Sunday Reflection: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Introduction 

This Sunday, we heard three readings all focused on the importance of staying awake and alert in the faith. Only those who persevere to the end will be saved, and since it is not for us to know when our last hour on this earth will be we must remain vigilant in the faith at all times. This is difficult to do, but there is hope as well and we saw a message of hope in the second reading that we heard from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians. It reads as follows:

We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, about those who have fallen asleep,

so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. 
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose,
so too will God, through Jesus,
bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 
Indeed, we tell you this, on the word of the Lord,
that we who are alive,
who are left until the coming of the Lord,
will surely not precede those who have fallen asleep.
For the Lord himself, with a word of command,
with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God,
will come down from heaven,
and the dead in Christ will rise first. 
Then we who are alive, who are left,
will be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air. 
Thus we shall always be with the Lord. 
Therefore, console one another with these words.

Perseverance

It is the hope of the resurrection that makes it possible for us to persevere in the faith, for if their was no eternal reward at the end, there would be no point. What we must realize as well is that we are not alone in our perseverance. We are all members of one heavenly family: the Body of Christ. As such, if there are any members of the body that are struggling with their call, it is the duty of the rest of the Body to build up and strengthen its fellow members.

Fathers to our Children

Fathers, this duty is ever more present in our responsibilities to our children. As parents, we are the first source of education and formation in the faith for our children. Therefore, we too must remain properly in the faith in order to be that example for them. 

Once again, we are not alone in this. When we are struggling with our call, we have our own examples that we can look to for strength. Of course, we have our fellow members of the Body, as well as our own fathers, but even more so we have the Saints. The Saints are the perfect example of what it means to persevere to the end, for by definition they have already done so. 

Do Not Be Afraid

Fathers, do not be afraid to look for help in fulfilling your call, for God has given us all these resources to strengthen each and every one of us. Alone we may fail, but if we rely on each other and stand together, we will never fail.

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