On Feb. 3, 2021, Fr. Eric gave an online talk for Spiritus Via and the Office of Catholic Youth in the Archdiocese of Toronto about what the Gospel of Matthew says about preparing for the end times.  Fr. Eric focused his presentation mainly on the seven parables from Matthew regarding the Kingdom of God, including the Parable of the Sower (13:19), the Parable of the Weeds and the Wheat (13:24-30), the Parable of the Mustard Seed (13:31-32), the Parable of the Leavened Bread (13:33), the Parable of the Buried Treasure (13:44), the Parable of the Pearl of Great Price (13:45-46), and the Parable of the Net Cast Into the Sea (13:47-52).

Topics discussed include the significance of guarding our hearts in the sense of being mindful of how different activities affect our interior sense of peace and recollection, the danger of having a superficial faith built on religious experience and emotional highs, and the importance of not allowing ourselves to get so caught up in the things of this world that we have nothing left for the things of God.

Fr. Eric also speaks about the need to acknowledge that our time here on this earth is necessarily a time of pilgrimage and spiritual warfare, the Lord’s confidence in the good in this world to triumph ultimately over that which is evil, and the need to prioritize a healthy respect for the natural process of development and growth over a desire to be perfect right away.

Other topics include the invitation to be small and hidden; the importance of the interior life when it comes to cooperating with God’s transformative grace; and the significance of seeing the end times as a time of harvest and completion, as opposed to an arbitrary end of all things.

Finally, Fr. Eric talks about the importance of being a person of infinite desires and self-gift as a prerequisite to obtain the fullness of the divine life, the willingness to rest in Christ as a sign of recognizing His importance and centrality, the nature of the Final Judgment, and the need to pass on the deposit of faith with integrity and responsibility.

Other talks referenced in this presentation include the following episodes of Catholic Latte:

*S01 Ep. 33 (The Practice of Active Trust in God): https://youtu.be/JK7znu4SBEk

*S01 Ep. 36 (Preparing for the End Times): https://youtu.be/GHygnq7FXFI

*S01 Ep. 37 (Passing on the Fullness of the Gospel): https://youtu.be/xptPtyD3mZI

*S02 Ep. 05 (Unpacking the Mystery of Human Suffering): https://youtu.be/WwZCCwaRad4

Fr. Eric also references a past presentation for Theology on Tap Durham (Understanding Our Fears): https://youtu.be/tL66e4gHM-s

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