11 November 2022
Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop
In today’s Gospel, Jesus seems to indicate that his second coming will be unexpected, like an earthquake, also catastrophic; like the flood; like the destruction of Sodom. That is, it will come from nowhere and no group or nation will escape its furry.
At the same time, the final judgment for each person is individual, personal. My unity with others does not excuse me from personal responsibility: “one will be taken and the other left.”
So, what’s the conclusion? My prayer should always be two-fold. I should pray for others, who live today like victims of the flood and the inhabitants of Sodom, and I should also pray that the Lord give me grace to avoid serious sin – “deliver us from evil.” All prayer should be offered in that dual perspective.
Resolved: Today is Veterans Day. In addition to praying for my own needs, I shall say some prayers to the Immaculate Conception, the patroness of our country, to make intercession for the welfare of all our veterans, both living and dead, who have fought to preserve our nation in peace, and I shall ask her to make special intercession for our country and its leaders, who stand in need of prayers today.