Be Prepared

11-07-2021Weekly ReflectionMichael Moore OMI

I was never a boy scout, but even I know what their famous saying is; Be Prepared! As we approach the end of this Church year and start a new one when we Advent begins, the gospel today and next Sunday speak to us of being ready and prepared.

In our ordinary everyday lives we all know how to prepare and get ready. We get ready if we have an appointment with the doctor. We get ready for school or for work. If we are going out to somewhere special, we spend extra time getting ready and being prepared. We wait for our favorite television program to start. We all know what happens when we are at the bus stop. We check at our watches as we look up and down the street anxiously hoping that the bus will arrive sooner rather than later.

The gospel this Sunday reminds and asks us to get ready and prepare at a much deeper level. We are not simply waiting for the bus to come or the kettle to boil; we are asked to prepare for Jesus. What does the mean for us to be watching and waiting for Jesus?

The question that is implied in the parable of the wise and foolish wedding guests, is what are we actually doing while we are waiting for Jesus? Are we sitting around with no thought or concern for ourselves and others, or are we actively living our daily lives with meaning and purpose?

How I live my daily life really matters; it is not just about getting up every morning and doing my best to get through the day. What small but important things am I doing each day that brings joy and hope to others and not just to myself? The challenge and invitation of waiting and being prepared is that I am trying my very best to live my daily life as a follower of Jesus. This will be seen in how I speak, how I act and in how I treat others. Waiting then, is not about some vague and unknown future. Being a Christian and waiting for Jesus is about how I live my daily life, right here and right now.

Being ready and being prepared for Jesus is not about sitting around in silence waiting for something to happen. Waiting is never passive. Being ready and prepared means living out the present moment to the fullest. As St. Paul reminds us when he say, we are to avoid everything in our daily lives that is not worthy of the gospel of Jesus. We are to live a life worthy of the calling and vocation that God has given to each and every one of us. Let us get ready and be prepared with all our heart, strength and mind!