17 Nov 2010, Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, religious

Reading 1
Rv 4:1-11

I, John, had a vision of an open door to heaven,
and I heard the trumpetlike voice
that had spoken to me before, saying,
“Come up here and I will show you what must happen afterwards.”
At once I was caught up in spirit.
A throne was there in heaven, and on the throne sat one
whose appearance sparkled like jasper and carnelian.
Around the throne was a halo as brilliant as an emerald.
Surrounding the throne I saw twenty-four other thrones
on which twenty-four elders sat,
dressed in white garments and with gold crowns on their heads.
From the throne came flashes of lightning,
rumblings, and peals of thunder.
Seven flaming torches burned in front of the throne,
which are the seven spirits of God.
In front of the throne was something that resembled
a sea of glass like crystal.

In the center and around the throne,
there were four living creatures
covered with eyes in front and in back.
The first creature resembled a lion, the second was like a calf,
the third had a face like that of a man,
and the fourth looked like an eagle in flight.
The four living creatures, each of them with six wings,
were covered with eyes inside and out.
Day and night they do not stop exclaiming:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty,
who was, and who is, and who is to come.”
Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks
to the one who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever,
the twenty-four elders fall down
before the one who sits on the throne
and worship him, who lives forever and ever.
They throw down their crowns before the throne, exclaiming:

“Worthy are you, Lord our God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things;
because of your will they came to be and were created.”

Ps 150:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6
Responsorial Psalm

R. (1b) Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!
Praise the LORD in his sanctuary,
praise him in the firmament of his strength.
Praise him for his mighty deeds,
praise him for his sovereign majesty.
R. Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!
Praise him with the blast of the trumpet,
praise him with lyre and harp,
Praise him with timbrel and dance,
praise him with strings and pipe.
R. Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!
Praise him with sounding cymbals,
praise him with clanging cymbals.
Let everything that has breath
praise the LORD! Alleluia.
R. Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!

Gospel
Lk 19:11-28
While people were listening to Jesus speak,
he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem
and they thought that the Kingdom of God
would appear there immediately.
So he said,
“A nobleman went off to a distant country
to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return.
He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins
and told them, ‘Engage in trade with these until I return.’
His fellow citizens, however, despised him
and sent a delegation after him to announce,
‘We do not want this man to be our king.’
But when he returned after obtaining the kingship,
he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money,
to learn what they had gained by trading.
The first came forward and said,
‘Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.’
He replied, ‘Well done, good servant!
You have been faithful in this very small matter;
take charge of ten cities.’
Then the second came and reported,
‘Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.’
And to this servant too he said,
‘You, take charge of five cities.’
Then the other servant came and said,
‘Sir, here is your gold coin;
I kept it stored away in a handkerchief,
for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding man;
you take up what you did not lay down
and you harvest what you did not plant.’
He said to him,
‘With your own words I shall condemn you,
you wicked servant.
You knew I was a demanding man,
taking up what I did not lay down
and harvesting what I did not plant;
why did you not put my money in a bank?
Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.’
And to those standing by he said,
‘Take the gold coin from him
and give it to the servant who has ten.’
But they said to him,
‘Sir, he has ten gold coins.’
He replied, ‘I tell you,
to everyone who has, more will be given,
but from the one who has not,
even what he has will be taken away.
Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king,
bring them here and slay them before me.’”

After he had said this,
he proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem.

Meditation: Revelation 4:1-11

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty!” (Revelation 4:8)

How amazing heaven must be! In today’s first reading, we get only a glimpse of its glory—and a secondhand glimpse at that—and still our hearts thrill. Imagine the throne of God, the twenty-four elders, the four living creatures, the flashes of lightning and peals of thunder. Just try to wrap your mind around the throne of God where, all day and night, an unending stream of worship, adoration, and praise rises up to the Father. And what makes this even more amazing is that all this is going on right now, even as the world continues to spin, as nations rise and fall, as armies amass, and as families the world over experience the ups and downs of life.

Keeping this heavenly reality in our minds can help us find the right balance as we go through our days. Remember: One day, you too will stand before the throne of God. He who has known you from all time will not just sit there unmoved, either. He will rejoice over you!

Even now, God finds great joy in you. He delights in your faith, even as he sees the pockets of unbelief. He rejoices over your courage, your compassion, and your love, even as he sees your struggles with temptation. He enjoys touching your heart, helping you grow in holiness, and giving you a taste of heaven right now. All because he loves you.

There is so much we don’t understand about God or heaven. Words alone could never capture divine reality—not even the words of the Bible. But there is one thing we can be sure of: God’s love for each and every one of us is firm. It is unchanging. It is foundational to who we are and what we can become. Every hope and dream, every desire and longing, every purpose and goal in our lives finds its ultimate fulfillment in God and in the home he has prepared for us.

So lift up your heart today, no matter what your situation is! Your Father has a perfect plan for you. He rejoices in you now, and he can’t wait for the day when you will finally see him face to face!

“Thank you, Father, for your boundless love! As I walk through this day, help me to keep you and your heavenly home in the forefront of my mind.”

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