November 18, 2018
Mark 13:24-32
Jesus tells us that heaven and earth will pass away but not my words. His words about His second coming are very clear. One day the world will come to an end and we will be judged for our doings, and accordingly, we will be rewarded. Many of us do not believe in it and create hell for ourselves and our children here on earth. He warns us “But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Mk13:32
Are we prepared? We prepare ourselves for every feast and activity. Now all of us know that thanksgiving is coming and Christmas is coming. All the shops and malls are out with sales and decorations for Christmas. Jesus is asking us a deeper question about our very existence. Are we ready for His coming in glory? One day we all have to face Him. This faith and fear kept all the people together and helped in having a good family life. Eventually it brought freedom and respect for each other and prosperity. But today it is not so. We have moved away from His coming in glory. That each one will be responsible for his or her deeds and will be liable to eternal damnation.
His logic is very clear. If you can see the trees shedding their leaves and what the weather is bringing, why don’t you see your life and take what is good? He calls us to gather treasure for heaven. All of us know what benefits a child from going to a catholic school. If people of other religions can see it and send their children to catholic schools, why not our own Catholics? Taking God away from school is the result we all know. Having a broken family and what impact it has on life, and on every child that has foster parents, that has step parents and adopted parents we all know the consequences. It affects the individuals, family and society.
You can google for yourself and find out what benefits going to church has. What benefits practicing your faith has. I found one website https://aleteia.org it said, “It makes sense … God doesn’t’t need us to attend Mass because it benefits Him.”
There are at least 5 surprising improvements you might experience in a few areas of your life if you attend church services regularly …
Better sleep: A recent study found an association between better sleep and church attendance. According to the study authors: “More religious adults in particular tend to exhibit healthier sleep outcomes than their less religious counterparts.”
Less risk for depression and suicide: In a 2016 study published by JAMA Psychiatry, researchers found that, between 1996 and 2010, “women who attended any religious service once a week or more were five times less likely to commit suicide.”
More stable, happy, and sexually satisfying marriages: According to the Institute for Family Studies, “the couple that prays together, stays together,” that is, couples who practice their faith through regular church attendance together tend to report significantly higher relationship quality than those couples who do not attend services together.
Longer life: According to 2016 study from JAMA Internal Medicine, women who reported attending religious services “more than once a week had a 33 percent lower risk of dying during the study period compared with those who said they never went.”
Lower blood pressure: A 1998 study found that, “religiously active older adults tend to have lower blood pressures than those who are less active.”
When you do not practice your faith and do not want your children to practice it: It makes me think that you want to have mental illness, want to die soon, and want to go to hell and send your children to hell too. Instead of making a list of dietary restriction and notes on the fridge, make a list of the benefits of going to church and practicing your faith. Hang it to see every day and make it a point to pray. I am sure you will live longer and happier. Instead of making holes on the body, persecuting yourself, disfiguring yourself and having no values, come to the church and follow your faith. The satisfaction and joy that you find will never go away. By not following our faith, we are making room for all kinds of evil to take over us and creating hell for ourselves. Let us take the warning given by the lord seriously and follow Him for eternity.
