"ready or not, here i come"
"Stay awake, therefore! You cannot know the day your Lord is coming." —Matthew 24:42
To be prepared for Christ's final coming, we must:
- have strengthened, blameless, and holy hearts (1 Thes 3:13),
- be faithful and prudent servants feeding others both physically and spiritually (see Mt 24:45),
- not be harming God's other servants (see Mt 24:49),
- not be eating and drinking with drunkards (Mt 24:49),
- have and maintain the oil of holiness (see Mt 25:4),
- manage all the Lord has given us so as to bear the maximum fruit for His kingdom (Mt 25:20ff), and
- serve our needy brothers and sisters in Christ (Mt 25:40).
In several other parts of the Bible, the Lord assigns us further responsibilities. He gives these to us to help us fully prepare for His final coming. The Lord's coming is obviously to be taken literally and not figuratively. Also, He is obviously not merely giving us suggestions but responsibilities for which He will hold us accountable. Come, Lord Jesus!
Prayer: God of peace, make me perfectly holy. In my spirit, soul, and body, preserve me "blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thes 5:23).
Promise: "What thanks can we give to God for all the joy we feel in His presence because of you?" —1 Thes 3:9
Praise: After much struggle, St. Augustine was awakened to the truth of Christianity and prepared for Jesus' coming to him through the sacrament of Baptism.
Reference: (To grow in holiness, read the Bible every day. We have several tape series that may help you. Overview of the Bible is six audio tapes starting with AV 10A-1 or three video tapes starting with V-10A. An Introduction to each Book of the Bible is thirty-two audio tapes starting with AV 21-1 or seventeen video tapes starting with V-21.)
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Richard L. Klug, February 27, 2003
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, March 3, 2003