Be you then also ready: for at what hour you think not the Son of man will come.
Luke 12:40
We prepare ourselves for all sorts of events in life:
- taking an exam,
- moving away from home,
- getting married,
- a new job,
- moving to a new house,
- welcoming a child,
- a business venture,
- a new hobby even.
These events take up a lot of our time, our energy, our mental headspace, and our money. Yet, as St. Alphonsus asks in Preparation for Death, how much time is the average Christian spending on preparing their soul for eternity?
Being a Christian Requires Every Moment of Your Life
Are you a Sunday Catholic, attending Mass once a week but then acting as a worldling the rest of the time? I was once. Yet, how we act, how we pray, how we live day to day, moment to moment matters and cannot be separated into just one day a week. Our faith must permeate every moment of our lives, because as Christ warns, He will come when we least expect Him.
Consequently, that should scare us, at the very least, into trying to be as careful as we can with:
- our words,
- our actions,
- our thoughts,
- near occasions of sins,
- who we hang out with, and
- where we go.
No sin, no vice, no pleasure is worth losing eternity with Christ. He does not send us to Hell – we choose to go there when we turn our back on Him for our own pleasure.
However, being scared into doing God’s Will is not our destination. Our destination is to love God more than any other person or thing in this life, so that we long to be with Him in Heaven. Instead of being frightened of death, we want to look forward to it as our way Home. This does not happen overnight. We must continually ask for the virtue of charity.
Be Prepared
I have a video on St. Alphonsus’s Preparation for Death which I think correlates nicely with today’s Gospel passage. We must always be prepared, at least as prepared as we can be.
What To Do Now
So, if it’s been more than a month or you aren’t sure if you committed a mortal sin (see Temptation post for definition), then please go to Confession this week, today if possible. Look in a 30 min radius at the various Confession schedules in your area. Sometimes a priest will surprise you with a Tuesday night Confession option.
If you have not completed your Sacraments or had your marriage blessed (or sought that annulment) there is no time like the present to remedy these situations. Just wishing things were different is not going to make them so.
Pray every day. I have a post with practices that will help you become a saint (someone who ends up in Heaven for eternity). You may want to look over those practices and see if God is asking you to add something to your life.
If you need a book suggestion, I have plenty, though like I said, I think Preparation for Death is the way to start! But feel free to reach out to me by email or comment on this post to ask for a specific book recommendation.
Stay Watchful
God will come when we least expect it, either through our own personal death or in His Final Judgment. Either way, we won’t be warned. So stay watchful. Stay close to Christ. Teach your children the faith and pray for final perseverance. And if you haven’t already, consecrate yourself to Mother Mary, because the most sured way to get to Heaven is through our Blessed Mother.
Note: If you liked this post, consider becoming one of Mary’s Roses through the What Laura Likes Community. There you will get support as Catholic wives and mothers (or women discerning marriage) as we journey to Heaven through our vocation. To learn more, visit https://community.whatlauraikes.com or click the link in the menu. I’d love for you to join us!
I agree!