Click here to read the daily readings from the USCCB website.

I heard some people talking a while back about when the Lord is going to come again. They were citing private revelation and had a general timeline all picked out. It got my attention because it's rather soon... like in the next 10ish years, and it got me asking the question, "Am I living like I would if Jesus were coming back now?"

Now, I don't put much stock in trying to guess when the Second Coming will happen. Mostly because of what Jesus says in today's Gospel, "The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed,
and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ ... There will be those who will say to you, ‘Look, there he is,’ or ‘Look, here he is.’ Do not go off, do not run in pursuit." Jesus is telling us very clearly not to try to predict it because it's unpredictable.

Essentially, I think He's inviting us to expect the unexpected haha. We can and must expect our judgment at deat and at the Second Coming. In that sense, we know what to expect, but we can't know when to expect it, whether it's our death or the end of times. So if we know that it's going to happen, but we don't know when, we  always need to be prepared. That's what I learned in fire safety! But our death is assured, when fires are truly unanticipated.

So this brings me back to my question, am I living like I would if Jesus were coming back now? As we approach the end of the liturgical year, we'll shortly begin to hear from the book of Revelation. I love this time. Revelation is a very important book because it gives us a glimpse into judgment and the final battle. It is the Church's invitation to ask ourselves the same question. Are you ready for judgment and the final battle?

The story of Emperor Constantine is a favorite of mine. His mother was St. Helena, the woman who discovered the true cross of Christ. She brought relics from the Holy Land to Rome to be venerated by the Christians. This man eventually converted to Christianity, though there's some dispute about the authenticity of his conversion, and yet he postponed his baptism until his death. This was a common practice at the time, but it doesn't communicate the unwearying vigilance that we need as Christians.

We cannot know the day nor the hour, so we must live like it's now, like it's just a few moments away. This is something that I'm not very good at and need to be better about. Be disciplined in your fasting, that's how you'll discipline your entire body and spirit. Be fervent in your prayer, that's how you'll stay close to the Lord. Do all you can to receive the Sacraments frequently, that's how the Lord has chosen to give us grace.