Dear Friends,

In the gospel today, we have heard Jesus say, “thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous…”

In this parabolic vision of the Kingdom of heaven, the separation of the wicked from good shall be carried out. But not through human agency but through angel. And this shall happen only at the final appointed time and upon God’s command.

There is no warrant for attempts, whether in the past, in the present, or the future, to purge society by eliminating lives. Every life belongs to God, and God alone has the right to decide his fate.

The image of the fishing net hauled ashore until it’s full, resonates with the image of the potter in the first reading today from Jeremiah, “Whenever the object of clay which he has making turn out badly in his hand, he tried again…”

The good news for us is: God wants to offer every person a lifetime of chances to belong to the Kingdom.

Let us ask the Lord today that we may spend our days appreciating and maximizing every chance given to us striving to belong to the heavenly Kingdom.

In Christ,

Fr Gregg