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reading of the Book of Revelation of St
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John I John saw an angel descend from
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heaven in his hands he had the key to
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the abyss and a large chain he sees the
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dragon the ancient serpent who is the
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devil Satan he chained him for a
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thousand years and threw him into the
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abyss then he locked and sealed the
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abyss so that the dragon would no longer
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seduce the nations of the earth until
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the thousand years were over after the
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Thousand Years the dragon must be
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released but for a short time then I saw
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Thrones and their occupants sat down and
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Reed the power to judge I also saw the
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souls of those who had been beheaded
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because of the testimony of Jesus and
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the word of God and those who had not
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worshiped the Beast nor its image nor
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had received the mark of the beast on
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their foreheads or on their hands they
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came back to life to reign with Christ
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for a thousand years I also saw a great
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white throne and the one who was sitting
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on it Heaven and Earth fled from his
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presence and their place was no longer
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found I also saw the Dead the Great and
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the small standing Before the Throne
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books were opened and yet another book
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The Book of Life then the dead were
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judged according to their conduct as
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written in in the books the sea returned
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the Dead who were in it death and the
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Abode of the Dead gave back their dead
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and each one was judged according to his
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conduct death and the Abode of the Dead
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were then thrown into the Lake of Fire
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this is the second death the Lake of
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Fire anyone who did not have their name
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written in the Book of Life was also
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thrown into the lake of fire then I saw
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a new Heaven and a new Earth for the
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first Heaven and the first Earth have
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passed away and the sea is no more I saw
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the holy city the New Jerusalem coming
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down out of Heaven from God dressed like
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a bride adorned for her husband word of
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God proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus
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Christ according to St Luke Glory To You
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Lord at that time Jesus told them a
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parable look at the Fig Tree and all the
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trees when you see that they are giving
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buds you immediately know that summer is
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near you too when you see these things
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happening know that the kingdom of God
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is near truly I tell you all this will
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happen before this generation passes
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away Heaven and Earth will pass away but
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my words will not pass away word of
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Salvation glory to you
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Lord dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ
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imagine yourself in a movie theater
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watching an Epic film about the end of
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times the lights are low the giant
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screen shows apocalyptic scenes of
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Destruction and Recreation but this
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isn't just a science fiction film it is
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the profound reality that scripture
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reveals to us today A Narrative of
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judgment hope and radical transformation
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The Book of Revelation is not a book to
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be read with fear but with hope it is a
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revelation literally an apocalypsis in
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Greek that reveals God's ultimate plan
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for creation our excerpt today takes us
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to the climax of this Cosmic story John
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describes an impressive scene I saw a
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great white throne in him who sat on it
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this is not a throne of oppressive power
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but of perfect Justice and ultimate
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Mercy it is the moment of final judgment
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where everything is revealed where every
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action every thought every intention
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will be brought to light the dead would
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judged according to their Works what a
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solemn moment imagine a courtroom where
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every book of your lives is opened
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nothing is hidden nothing is ignored but
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here is the wonderful mystery of the
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for those who trust in Christ this
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judgment is not a cause for Terror but
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for Hope and then the most extraordinary
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scene I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth
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and the holy city the New Jerusalem
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coming down from heaven this is not an
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escape from reality but the ultimate
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restoration of all creation God does not
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discard his creation but completely
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renews it Luke's gospel invites us to a
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similar perspective but through a simple
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parable of the Fig Tree see the Fig Tree
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and all the trees says Jesus when they
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begin to sprout you know that summer is
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near Jesus is teaching us to read the
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signs of the times just as we can
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perceive the arrival of Summer by the
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first buds we can discern the proximity
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of the kingdom of God by the signs
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around us but there is a crucial
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difference Heaven and Earth will pass
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away but my word will not pass a wave
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what a powerful statement everything
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that seems solid and permanent our
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institutions our achievements even
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physical reality as we know it is
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transitory only the word of God remains
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Eternal and unalterable so what does
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this mean for us today first we are
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called to live with an eternal
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perspective let us not allow ourselves
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to be tied down by temporary concerns
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our work our struggle struggles our
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successes and failures these are all
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important but they are not the whole
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there is a greater plan of foot a
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kingdom that is being established second
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let us be people of Hope the apocalypse
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is not a book of Destruction but of
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restoration God is not abandoning his
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creation but recreating it every act of
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kindness every moment of love every
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effort of Justice participates in this
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Recreation third let us keep our eyes
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fixed on Christ my words will not pass
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away says Jesus in a world of constant
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change of fake news of truths that
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change of the whim of convenience we
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have a firm and safe anchor the word of
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God but how do we practically live this
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we live each day as if we already
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participate in this new Heaven and new
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earth we treat each person with the
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Dignity of someone destined for eternity
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we take care of the creation as a
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rehearsal for the final restoration we
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fight Injustice knowing that the moral
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Arc of the universe as Martin Luther
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King Jr said tends toward Justice our
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commitment is not to worldly success but
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to faithfulness not with the external
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appearance but with the internal
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transformation not with temporary power
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but with the Eternal Kingdom imagine if
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each of us lived like this if we we saw
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every encounter every decision every
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moment as part of this Grand Narrative
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of restoration how different our
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community would be how our world would
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be transformed my beloved ones the
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future is not a frightening mystery but
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a glorious promise we are not left at
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the mercy of chance or destiny we are
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participants in a divine plan of
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restoration like the fig tree that
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Sprouts signaling the arrival of summer
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let us be living signs of God's hope May
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Our Lives be a living parable of the
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Kingdom to come may the Lord bless you
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and keep you may he make his face shine
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upon you and Grant you peace today
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amen St Michael the Archangel defend Us
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in battle be our protection against the
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wickedness and snares of the devil may
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God rebuke him we humbly pray and do
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thou o Prince of the Heavenly Host by
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the power of God cast into hell Satan
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and all the evil spirits who prowl
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throughout the world seeking the ruin of
