Today the Rite of Welcoming was celebrated with the catechumens of our parish who will be received into the life of the Church through the waters of baptism at the Easter Vigil. May we continue to pray for them as they continue their journey towards these life giving waters.
As they come to set their sight upon eternal life we must also do so. Our readings reminded us of the certainty of death and how it is something which will catch up with each of us. As was stated to us in our Gospel: “But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
Therefore, we must come to live for eternal life. This path was set before us at our baptism, but so often we forget to rely on God’s grace as we get caught up in the many twists and turns which come with life. As was revealed to us in the Book of Daniel: “some shall live forever, others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.”
This verse places our attention upon the four last things: death, judgement, Heaven, and hell. Death and judgement is something which lies in wait for each of us. Despite this reality, with God’s grace we can order our life towards Heaven and thus be able to live forever in Paradise.
As is stated concerning this in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “Death puts an end to human life as the time open to either accepting or rejecting the divine grace manifested in Christ” and “each man receives his eternal retribution in his immortal soul at the very moment of his death, in particular judgment that refers to his life to Christ: either entrance into the blessedness of heaven- through a purification or immediately, - - or immediate and everlasting damnation.”
As Catholics the Kingdom of Heaven must be our ultimate goal. In striving for this we must desire to remain in the state of grace in order that we may always be prepared to meet the Lord at an unknown hour. Our encounter with Christ present with us in the Eucharist, the forgiveness that exists in the sacrament of confession, our daily prayers, and our service to our neighbor are all ways that we are prepared for our encounter with this unknown hour. Concerning this unknown hour eternal life much be our goal.
If we desire such a reality for ourself we must ask what we must strip away if this is to be found true. To be baptized is to be conformed unto the Lord. Therefore, let us continue to order our life on this earth towards what was begun there for we know neither the time nor the hour. Therefore, our time on earth is fleeting, so let us live for the Lord always.
