Preparing for the End… and the Long Haul

Threats of nuclear war and other tragedies are flying through the internet these days. Between that and the recirculation of the end-of-world prophecies, many are on edge for what the future may bring. Our Lady said that Russia would spread errors, that when people cried for peace, great things would happen, and certainly it feels like many of these things are coming to pass. Should we panic though?

“But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” (Matthew 24:36)

We do not know when the final days are truly here, nonetheless, we must be prepared. We must prepare our hearts with conversion and confession. Old grudges must be put aside and forgiven. Households must come together in prayer. Sacraments must be observed and practiced so that our hearts and those of our household members are all ready. Our final moment could come personally or it could be the end for all, so we must prepare ourselves and our houses. It’s important that all those we live with are also prepared so as to fortify our own hearts and strengthen our houses.

It shouldn’t take the end of the world for us to do this though. We should always be dedicating our lives to the Lord. His justice is perfect and, as Our Lady stated, we must stop sinning! Pray for patience. Pray for spiritual resolve. Pray for wisdom, discernment, courage, and understanding. Pray the Holy Spirit fills us with His fruits and gifts to guide us along the way. Perhaps most of all, pray for guidance. This world can be confusing as evil continuously tries to lure us away from God. Pray we are guided to righteousness and His Will.

Again, we do not know when the final days are truly here, and so, we must prepare… to stick around. It wouldn’t do any good to clutch your beeswax candles and rosaries and neglect your bills. Bibles and crucifixes are important but they don’t put literal food on the table. We do need to continue on in life until the moment He comes again. We need to go to work, school, cook and clean, raise our kids, support our neighbors, all until the final moment of our lives (or the world.) In other words, don’t panic.

Prepare your soul as if it is the End but prepare your household as if you’re sticking around a long time after. Basic good habits are to stock up savings, food, and basic household needs in case of an emergency. Catholics may also stock up on candles and rosaries. Be prepared for sure! But don’t stop living! We still don’t know the day or hour. While we’re prepared, we should still be making disciples and preaching the gospel (Matthew 28:19-20). We can’t stop working the field before the Master comes to claim us or pull in the harvest. Perhaps the end is near, but keep on keeping on until He comes.