit mortal sin. However, venial sin does not break the covenant with God. With God‟s grace it is humanly reparable. „Venial sin does not deprive the sinner of sanctifying grace, friendship with God, charity, and consequently eternal happiness.‟” St. John Paul II, RP 17 par. 9.

While he is in the flesh, man cannot help but have at least some light sins. But do not despise these sins which we call “light”: if you take them for light when you weigh them, tremble when you count them. A number of light objects makes a great mass;… What then is our hope? Above all, confession…” St. Augustine, In ep. Jo. 1,6. I praise God that so many Catholics are coming to the Sacrament of Confession on a more regular basis! For this helps bring about the glory of God and helps us to be fully alive with the Holy Spirit!

Peace in the Crucified and Risen Lord, Fr. Thomas McCabe