Fire and Ice
By Robert Frost
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
In today’s readings, St. Peter warns of the day of the
Lord’s return, when “the heavens will pass away with a mighty roar and the
elements will be dissolved by fire, and the earth and everything done on it
will be found out.” Although it may seem that the Lord has long delayed His
coming, Peter tells us that this delay is meant to give us all the chance to
come to repentance, that none should perish.
We are promised infinite mercy but not infinite time to
turn back to the Lord. Now is the time to repent and trust in God’s mercy. The
baptism of the Holy Spirit that John speaks of in the Gospel is a baptism of
cleansing fire. Not even the heavens and the earth will stand against this fire,
and yet those who clothe themselves in holiness and love will live eternally in
the coming kingdom, “a new heavens and new earth in which righteousness
dwells.”
St. Faustina, in her spiritual testament “Divine Mercy in My Soul,” also speaks of
the time of mercy. Through the Divine Mercy messages, Jesus warns that the “day
of My justice is near…” but He also promises, “…before I come as the just
judge, I am coming first as the King of Mercy.” This message, like the many
messages of scripture that call us to repentance, should be known, treasured,
and acted on.
During Advent, don’t hesitate to turn to God’s mercy in the
Sacrament of Reconciliation. Let your hearts be filled with love and mercy for
one another in imitation of Christ, so that neither fire nor ice nor even the
end of time can destroy the peace and joy God desires to give to His people.
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