As we approach Advent and the close of this liturgical year we are hearing scripture readings that speak about the “end times”.  The scripture of today’s mass (Daniel 12:1-3; Mark 13:24-32) addresses this head-on.

These end-times seem to generate a lot of interest – many popular movies, TV shows, and books make use of this theme and have various depictions of Armageddon and an apocalyptic world.  Frequently we hear discussion and speculation on how and when it might occur, and what is in store for us when that time comes.   And of course we still have the ever-present sidewalk and door-to-door “preachers” warning us that the end is near.

But rather than preoccupying ourselves with the when and how of it all, maybe the better approach – an approach that Jesus himself advised – is to go on living our lives in a way that makes us ready for that day when it comes – whether that be the end of the world or the end of our own life.

For either case Jesus tells us to make sure that we are ready – to make sure that we do not allow ourselves to be surprised by the “thief in the night”, to make sure that our lamps are burning bright so we don’t miss the “bridegroom”, to be vigilant, to make sure that we are counted among the “sheep” rather than the “wolves”.  And Jesus’ entire ministry teaches us how to make ourselves ready – we must believe in Him, we must love and serve God, and we must love and serve our neighbor.  Through his life Jesus showed us how to live – to put ourselves last, to develop an attitude of humility and selflessness, to be willing to sacrifice for others, to take care of those in need.  While the message is actually very simple, sometimes it’s not all that easy to put it into practice.  But another part of the message is that we, with child-like confidence and surrender, can put all of our hope and trust in God. And with this attitude of hope and trust we can be sure that God will give us the grace we need to live out our lives as He desires – as faithful disciples of Jesus, our Lord And Master.  All we need to do is keep asking God for the grace we need to live faithfully.  And then, when that “end” eventually does come, we will be more than ready to meet up with God, to embrace Him, to live with Him.  

In today’s gospel Jesus tells us that everything will pass away, everything that we know will be different, except one never-changing thing – God’s Word, Jesus himself.    So we focus on Christ – what Jesus taught, how Jesus lived, how Jesus teaches us to live.  And as we come to abide more and more by God’s Word, and imitate the life Jesus shows us, we can be assured of having a place of honor at the wedding feast when it is our time to meet the bridegroom.