Ready

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Ready

Are You

Be   Prepared   Vigilant

The Hour Is Unexpected

Alert

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Matthew 24: 44

Jesus was talking to His disciples about the coming of the Son of Man:

"So too, you must be prepared.

The Son of Man will come at a time when you do not expect!"

Reflection

A topic that always upsets people is thinking about the end of the world. Everyone wants to know the exact day and hour. We want to be ready!

The problem is that Jesus does not give us any clues. We like specifics. Jesus is just too vague on this important topic.

Why do you think Jesus deliberately leaves us in the dark on this one? I think because Jesus feels it is not really that important.

If we live our lives as we should each day, does it really matter when the world will end? Would you make a radical change in the way you live your life if you knew the world was going to end tomorrow?

The advice that Jesus does give is simple: be prepared. If we truly listen to Jesus every day and try to make His teachings the center of our lives, we have no worries about the world ending.

We will be ready!

If we are vigilant and keep our eyes open to the many ways that Jesus appears in our lives each and every day, we will be able to respond to those who are in need of our care and compassion. Those who are hungry will be fed. Those who are sick will be helped. 

We will be ready!

If we are alert to those who are homeless, we will be with Jesus as we reach out to them to make sure that they are not sleeping out in the cold this winter. If we are alert to those who are lonely and feel abandoned, we will be there to look into their eyes with kindness and understanding.

We will be ready!

Come, Jesus!

We are ready!

1. Are you concerned about the end of the world?

2. Would you like to know the exact day and hour when the world will end?

3. If you did know the exact day and hour when the world would end, would it make any difference in the way you live your life each day?

4. How do you prepare for the end of the world?

5. What do you see as you contemplate Kathy's photo?

(Scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John J. McNamara)