Knowing Christ
The supreme good of knowing Christ. Paul was well educated. He was well respected in the Jewish tradition. You might say he had everything he could ever want in a career. But after meeting Christ all of this to him was useless. Nothing compared to knowing Christ.
As we near the end of our liturgical year (Christ, King of the Universe is on November 20, end of the church year) our focus in the readings is now eternal life with our Lord in heaven.
We celebrate All Saints Day, those in heaven, and All Souls Day, those still striving to enter heaven. And we focus on ourselves here on earth. We are striving to enter heaven too by following the example given to us by Christ.
Notice in the readings for the next couple of weeks we are instructed as to how to live now as if we are in heaven with our Lord. We all desire to enter heaven but let us not wait for the last minute. We do not know when that last minute will come.
Jesus teaches us to live now for heaven. Obey the Ten Commandments. Offer mercy and forgiveness as instructed in the beatitudes. To be ready for heaven we need to live in heaven now.
How do we do that? Just as Paul announces to us, to know Christ. Do whatever we have to. Start today.
May the Lord bless you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen