The first reading for Mass today from the book of Revelation, sure sounds a lot different from our own lives. The entire book of Revelation is difficult for many people to understand. That is why there are many bible studies and classes offered on this book, because of it’s difficulty in understanding the symbolism portrayed in this book.
They symbolism in the book of Revelations can also be understood on a much simpler level, and applied to our everyday lives too though. We don’t have to know the history, contextual setting, literary style, the background of the author, or a lot about the visions and revelations in today’s reading, in order to find meaning that applies to our lives.
John went up to the angel in the vision in today’s reading from Revelations, and told him to give him the scroll, just as he was commanded to do. That’s a simple lesson right there, to do what God commands us to do, or the church teaches us to do, without questioning it too much. Sometimes we just have to act in faith that God knows what He is doing, that Jesus Christ’s representatives on earth guide us well, and the Catholic church continues to be guided by the Holy Spirit throughout the ages. We can trust the teachings of the Holy Catholic church and her leaders, without overly analyzing every single detail.
The angel told John to:
“Take and swallow it (the scroll). It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey.”
This certainly applies to what our leaders have taught us about our Catholic faith. Our faith “feels good”. It feels good to worship at Mass, be close to Jesus, feel connected with the rest of the parish, and sing the beautiful hymns at Mass. It feels good to go to confession. And, it feels good to experience God’s consolations and comfort in our prayers. Being with our faith community is also a happy, upbeat and positive aspect of our lives as well.
Our faith feels good, but our faith is much harder to live out. It is like the scroll that John ate. Our faith can be very sweet and satisfying, but when times get difficult and we go through some heavy trials, it can be viewed as a burden.
Remaining loyal to your vocation, even in unhappy or difficult circumstances is hard. Following the church’s teachings on reproductive issues and remaining open to having more children is also hard, especially if your financial and emotional resources are already maxed out. Living a chaste life as a homosexual is also a very difficult trial. Stewardship is also very difficult if you are struggling under a huge amount of medical bills or become unemployed, for an example. And if your teenage daughter becomes pregnant, or your child discloses that he has same sex attraction, can cause you to question what the church teaches.
What is the right thing to do, when the going gets tough? We know the answer to that question, but it is more difficult to live it. The faith that was so sweet at first, becomes a difficult thing to live by.
Is it any wonder Jesus got mad at the money changers in the gospel today, who were turning the temple into a den of thieves instead of a house of prayer?
The good Lord knew that people needed a place to go, a place to turn to, away from the busyness and noise of the rest of the world. How would they grow close to the Father, with all those distractions going on around them, without silence and prayer?
For those of us who go to an adoration chapel, or to pray before the tabernacle at church, we know where our strength comes from. The sacraments of communion and confession, first and foremost, but also prayer. Praying to God, and asking Jesus for help with our problems, heartaches, disappointments and trials helps to bring a deep-seated peace in our souls that nothing else can give us. We honestly cannot heal the brokenness inside of us, without God’s help. Some things are impossible for us to fix, but He can. There is no situation, no matter how bleak, that God’s healing grace cannot enter into.
Jesus is available in person, in every tabernacle and adoration chapel in the world. We can draw strength to handle the difficult situations in our lives, by relying on His strength, instead of our own. That really is the secret to coping with all of the unexpected problems, heartaches and trials we go through.
Often, our prayers are not answered immediately during the actual periods we spend in prayer. But, prayer changes us, and opens our heart to receive the Holy Spirit’s action and God’s grace to help us handle the difficulties we face in life. We also need silence. The world is too loud, too busy, too confusing, too many people wanting too many thing from us. The stresses and pressures of the modern world needs a place to escape from, at least for a few minutes, in order to regain the center of our lives.
Have you lost that deep-seated center of your life? Does your soul know God’s peace? Is your heart at peace with the difficult situations that you face? Have you lost hope that the difficult situations in your life can improve?
When Jesus drove the money changers out of the temple, he created an oasis of peace in our busy lives, that continues to this day. All we have to do is take advantage of the opportunity that he provided for us, that has been passed down through the generations to this day.
