thanks in the end
"When you see Jerusalem encircled by soldiers, know that its devastation is near." —Luke 21:20
Jesus said that Jerusalem would be destroyed. Since Jerusalem was a city specially chosen in God's plan of salvation, Jesus' prediction seemed impossible. Less than forty years later, in 70 AD, Jesus' prophecy was fulfilled.
John, in the book of Revelation, prophesied that the Roman empire, symbolized by Babylon, would fall (Rv 18:2). This most stable of empires fell.
Jesus said that this world will be destroyed and will pass away (see Lk 21:26, 33; 2 Pt 3:7). He was right about Jerusalem's destruction, and He is right about the world's end.
Not only are cities, empires, and planet earth in the process of falling apart, we all are falling apart (see 2 Cor 4:16). Our reaction to this fact should not be denial or despair but thanksgiving. Like a grain of wheat, we must fall to the earth and die in order to bear fruit (Jn 12:24). We must die in Christ to rise with Him (2 Tm 2:11).
Thank God that the world is passing away and we are falling apart. Thank God there is so much more than this life. Thank God for endings which open the door to new beginnings. On this Thanksgiving Day, thank God not only for what's going well but for what's going down. Thank God.
Prayer: Father, make me be more thankful each day as I get closer to death and home.
Promise: "Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands; serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful song." —Ps 100:1-2
Praise: John was shaken up in an earthquake. John realized that he needed to change the foundation of his life. He reconciled with Jesus and his life now rests on solid ground (Mt 7:25).
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Ralph J. Lawrence, April 2, 1996
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, April 3, 1996