Will you be ready?

At our house each Sister has a number of chores that she is responsible for each week. One of my chores is to take care and clean the chapel. What a privilege. Up until now we did our own jobs individually. Recently our Superior announced one evening that we were going to clean house together after dinner. “Who’s coming?” one of our Sisters teased!

That’s a good question, especially at this time of year when the Gospel readings at Mass point us toward Advent, that liturgical season when we are reminded to prepare – for the Lord’s coming! The Gospel today from Luke 17:30-35 does just that.

"It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day no one who is on the roof of his house, with his goods inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. Remember Lot's wife! Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left. Where, Lord?" they asked. He replied, "Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather."

That’s a pretty somber passage. But, the Lord’s coming at the end of our lives could be just like that. As swiftly as the vultures swoop in to consume the body, that is how quickly the Lord can come.

I was thinking this morning of house cleaning and preparing for the Lord’s coming. Let's dust the cobwebs out of our spiritual life, sweep the clutter out of our thoughts and scrub the hardness out of our hearts. One way we can do this is with the cleansing waters of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

There is a wonderful hymn: “Will you be ready, when the Lord comes again; will you be ready, will you be?” I don’t know about you but I want to be ready; I don’t want to miss Heaven! This is a time of God’s grace and mercy. When He comes it will be the time for his justice. No matter how old we are, young or senior citizen, it’s really so important to be ready. You never know when He’s coming!