Going Deeper for Lent
We hear so much about End Times and it certainly seems like it’s around the corner or here already with all the terrible things going on, but does that mean we give up on living life? Can we do both?
Jesus said that no one knows the day or the hour, no even the Son (Mt 24:36), so we must always be prepared.
Let’s cover that first; how do we prepare for the End? Jesus used a parody of bridesmaids (Mt 25:1-13) keeping oil in their lamps for they didn’t know when the bridegroom would come. What kind of oil are we filling our lamps with? Since lamps give light, it stands to reason that our lamps are hope and wisdom, which both give ‘light’ to our lives. So what’s the oil? It’s faith in God. We must fill our minds and souls with faith in the Risen Jesus and keep Him ever present in our minds.
Perhaps the End is near, either our personal end or The End, but we don’t know the day or the hour. He said it will come like a thief in the night (2 Peter 3:10), which means always keeping our souls as clean as possible and filling ourselves with the Goodness of God as opposed to worldly things. If we’re ready when it happens, even though unexpected, the outcome for us will be better.
So should we live in fear as we hear about wars and famine and terrible sins being committed around the world? What kind of living is that? I certainly would have trouble filling myself with goodness if I was panicking all the time or even if I decided that I would rid myself of all worldly things and become a hermit and sit in waiting for the Lord. (Although, a contemplative life of solitude and prayer is the calling of some and honorable as well.)
Yes, we’re always waiting for Him, and we shouldn’t stop that, but there’s more to our existence. We must love God (step one contained in all the above) and love our neighbor (Mark 12:28-34). Loving our neighbor means we must live alongside him and be with him in the world. Lord, help us to live in the world but be of it. Being of the world would mean becoming worldly ourselves. That counters step one, the first Greatest Commandment. Living in the world is, well, that’s what we’re doing. Here we are!
Our families must be fed, children taught, neighbors helped, goodness and love shared throughout. That can’t happen if we close ourselves off. We must share the gospel, yes, but through faith and works, example and good deeds both. We must live as though we could die tomorrow but prepare as though we will live for years to come. That way, we’re prepared for both. Preparing our soul is the most important, but we must also prepare to live for the future because our mission may well take us years to complete.
We simply don’t know, and so we must prepare.