We are drawing near the completion of another liturgical year. (Next Sunday is the feast of Christ the King and the following Sunday begins the season of Advent.) The Liturgy focuses on the “end times.” The Biblical sense of “the end” is not so much the termination of the world as we know it but “the end” as the goal or purpose of a life of faithfully following Christ.
It begins with the Opening Prayer as we ask God to give us “the constant gladness of being devoted to you.” This faithful devotedness leads to God’s promise from Daniel that the “wise shall shine brightly…like the stars forever.” The gospel envisions that Christ will “gather his elect from the four winds.” Being gathered around Christ and sharing in his light are God’s hope for us now and always.
How does the light of Christ within you reflect that of the Creator of the stars? What helps you to be faithful and devoted to Christ?