TAKE HEED AND BE PREPARED FOR THE END

⏰Saturday of the Thirty-Fourth Week of Ordinary Time 2 (01 December 2018)

📖Rev 22:1-7; Ps 95:1-2, 3-5, 6-7abc (R. 1 Cor 16:22b; Rev 22:20c); Luke 21:34-36

A very close friend of mine who was just converted into the Catholic faith once asked me when this ordinary time will finish. Finally, today is the long awaited last day of the Churchs Liturgical Year and the last day of the ordinary time Year 2.

After long weeks of preparing for this end, we are again advised on the importance of remaining focused on our goal, which is, to see God face to face in the end. We are called to action, alertness and adequate preparation (cf. Luke 21:34-36).

In Rev 22:1-7, the imagery of the river of life which flows from the throne of God beside which grows the tree of life, bearing different kinds of fruit, could be seen as a fulfillment of the prophecy in Ezek 47:12. There, the water that flows from the Sanctuary brings freshness and causes the trees beside it to bear new fruit always.

The imagery is also a depiction of that tree of life in the middle of the Garden of Eden in its original state (Gen 2:9). Hence, we can see therein, an indication of a complete restoration of the design of God.

The only people to benefit from that complete restoration are described as the servants of the Lamb (Rev 22:3-5). They have the name of the Lamb written on their foreheads and because of that, they will need no light of lamp or sun because the Lord will be their light (cf. Ps 27:1).

Who are these servants? They are those who have been through great trial but remained firm (Rev 7:9-17) and have been alert like the wise servants (Luke 12:37) and virgins (Matt 25:4).

Am I ready to be called into the service-train of the Lamb? How is my preparation for this service? Do I go for those things that do not necessarily take us closer to the Lamb? Imagine that the end time comes now while I am reading this, what account am I going to render?

May we may, like the Blessed Virgin Mary, always choose and be faithful to the will of God so that the end of time will not meet us unprepared, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Have a restful weekend and a glorious new month. Peace be with you.