Not knowing the day or the hour
Kasia December 3rd, 2007
Yesterday’s Gospel dealt with how we do not know the day or the hour when the Lord will return. Thus we must always be ready.
I have to admit, much as I’ve grown to like our pastor, I didn’t much care for his homily on the topic. It wasn’t bad, but I came away from it feeling like if ever I take a day off and rest - even a Sabbath, mind you - that the Lord is going to come back and refuse me entry into Heaven because I was wearing sweatpants and a beat-up tee shirt.
Now, it’s not like he said that. Communication is a funny thing that way. The text of his homily was more or less irreproachable, but I still came away thinking “I am SO doomed!” So in fairness, it’s got a lot more to do with me than it does with him.
Anyway, this morning I was checking out the blog circuit, and noticed that Michelle had a very good post up about her pastor’s homily, which I actually found much more helpful.
Of course I need to be working on the balance she describes. I’m nowhere near being like St. Dominic Savio. But what she describes sounds reasonable: always doing what I should be doing. Including a healthy amount of leisure - after all, the Lord gave us a day of rest.
Like her - like everyone! - I have much area for improvement. I think I will start by finishing this post, finishing my lunch, and getting back to work.
Thanks, Michelle, for posting that.
Reminds me of when I was “caught” in chapel by my priest, on the weekend, dressed all yukki because it was laundry day. Hmm. The first urge is not to show up in chapel unless you are decent, but the other is to go whenever you want to be with the Lord, regardless of whether you are in your jammies or not.
you’re welcome.
Of course you’re doomed, Clamster. But you’re not damned.
I mean, eventually we’re all going to die and meet our Maker, but some of us just have a heads-up. It’s kind of like this:
NON-BELIEVER: Everything alive is doomed to die. Therefore, I’m doomed!
CHRISTIAN: I’m doomed to die… yay!
Looking at it typed up, that’s a lousy example. Um… here’s a better one:
You know how we’re supposed to “wait in joyful hope for the coming of the Lord”? Notice that no one says anything about waiting in yer Sunday best. (But like the Fabled Mom always says, “Wear clean underwear.”)
Ha - MissJean, I was specifically afraid I was doomed to be damned. :-p
The priest actually said something in his homily about would he want the Lord to come when he was sitting around in his beat-up old Michigan State sweatshirt that he likes to bum around the rectory in. That’s why I freaked out - it was the first time someone had suggested to me that perhaps I ought to be waiting in my Sunday best. :-p And then there’s the parable about the wedding guests who show up in their scruffies, and the bridegroom kicks them out to wailing and gnashing of teeth (ok, I’m probably conflating two things there, but you get the point).