The WORD today reminds me that I should always be prepared for God’s coming.
There
are a lot of things we are busy with in this life. Family, career, business,
relationships and social responsibilities. Others are also busy planning and
taking trips and vacations. It is easy to be distracted and to lose focus. We
only have 24 hours in a day, and it is not enough if we think about all these
things. This can lead us to forget the important things in life – like
preparing for eternity.
The
gospel today reminds us that God will come like a thief in the night – when we
least expect it. I believe this is not just true for the second coming, but
also, our face to face meeting with God. Death comes when we least
expect it, and when it does, we should always be ready to meet our creator. We
should always be prepared.
Being
unprepared sometimes bring grave consequences.
The
gospel also tells us that there will be grave consequences when the bridegroom
finds the virgins unprepared. The unprepared virgins were locked outside. They
were not allowed to go inside. It is not enough to start good. Like with the
gospel, our meeting with God may be delayed. So just as it is important to
start well, we should continue to prepare and live right as we wait for him.
This is what being wise is.
God
wants us to be prepared and be ready. He knows us and he helps us. This is why
every day, he gives us a chance to prepare for our meeting with Him. he gives
us opportunities to do good and live right. He reminds us of his
love and what we can do to remain in Him. We should never lose focus on
him, especially with the many things we do and the many things on our minds.
Let us remember that just as we are in the middle of preparing and organizing
things of this world, he can come to meet us. and when he does,
there will be no second chance.
What
am I busy with in this life? What takes most of my time? What are my
priorities? Do I give importance to eternal things or am I too busy with
worldly things? How can I prepare for my meeting with God? If he takes me now,
am I ready to meet him?
May
we do our part to always be ready and prepare for that meeting.
Father
God,
Thank
you for today. Thank you for another day to live. thank you for another
reminder. Thank you for being patient with me. Sorry Lord for the times I allow
myself to be busy and distracted. Sorry for allowing myself to forget you and
to disregard preparing for my meeting with you. I ask that you help me prepare.
Give me the desire and the will to prepare my life for eternity with you. Help
me prepare amidst all my concerns and all the distractions in this life. May I
always remember what is important and prepare for it. Amen.
Blessed Day!
In Christ,
-g-
August 30 2019
Friday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 429
Lectionary: 429
Reading
1 1 THES 4:1-8
Brothers
and sisters,
we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that,
as you received from us
how you should conduct yourselves to please God–
and as you are conducting yourselves–
you do so even more.
For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
This is the will of God, your holiness:
that you refrain from immorality,
that each of you know how to acquire a wife for himself
in holiness and honor, not in lustful passion
as do the Gentiles who do not know God;
not to take advantage of or exploit a brother or sister in this matter,
for the Lord is an avenger in all these things,
as we told you before and solemnly affirmed.
For God did not call us to impurity but to holiness.
Therefore, whoever disregards this,
disregards not a human being but God,
who also gives his Holy Spirit to you.
we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that,
as you received from us
how you should conduct yourselves to please God–
and as you are conducting yourselves–
you do so even more.
For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
This is the will of God, your holiness:
that you refrain from immorality,
that each of you know how to acquire a wife for himself
in holiness and honor, not in lustful passion
as do the Gentiles who do not know God;
not to take advantage of or exploit a brother or sister in this matter,
for the Lord is an avenger in all these things,
as we told you before and solemnly affirmed.
For God did not call us to impurity but to holiness.
Therefore, whoever disregards this,
disregards not a human being but God,
who also gives his Holy Spirit to you.
The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many isles be glad.
Justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the LORD of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
The LORD loves those who hate evil;
he guards the lives of his faithful ones;
from the hand of the wicked he delivers them.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
Light dawns for the just;
and gladness, for the upright of heart.
Be glad in the LORD, you just,
and give thanks to his holy name.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
Alleluia LK
21:36
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Be vigilant at all times and pray,
that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Be vigilant at all times and pray,
that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus
told his disciples this parable:
“The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins
who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
The foolish ones, when taking their lamps,
brought no oil with them,
but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.
Since the bridegroom was long delayed,
they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight, there was a cry,
‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.
The foolish ones said to the wise,
‘Give us some of your oil,
for our lamps are going out.’
But the wise ones replied,
‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you.
Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’
While they went off to buy it,
the bridegroom came
and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him.
Then the door was locked.
Afterwards the other virgins came and said,
‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’
But he said in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’
Therefore, stay awake,
for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
“The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins
who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
The foolish ones, when taking their lamps,
brought no oil with them,
but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.
Since the bridegroom was long delayed,
they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight, there was a cry,
‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.
The foolish ones said to the wise,
‘Give us some of your oil,
for our lamps are going out.’
But the wise ones replied,
‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you.
Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’
While they went off to buy it,
the bridegroom came
and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him.
Then the door was locked.
Afterwards the other virgins came and said,
‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’
But he said in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’
Therefore, stay awake,
for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
No comments:
Post a Comment