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Monday, December 17, 2012

Daily Reflections - December 16,2012


THE WINNOWING FORK
 
I can still remember watching a man winnow the wheat as a kid. It was amazing to see him deftly toss the stalks of the wheat around and so facilitate the separation of the grain from the stalks. It is good for us to remember that a day of judgment will come to us all and, on that day, we will have to give an account of the lives we have led.
Purification is the image that comes to mind – the rubbish being separated from me such that I will be purified. This is the process through which we will all go through if we are going to make it into eternal life. Judgment and purification go hand in hand in terms of the end result they achieve. I am sure there are things in our lives which we are not proud of. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a means by which we enter into this process of purification by acknowledging our sins and turning away from
them, both now and forever.
Sin is a nasty character that never gives up. The devil is quite aware that there are many who have strong beliefs in this area. It is important that we do not give up in the face of a challenge and, by preparing ourselves well, endure it. This is the way a disciple of Jesus thinks – always in terms of victory over sin and never towards a compromise.
The image of winnowing is used at the start of the Gospel to remind us that the work of the Gospel is to purify our lives beginning with our thoughts, words and deeds. We should hold nothing back from the God who loves us and we should seek to pray for one another daily. The ever-present danger in the modern world is to fail to recognize the work of Satan as he seeks to tempt us every once in a while.Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL
 
REFLECTION QUESTION: Do you surrender yourself to the winnowing fire of God’s love that cleanses and purifies?
 
Holy Spirit, come and purify my heart and mind so that eveything they direct my body to do will be holy.
 

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