Skip to main content

I am with You Always Until the End of the Age




I am with You Always Until the End of the Age
Trinity Sunday
Mt 28: 16 – 20

Today is Trinity Sunday. On this day we celebrate the feast of the Blessed Trinity. It is the feast of God who has revealed himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God who is one has made himself known to us in a way that we can understand him. The one triune God revealed himself to us so we can have fellowship with him and live our lives with him.
Today’s Gospel is taken from Matthew’s version of the Ascension. Here, Jesus tells the eleven disciples to go up a mountain in Galilee where he would meet them. When the disciples met Jesus on the mountain, they worshiped him. In writing this, Matthew somehow indicates that the disciples saw the risen Jesus as someone who was worthy of their worship, an apparent acknowledgement of his divinity.
Nonetheless, despite their act of worship, Matthew also notes the doubt that continued to linger among them. Matthew writes: “ but they doubted.” This is an interesting note that somehow tells us that the disciples still couldn’t believe that Jesus has indeed risen from the dead. To be in the face of the risen Jesus must have been a truly overwhelming experience, hence, the lingering doubt.
Then, Jesus tells them: “ All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” In saying this, Jesus commissions the disciples to go out into the whole world to make followers from every nation with the explicit instruction that they be baptized in the name of the triune God.
Baptism was the way for the early Church to incorporate new members into the fold. We see this practice being continued even today when we see infants and even adults being baptized and welcomed into the Christian community. Baptism becomes the way where we are cleansed of all our sins and where we profess our new found faith in God who redeems. In doing so, we gain fellowship with God. God’s life becomes our life. And inevitably, God binds himself to us as his true children, loving us and caring for us in a way we can’t even imagine.
To all who receive and accept God’s invitation of fellowship with him, the words of Jesus will always be true to us who live our faith in the Lord: “ Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” These words are not only words of assurance but are true commitments of one who has already poured out his life for our sake. He will indeed be with us always through our journey as long as we live. He is no stranger to our life. He will walk the path of life with us because he has promised to be with us until the end of time.
A number of bible scholars believe that Matthew’s Gospel has been structured around a particular theme: that God is and will be with us. Matthew begins his gospel with a passage that underscores this theme: “ and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means, God is with us" (Matt 1:23). Then he ends his gospel with a similar theme: “ I am with you always, until the end of the age" (Matt 28:20). Clearly, Matthew wants us to understand that the God he writes about is a God who will be with us now and always.
To be in fellowship with God who wants to be with us at anytime at any place is perhaps one of the greatest blessings we could ever have as people who believe in God. We will never be alone. We will go through life, in both happy and challenging times always believing that we are never alone. God is there in the joys of life. He is there in sad times. He is there when tragedy and mishaps strike us. He is there even when we think we have been abandoned by everyone else. He is simply there whether we realize it or not. He is  there even when we forget him. The certainty that God is with us in these uncertain times is the best thing that could ever happen to us. He is Emmanuel, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit who will be with us until the end of time. Amen.


“ See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.”  - 1 John 3: 1

Comments

  1. UnknownMay 25, 2018 at 1:50 AM

    So Inspiring!!! Our God reassures us that He is ever present now and forever!!! Thank you Sir Mike for such encouraging words, specially during these challenging times. Your reflections give hope and courage in a world full of uncertainties.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ash Wednesday

#DAYLIGHT – Daily #MenOfLight #GospelReflection February 26, 2020 Ash Wednesday Gospel: Mt 6: 1 – 6, 16 – 18 Sharer: Bro. Mike Lapid +++++++++++++++++++++++ Gospel “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2  “So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3  But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4  so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 5  “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6  But whenev...
Post a Comment
Read more

Parable of the Sower

Parable of the Sower 15 th Sunday in Ordinary Time Mt 13: 1 – 9 Introduction Today’s reading presents to us the parable of the sower. This parable compares God to a sower sowing the seed of his word. The Gospel That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2  Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3  And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4  And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5  Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. 6  But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. 7  Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8  Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth...
2 comments
Read more

The Road to Jerusalem

The Road to Jerusalem Luke 9:51-62 13 th Sunday in Ordinary Time Introduction Today’s Gospel speaks about Jesus’ resolute will to head to Jerusalem. Jerusalem was to be the place where he would suffer and die. His determination to head to the city of David speaks of the urgency of this task and his single mindedness to fulfill his mission. The Gospel Today’s Gospel was written by Luke the evangelist. Luke tells us that when the time drew near when Jesus would be taken up to heaven, he made up his mind to go to Jerusalem. But before that, Jesus and his disciples had to pass by a Samaritan village. Jesus sends ahead of him some messengers who entered a Samaritan village to prepare a lodging for him. But the people in that village refused to receive him as they came to know that he was headed towards Jerusalem. Samaritans and Jews in those days were at odds with one another. Samaritans were generally unfriendly to Jews heading to Jerusalem as they passed ...
Post a Comment
Read more