Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Rosary - Qatar
KEEP YOUR LANTERN READY!
Keep Your Lantern Ready!
Anyone who has lived, or worked, with teenagers will know that they often have a strong sense that they are both invincible and immortal. The Ego is hard at work during this time of our lives, convincing us that we are actually in control of any and all situations. In one sense this is true: We are responsible for the choices we make in our lives and, ultimately, for the outcome of them. However, we are neither invincible nor are we immortal, and that’s a fact!
Our Ego accompanies us throughout our lifetime, and it encourages us to ignore the fact that our lives will ultimately come to an end. The Good News is that no matter where we have been or what we have done in life, we have the surety of God’s forgiveness thanks to the sacrifice made for us on the cross by Jesus Christ. Psalm 103 says: “Yahweh is tender and compassionate...he never treats us, never punishes us, as our guilt and our sins deserve. No less than the height of heaven over earth is the greatness of his love for those who fear him;” (Psalm 103: 10-11). He wants us to be close to Him here on earth, so that we can eventually join Him in heaven, and we don’t get to control the date when He will finally call us. So what can we do in the meantime?
The answer is clear: We need to make ourselves ready...every single day. Each day we wake up and take our breath is an opportunity for conversion: a chance to ask God’s forgiveness for our transgressions and demonstrate love for Him and for our neighbour. Jesus told the parable of the Ten Bridesmaids to remind us of this: “So stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour” (Mt 25: 1-13) when we will be called. We must have an urgent need to transcend the noise our Ego is making and focus our eyes and intentions on achieving our eternal salvation through daily communication with God. He offers this opportunity to us willingly and openly, and He is always there waiting to listen. It is our choice whether or not we accept this gift with an open mind and heart.
Challenge: Pray daily and make it an ongoing, personal conversation with God. Tell him how much you desire to be in his presence. Praise Him for the blessings you have received and ask His forgiveness for the times you have let Him down. This is the “oil” we need to keep our lanterns shining brightly.
The Roman poet Horace spoke the truth when he said: “Carpe diem”, meaning “Seize the day!”. There truly is no day but today. May yours be filled with His love and mercy.