THERE MIGHT BE NO TOMORROW
Today
and tomorrow, the Gospel readings have more or less the same message:
Be alert and always ready! In other words, Jesus admonishes all of His
followers to be vigilant, for lack of vigilance invites disaster. I have
heard people say, “Jesus spoke about His Second Coming but after
centuries it did not happen.” But do we have to wait for the end of the
world to meet the Lord? No! In the hour of our death, we will meet and
face Him. And nobody knows when death, like a “thief in the night,” will
come to us.
Many Christians have become lukewarm because they have forgotten the
inconvenient truth about death. Jesus is very realistic when He calls
for vigilance. But we often become lazy. We postpone a decision to
improve our faith life. How often do we promise in confession “not to
sin again?” We procrastinate too much, thinking there is no rush. I read
a funny story, but it’s a story with a profound message. It goes like
this:
Three apprentice devils prepared to go to earth to finish their
apprenticeship. Before they left, they were talking to their master,
Satan, about how they would tempt and ruin men. The first said, “I will
tell them there is no God.” Satan laughed and said, “That will not
delude many, for most know that there is a God.” The second said, “I
will tell them there is no hell.” Satan shook his head and answered,
“You will deceive no one that way; most know even now that there is a
hell for unrepentant sinners.” The third said, “I will tell them there is no
hurry.” Satan clapped his hands and shouted, “Go and you will ruin them by the thousand.”
The most dangerous of all illusions is that there is a lot of
time. Many live for today and think that if there is a tomorrow, let
tomorrow care for itself.
When it comes to the future of our souls, things cannot be
put off, for nobody knows if there will still be a tomorrow. Fr. Rudy Horst, SVD
REFLECTION QUESTION: Do you tend to postpone important things for your spiritual life?
Lord,
often I am too complacent when it comes to preparing for my eternal
life. Wake me up, Lord, and make me always aware of the urgency to be
prepared for Your Second Coming. Amen.
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