Are You Ready?

The WORD today (See http://usccb.org/bible/readings/102213.cfm) reminds me that we should always be ready to meet God

It’s ironic that all of us want to go to heaven, but we don’t want to talk about death. However, death is real, and everyone will have do experience it to go to heaven. That is why it is important to prepare for is while we are still alive.

Gird you loins and light your lamps. Girding the loin in those days meant to be ready for battle, or to simply be ready. And a servant who has a lighted lamp as he waits for the master’s return means that servant is ready, and awake. That’s how we should be. That’s how we should live our lives.

How can we be ready?

We do a lot of things. We pray, that’s good. We go to mass, on Sundays and if we have time, probably more than once a week. We read the bible. We confess. We help others with what we have. Yes, those are good things. Those are helpful things in preparing. But I believe those are not enough. Merely praying is not enough. Everyone can pray, even the scribes and Pharisees during Jesus time, but simple praying doesn’t guarantee salvation. We can pray with our hearts closed and far from God. Merely hearing mass is not enough too. We can be at mass, everyday, but not participate and be distracted with other things, other people. If we are in mass but our lives are not consistent with Christ’s, then it is not enough. We can read the bible, but if we read it using our minds, using intellect, and not the heart, then it is not enough. We can do good things, but if we do it to show off, then we already got our reward.

What we need to be prepared is simple – a surrendered heart.

A surrendered heart to Christ. As we surrender our hearts to Him, our motives be purified. Our actions will be sanctified. Our prayers will be aligned to his. our prayers will be to happen what God wants in our lives. When we hear mass, we fully participate and allow God to mold us, and to enter our lives especially as we receive the Eucharist. We allow him to consume us. We read the bible with an open heart, asking to reveal to us his messages everyday. And as we do good works, we don’t mind if no one recognizes us, because we do it to show love to God through others.

May we be challenged and prepare to be ready to meet God when he calls us.

Father God,

Thank you for today. thank you for giving me another day to live. Thank you for another opportunity to prepare my life as I the day I will meet you draws nearer. Lord, I ask that you help me surrender my heart to you. help me surrender my life, little by little, day by day. I ask that as I do so, you help me purify my thoughts, actions and motives. Amen.

Blessed day!

In Christ,

-g-