How have your already prepared yourself for the Lord’s coming? What preparation do you now discern is still needed in your life.

Is 2: 1-5
Ps 122: 1-2, 4-9
Rom 13: 11-14
Mt 24: 37-44

Stay awake; be prepared; you cannot know the day your Lord is coming.

Jesus reminds the disciples to be vigilant and to prepare themselves for the Lord’s coming. No one knows when the Lord shall come. For Matthew and the early Christian community, the return of the Lord was anticipated daily. For we who live at the dawn of the twenty-first century, is our anticipation as vigilant? How tragic it would be for the Lord’s the fate of those of Noah’s time, going about their life without regard for tomorrow?

But you who have put on the armour of light are indeed ready. To put on Jesus and to take on the cross speaks of preparation, a making ready of oneself. Those deeds done in darkness are cast aside by the light of Christ.

This preparation that we make daily is done for salvation’s sake so that we will be among those called into the reign of God. As Isaiah reminds us, if we turn to the Lord, if we pursue the Lord, if we climb the Lord’s mountain, if we listen to the Lord and would be instructed by God’s word, if we walk in the path of the Lord, we would receive the promise of fulfilment to dwell in the house of the Lord; a house of peace, a house of joy.


O house of Jacob, come,
Let us walk in the light of the Lord.

In Jesus’ last moments on the cross he assured the thief of his place in paradise. Why is that an important part of this story? What does it mean to me?

2 Sam 5: 1-3
Ps 122: 1-5
Col 1: 12-20
Lk 23: 35-43


Today, we hear the story of the crucifixion of Jesus, how the soldiers threw dice for his clothes, mocked him, and offered him cheap wine. It is in the context of this Gospel reading that we celebrate the solemnity of Christ the King. What a perfect illustration of the paradox that Christ lived!

This is a king like no other we have known. And the contrast is evident as we ponder the scene of his death on the cross. We see his throne to be the cross, no gold-laden vestments, only nakedness before his people, no armoured guards on his right and left, only two thieves that share in his painful death. Even more, we see no attitude of revenge or anger. Rather we witness a man who is willing to forgive and offers himself completely for the very men who kill him. He even promises one of the thieves that he will share paradise with him. This is Christ the King whose kingship serves as a model for our living.

Today’s Gospel calls us to commit ourselves to be followers of this King and to the building of his kingdom. To do this we must model the King himself.

What are the situations in life that call for “patient endurance”?

Mal 3: 19-20
Ps 98: 5-9
2 Thes 3: 7-12
Lk 21: 5-19

“Lo, the day is coming,” says the prophet Malachi. Jesus too says, “The day will come…" Both Jesus and Malachi use the expression to refer to a time of upheaval, a time of judgment, an apocalyptic time. Although “the day” may sometimes refer to the end of the world, in both these readings it refers to the end of a world. It is a time of violent transition, a birth into new reality.

Malachi describes the twofold effect of “the day”. For the proud and the evildoers it will be like a blazing oven which consumes them. But for those who trust in the Lord, it will be a day of justice and healing.

In the Gospel Jesus uses “the day” to refer to the destruction of the temple. This destruction of the temple in 70 AD was indeed a time of upheaval and transition for both Christians and Jews. For the Jews it was a crushing defeat at the hand of the Romans and led to a transition of their focus away from the temple as their spiritual centre. For Christians, it marked the emergence of Christianity from Judaism and was followed by the persecutions Jesus goes on to describe in this Gospel.

Suffering and persecution were indeed the marks of the early Church and led to the deaths of many believers. Yet in the midst of the tumult, Jesus reminds his followers that they are not alone – the Holy Spirit will give them guidance and by patient endurance the Church will survive.

Pray for the Spirit of truth, the spirit of wisdom.

Prv 8: 22-31
Ps 8: 4-9
Rom 5: 1-5
Jn 16: 12-15

Jesus promises the disciples that the Spirit of truth will come who will guide them to all truth. Our temptation might be to want it all now or to assume that we already have all truth. We live in the promise, opening ourselves to the truth. We will come to truth in God. We do not possess truth, but rather will come to be possessed by truth.

The truth of God is a relational truth. Our experience of God is the loving relationship of the Father, with the Son, in the Spirit. The relationship expressed in the Trinity is one of harmony and peace. This inter-relatedness can encompass us.

When we trust in this gift of peace we can begin to live with greater and greater hope. One result of this Spirit-induced hope will be an increase in our awareness and appreciation and participation in the delights of creation.

Jesus Christ, Son of God, a Saviour of the world, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Sir 35: 12-14, 16-18
Ps 34: 2-3, 17-19, 23
2 Tim 4: 6-8, 16-18
Lk 18: 91-4

Today we are given some guidance in how we should pray. We are offered this guidance in the form of a story about two men who prayed.

One prayed with head held high, listing the many sacrifices he had made for the Lord, and separating himself from the sinners. The other, head and eyes bowed, acknowledged his sinfulness and begged God's mercy. We are told that the second man shall be exalted and the first shall be humbled.

Our prayer is to be in humility, raising up God's name in praise, and recognizing our complete dependence on him.

Sirach affirms this in saying that the "prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds". In our lowliness we are joined with all people. We dare not stand in judgment of anyone. Paul too displays this attitude when he forgives those who have betrayed him. He learned how to depend on the Lord alone.

Be thankful and show your gratitude

2 Kgs 5: 14-17

Ps 98: 1-3

2 Tm 2: 8-13

Lk 17: 11-19

 

Naaman is healed by faith, and comes to profess his belief in the one, true God. The leper is healed through faith and returned to give thanks and to praise God. Both are healed and both deepen in faith as they proclaim their healing and give praise to the source of healing.

 

Though we probably have hot experienced such miraculous physical healing, we have experienced God's healing touch in our lives. If we respond in gratitude and praise, we are doubly blessed.

 

Ten lepers came upon Jesus. All of them had enough faith to ask for healing and to follow Jesus' directions. Upon arrival all ten were cured of their leprosy. Yet only one returned to Jesus to give praise and thanksgiving. Only one recognized the true source of the healing, and was thus more fully healed. One only both was healed and received the gift of salvation.

 

How often we take for granted the blessings we have been given! It's not so much that we are not thankful. We just forget to stop and express our gratitude, to recognize and praise the source of all goodness.