Are you ready?

Did you hear about the latest smartphone which needs charging only once a year? There is one hitch though—you’ll need a backpack to carry the motorcycle battery that goes with it!

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In today’s gospel (Mt. 25, 1-13), Jesus tells to His disciples the Parable of the Ten Virgins—five were foolish, and five were wise. In our modern language, the foolish went “low bat,” while the wise went with extra battery pack. Lesson? Let us be ready, and let us be prepared for any eventualities, especially for the coming of our Lord. “Therefore, stay awake for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

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One thing the pandemic has taught us (hopefully) is to be careful, and to be vigilant of the presence of the COVID-19 virus, and to take the necessary precautions to avoid contamination. If only we had the same mindset in meeting our Lord which could happen anywhere and anytime!

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If God called you today, would you be ready? Would you come before Him in the state of grace? Would you bring to Him lots of love in your heart? Would you be able to tell Him: “Mission accomplished, Lord!”? Would you have regrets that you loved God too little, too late? Let us not postpone our conversion.

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The pandemic reminds us that any one of us, rich or poor, young or old, can go anytime, and it would be fast. So, let us not postpone our loving and appreciation of people while they, while we, are still alive.

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Use your money for your salvation, not for your condemnation. Dirty money and unshared money will be a big problem for you at the gates of eternity.

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Two things to remember in our journey through life: travel light, and continue traveling toward the Light. Let go of excess, unnecessary baggage, and don’t stay in the darkness.

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My favorite quotation: “I shall pass through this world but once; any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness I can show to any human being, let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it for I shall not pass this way again.” (Stephen Grellet)

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My prayer for a happy death: Lord, I don’t know where or when, or how I will go; But when the time comes, please let me be ready to meet You; When I come to see You face to face, may I be in the state of grace; Please give me the chance for reconciliation, and the grace to finish my purpose and my mission; Help me to leave behind a worthwhile life, and go straight to You, welcoming me with Your loving smile.

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“Late have I loved you, Beauty so ancient and so new, late have I loved you! Lo, you were within, but I outside, seeking there for you, and upon the shapely things you have made I rushed headlong—I, misshapen. You were with me, but I was not with you. They held me back from you, those things which would have no being, were they not in you.” (St. Augustine) May we not have regrets in the end, or toward the end, that we did not listen to God enough, and did not obey Him because of our selfishness, pride, and insecurities.

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It’s autumn, that beautiful time of the year when the weather cools down, and the earth yields abundant harvest in preparation for the cold winter that will soon come. God provides, but we must learn to abide and do our part. As the saying goes: “Do your best, and to God you leave the rest.”

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As we come to the eighth month of our quarantine, let us continue to focus on the Lord amid the uncertainties around us and fears inside us, and hold on to His word: “Be still and know that I am God.” (Ps. 46,10)

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A moment with the Lord:

Lord, teach us to be prepared and ready for Your coming, anytime, any day. Amen.

jorbos@inquirer.com.ph