It seems that as we listen to the weather news of late, freakish weather is on our doorsteps. Some blame global warming, some blame El Niño, some blame the natural cycles of the earth. No matter who or what is to blame, when the ?sirens? sound just minutes before the critical weather strikes, we run for cover and seek shelter.
In the context of this weekend?s gospel of Jesus? final judgment and the destruction of the towns to which He ministered, we get more than a few minute?s notice, Jesus? warnings offers us a whole lifetime to prepare for the final judgment
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?What are the things hidden from the wise but revealed to the little ones? The previous versus from Matthew?s chapter 11 (omitted in the Lectionary) indicate that ?these things? are the destruction resulting from being unfaithful to God?s gracious will.? The ?little ones? are those who heard the Lord?s call for repent-ance and to be faithful to the Father?in the towns and cities He preached to?and were indeed faithful to God and now enter into His reign of peace. The faithful ones need have no fear of Jesus? final judgment.

Living the Paschal Mystery. Being a faithful disciple of Christ requires of us a self-sacrificing love that knows no bounds when the good of the other is at stake. No bounds at all, not even one?s life. We must die to ourselves. This dying to ourselves calls us to let go of all our own pretensions, become meek and humble like Jesus Himself, becoming as the ?little ones.? What does this mean for our everyday lives? It means a call to repentance?recognizing that even ?I? sin and make mistakes, that I am not yet a perfect disciple. It requires a daily and ongoing conversion to the faith that is Jesus Christ. This certainly is not easy to do since our natural human condition is to seek our own interests and our own goods. But Jesus came to do God?s Will and with doing His Will Christ brought peace and salvation. When we follow true discipleship and do the Will of God in our world, then we are judged worthy of that very salvation and will know eternal peace.

How do I come to know God?s Will for my life? We need to study Sacred Scripture and come to understand what it is that God asks of us. We need to listen to the teachings?more than 2,000 years in the making and which includes scholarly study?by the Church (it always seems odd to me that someone will say ?I know more than the Church on this or that topic.? It seems really arrogant to me to think that someone who has lived 30, 40, 60 or so years has more knowledge or practical experience than the collective Church and her scholars like St. Thomas Aquinas, or Mother Teresa or Catherine of Siena. And when we do study the Church?s teachings, we must not just read the ?headlines? of Thou Shall Not but learn why the Church teach-es what she teaches. Knowing God?s Will requires of us an honest inward look at ourselves. Do I seriously try to live my life as a disciple? Is what I am doing righteous or just convenient for me?

And when we honestly review our lives and all our actions?do we do so in an environment of light or one of darkness? ?The burden of living the paschal mystery is heavy when God is hidden; it is light when God is revealed. Life is bearable when we?re in union with Christ. This is all we need to do: be in union with Christ so we are in union with God. All we need to do is come to Him, and He will give us rest.? This is surely a gracious God with a gracious Will for us.