Category: Prayers

“You will be brought to give witness.” –Luke 21:13 Throughout the history of the Church numerous martyrs have testified in their court trials that they were Christians, that they feared none but God alone, and that they preferred to die rather than renounce their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Most of us will not have to testify before rulers and powers intent on forcing us to deny Jesus or die. Some of you may be required to do so; may you be inspired by the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel reading. Nonetheless, most of us are put on trial...

“Now is the time to reap.” –Revelation 14:15 At the end, Jesus, the King of kings (Rv 17:14), will come riding on a white cloud with a gold crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand (Rv 14:14). He will gather the harvest of justice (Rv 14:16). Then an angel will come from the temple in heaven. He will also wield a sharp sickle to gather the grapes of wrath (Rv 14:19). We will all be harvested, either by our loving Lord or by the “grim reaper.” “When will this be, Teacher? And what will be the...

“I heard a sound from heaven.” –Revelation 14:2 To be with the Lord forever in heaven, we must: decide to have the Lord’s name written on our foreheads (Rv 14:1), that is, be baptized in His name and live our Baptisms fully and publicly, sing a new hymn before God’s throne (Rv 14:3) as we worship Him “in Spirit and truth” (Jn 4:24), let the Lord ransom us from the world (Rv 14:3) and “have no love for the world, nor the things that the world affords” (1 Jn 2:15), be “pure and follow the Lamb wherever He goes” (Rv...

“His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, His kingship shall not be destroyed.” –Daniel 7:14 In heaven, the form of government in which we shall live eternally will not be a democracy, socialism, a Communist regime, or that of a tyrannical dictator. Jesus is King, that is, a Monarch, and He is a benevolent and sovereign Lord. We who believe in King Jesus will spend eternity with a blessed Ruler (1 Tm 6:15) Who loves us beyond measure. Even those who have lived in a worldly monarchy or benevolent dictatorship will hardly be able to...

“Fire will come out of the mouths of these witnesses to devour their enemies.” –Revelation 11:5 As members of the Church, we are olive trees (Rv 11:4), that is, we are anointed by the Holy Spirit. Because we are olive trees, we are lampstands (Rv 11:4). We are the light of the world (Mt 5:14). Because we are the light of the world and because those who practice evil hate the light (Jn 3:20), we are witnesses, that is, martyrs. Because we are witnesses, “the breath of life which comes from God” will return to us and we will rise...