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John had a vision of a great
multitude, “which no one could count, from every nation, race, people,
and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing
white robes... These are the ones who have survived the great time of
distress: they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood
of the Lamb.” These men and women will be the real survivors! Their
recognition does not come from wealth or fame. These are the ones who
will have spent their lives doing God’s will, living in the Father’s
hand. Will you be among them? Would you want to be?
John had a vision of what it will be like in heaven. There will be
people from every nation. Where we come from is unimportant. Only our
final destination will matter. The citizens of heaven will come from
every race. Do you think you will be able to tell someone’s race in
heaven? Will it make a difference to you? Do you think it matters to
God? If God chose to make many kinds of people in His own likeness, will
you be the one to tell Him that He was wrong? Do you think you will
speak the language of heaven? What will that language of heaven
be?
John’s gospel speaks of Jesus as our good shepherd. Jesus said
that his sheep will recognize his voice and they will follow him. He
will give them eternal life and no one can take them out of his hand. In
the hand of Jesus, sounds like the place where we want to be. It
is required that we hear his voice and follow him. Can we really hear
the voice of the Lord over the din of our world? Where can we go
to hear the voice of the Lord?
The Bible is the first place to search for the Word of the Lord. Jesus
speaks to his people through the proclamation of the Word. Get out your
Bible and make reading it a regular part of your day. In order to
recognize his voice you must become familiar with his Word. Purchase a
Catholic Bible Dictionary. It will help you understand what you read.
Join a Bible study group and discover the depths of the scriptures.
You can also find the Lord in his Church! On every Sunday, the Lord’s
Day, the people of God gather to celebrate Eucharist. From the earliest
days of the church, this is how the disciples came to know the Lord
Jesus, in the breaking of the bread. Don’t miss a single opportunity to
do this in memory of him. “When we eat this bread and drink this cup we
proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes in glory.”
We find Christ in our personal prayer as well. When we silence our own
words and thoughts, we can hear the Lord’s voice speak within our
hearts. Another way to encounter the Lord is by caring for those who are
most in need. Visit the sick or imprisoned, teach the young or the
handicapped. Serve the hungry or the helpless. This puts you in very
close proximity to the Lord. “Whatever you did to the least of my
brothers and sisters you did for me.”
To be among that great multitude in John’s vision, we need to recognize
the voice of our good shepherd and follow him who leads us to his
Father’s kingdom.
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