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Keep Vigil, Be Ready; We Know not the Day nor Hour

32^nd Sunday of Ordinary Time – Year A 

Unlike other places in this country, Chicago has four seasons. We have a short springtime when everything comes alive and is fresh; the sun shines and life seems full of hope. When the summer comes, everyone is happy and ready to socialize, rest, and vacation with family and friends. During summer, no one thinks about the rain and dark nights of autumn, which eventually come and encourage us to reflect on our lives.

One day, the moment will come when we will see truth about ourselves. One day we will encounter God face to face. And so at some point we must ask ourselves:  How valuable was my life? Am I ready to meet God? Up to now, have the seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years of my life led me to prepare for this encounter?

God does everything in order to help us be ready for our meeting with Him. God arranges every occurrence in our lives and gives us the freedom to respond. Jesus Christ also gives us special instructions regarding how to live and how to love according to His Commandments and His will so that we might be united with Him one day. The choice is ours to follow His example. The choice is ours to either waste or to take advantage of every moment.

It is extremely worthwhile to take some time to reflect and ask ourselves the questions above from time to time, because Jesus Christ can come when we least expect Him. In today’s Gospel, the people in the Temple did not expect Him to come, and they were shocked by Jesus’ reaction. At the end of our lives, will we too find ourselves shocked by Jesus’ coming? Will we find ourselves ready and prepared?

My brothers and sisters, I would like to invite you to keep vigil and be ready. Be ready; for we know neither the day nor the hour when Jesus will come to each of us.

Yours in Christ,
Father Arthur

Readings for the Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time: Lectionary 154