Scripture:
Romans 5:12, 15b, 17-19, 20b-21
Luke 12"35-38
Reflection:
"Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival." Luke 12:37
I’m always amazed that people can spend so much time and effort trying to figure out when the world is going to end; when Jesus will come back to usher us all into eternity. Especially since scripture tells us that "No one knows the day or the hour." In reality it doesn’t matter, because He could come today for any one of us! The question is not when He will come back, but are we ready?
What are some of the things we might need to do to be ready? The first most obvious question seems to be, are you right with God? Do you have any unconfessed sin that you are ashamed to confess? What is keeping you from drawing close to His Sacred Heart and letting Him love you back to wholeness? How about forgiveness? Is there someone you need to forgive but you don’t see how you could ever forgive them? Let Jesus help you so that He can forgive you! Sometimes the one we need to forgive is ourselves. Be kind to yourself and believe that God is ready and anxious to forgive you when you repent. "His mercy is new every morning."
Have you found God’s will for your life and pursued it? A very common question to kids is "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I remember telling our kids over and over, "You can do or be anything you want to be if you work hard enough." The truth is, we will be the happiest when we ask God what He wants us to do with our lives; when we find out what He created us to do. He has given each of us unique gifts so that He can use us to bless others. And in blessing others, we find true fulfillment and joy.
Even if you’re older, it’s never too late to seek God’s will for your life. When we pray and open our hearts to God’s ideas, He can lead us to serve Him in ways we had never imagined. I read a story of a family who started a fair-trade business importing coffee from South America. They got the whole family involved and it has grown into a full-time ministry as they work to help the farmers receive a fair wage for their work.
Is there anything you would regret not doing if you died suddenly? And finally, is there someone who needs to know that you love them or someone you need to be reconciled with? Don’t wait another minute – make that phone call, write that letter, forgive yourself and others. Today may be your last day on this earth – make it your best!
Janice Carleton and her husband Jim live in Portland, OR and partner with Passionist Fr. Cedric Pisegna in Fr. Cedric Ministries. She is the mother of 4 grown children and grandmother of 6. Janice also leads women’s retreats and recently wrote her first book: God Speaks to Ordinary People – Like You and Me. Visit Janice’s website at http://www.janicecarleton.com/ or email her at [email protected].