“Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come."
It’s been an unusual autumn. Extremely cold temperatures early in October combined with less rain and wind to delay the gradual fall of leaves from the big trees in my front yard. The leaves changed color as usual, then faded and clung to the branches until about a week ago, when suddenly my front lawn was buried in an avalanche of leaves. I knew I should rake them before the wind blew them into my neighbor’s yard, but always a procrastinator, I kept coming up with something more important to do. This morning, the doorbell rang and a young man from Senske informed me he was here to treat the lawn. I was not prepared! He kindly started on the back yard (less trees out there) while I frantically raked leaves into several huge piles to bare the lawn for the treatment.
It’s not unusual to find myself rushing to finish a job I could have done better had I started earlier. But I admit, I am the kind of person who works best to a deadline. Even when I know the time or date of an event, I tend to wait to the last minute to prepare. This often leaves me in a rush, and sometimes means a missed opportunity. Today’s readings remind us that Christians should not fall into the trap of procrastinating. Life can be busy, full of work to do, people to see, and places to go. But we should never forget that our primary purpose is to prepare our souls for the coming of Christ. Christ is merciful, and He has given us much time to prepare. Have we taken advantage of this wonderful opportunity or have we put other things first in our lives?
Scripture tells that now is the time to prepare – the day is at hand. Turn to Jesus often in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, allowing His mercy to heal all sin. Spend time in His presence, in Adoration and prayer. Treasure the gift of the Eucharist at every Mass. Put on the armor of Christ, and be prepared. For our Lord will come at an hour we do not expect.
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