Stumbled across this in my reading some time ago and posted about it. Stumbled across the post again this afternoon and thought it seemed apposite, in a general, universal, whatever-kind-of-day-you’ve-been-having way:
Though the Lord has established the signs of his coming, the time of their fulfillment has not been plainly revealed. These signs have come and gone with a multiplicity of change; more than that, they are still present. His final coming is like his first. As holy men and prophets waited for him, thinking that he would reveal himself in their own day, so today each of the faithful longs to welcome him in his own day, because Christ has not made plain the day of his coming.
He has not made it plain for this reason especially, that no one may think that he whose power and dominion rule all numbers and times is ruled by fate and time . . .
From a Commentary on the Diatessaron by Saint Ephrem , hermit, poet, and Doctor of the Church since, um, 1920, a mere 1547 years after his death. When a guy like this says, Keep watch, he means it for the long haul.
Although, I don’t read The Bible and I must say that it great that people do so but I find that I’ve got enough under my belt just dealing with The Gospel at church.
I know in my heart and mind that the end could come any time, it could be before I finish this comment and then again it might be when every one of our cells have had a chance at life and God Our Heavenly Father only knows for sure.
After more than forty years of marriage, I lost my cool with my wife while in our car today for a silly reason. As crazy as it may sound,The sky turned gray and then it started
The angels took that away too soon so I’ll close by simply saying that it is nice to see you writing again and leave it at that for now.
Peace
At first I mis-read the title of this post as “Comic Patience”, so I read the whole thing expecting a different conclusion. But as it is the message of this post is critical. It makes me think of the Gospel story of the man with the overflowing barns. “This very night your life will be required of you…”
Yikes…sobering.
GWiss, forgive me, I mean DWiss,
That reminds me of a story I heard years ago about a senior angel who was taking a young angel under his wings you might say. If you’ve heard “IT” before please send me a brain wave.
Anyway the two angels came upon a rich farm house and they asked if the farmer would put them up for the night and to make a long story short, He had plenty of free rooms in his house but he made them stay in the basement. The young angel just watched and was taking “IT” all in. The old senior angel patched up a hole in the farmers wall and cleaned up here and there and the next morning they left this farm house.
The next day, they came upon an old farm house and when they knocked on the door, a man and a women welcomed them and to make another long story short, they made them both feel like they really were angels. Anyway in the morning, the farmer’s wife apologized for not having any milk because the cow had died during the night. Both angels simply gave the poor farmers their thanks and left.
While the two angels were walking quietly and thinking to themselves, the young angel just lost “IT” and started giving the senior angel a little “hell” and the old angel just let him go on. Some of the things that this young angel said was, Shame on you! How could you do that? These people were so kind to us and they gave us everything they had, even their own bed to sleep in. When we stayed with those rich farmers they gave us only their basement and you cleaned “IT” UP and then you even patched a hole in their wall.
The senior angel let him finish and with tears in his eyes also and when “IT” was his turn to speak, he said, I know how you feel sun, but in my defense, when we stayed with those rich farmers I saw gold dust and I cleaned “IT” UP and when I patched up that hole, I thought of the way we had been treated and when I saw that gold mine, I fix the hole so they would not ever see “IT”.
At this generous farm house and while you were sleeping my child, Satan came to take the farmers wife and to make a long story short I convinced Satan’s angel that “IT” would be wise if he just took the cow and left.
God Bless,
Peace
D. — I actually first typed in “Comic Patience,” but fortunately caught it in time.
Victor — very nice to see you. I hope all is well.