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Make Life’s Seasons Count

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 cold 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 the 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 all 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 to follow His example is ours. The choice to either waste or to take advantage of every moment is ours.

In today’s Gospel, the people in the Temple did not expect Jesus to come, and they were shocked by His reaction. At the end of our lives, will we too find ourselves shocked by Jesus’ coming? Will we find ourselves ready and prepared?

I would like to invite you to take some time to reflect and ask yourselves the questions above, in order to evaluate your lives and, if necessary, recommit yourselves to living in sincere imitation of Jesus Christ; for we know neither the day nor the hour when He will come in judgment and in love.

Yours in Christ,
Father Arthur

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