Today’s Guest Contributor is Paul Jara, friend of Bellator Society.
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Friends;
I’ve never been a fan of eschatological talk.
There is an underlying egotism and hubris in presuming that the end of times are here “for” me. It seems prideful to assume that the holy people who’ve been martyred thus far, did so in order that I can have the privilege (?) to endure the final test.
That aside, there is value in considering the end of day.
We are chastened throughout the New Testament to be ready for the Bride Groom, to not be complacent in our eschatological vigilance, and to eagerly anticipate Christ’s return.
I recently watched a new Netflix series called Messiah. It’s a fascinating thought-experiment on how the modern world might react to a John the Baptist or Jesus-like character. It effectively challenges the viewer to check their assumptions about their faith. Even as faithful Catholics, would we side with, or even become, the modern Pharisees? When Jesus confronts us in the present, will He challenge us in the same shocking way He challenged the world two thousand years ago?
We profess our desire for Christ to come again, and to judge the living and the dead, but are we really ready for it? How are we preparing for that day?
I put my reflections on the Netflix show in context with this week. Although this virus will not be cataclysmic, it is a glimpse into how precarious our material world is. The things we take for granted have been shaken to their core by a virus. What if it had been an airborne virus? What if it had a mortality rate a single magnitude higher?
Civilization as we know it changed this week. Over a relatively minor thing, in the grand scheme.
Corporate Goliaths are being pummeled, society is in upheaval, and normal international and intra-national lines of communication have been severely disrupted. Holy Mass, our primary defense against the darkness, has been denied to us in the way we have been accustomed.
Perhaps it was the thunder and lightening as I drove home last night, but I feel keenly aware of our need to keep our prayer fraternity alive and energized. We must not get dragged into the material world’s drama.
We are called to be disciples for Christ and that should occupy our thoughts.
Should we be preppers? Yes! But, we should be preparing for the Bride Groom. We need to be ready for Christ. You cannot live on toilet paper, bottled water, and bread alone but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
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Paul is a husband and father of five. He’s been an engineer, a teacher, and an Emergency Manager for the State of Arkansas.
