“He will gather his elect from the four winds.”

Today’s readings from the prophet Daniel and the Gospel of Mark tell us that we should always be prepared for the Second Coming of Christ. We do not know when that will be, so we must be prepared. Our Faith and today’s Scriptures tell us that there will be a generation in history that will experience the second coming of Christ.

At that time, a person may have but a moment to ask the question – Am I ready? Am I prepared? If Christ’s second coming is not in our generation, then we all must still face the day of our death. Each of us must ask the question – Am I ready? Am I prepared? The Book of the Prophet Daniel tells us that at the end of time, those who are asleep in death will rise. They and those still living who were prepared, who gave all they had in love and service to each other, will shine brightly and live forever.

Jesus tells His disciples in today’s Gospel that He will come at the end of time in great power and glory. He will gather His elect from the ends of the earth. His elect are those who are ready for His coming, those who are prepared. His elect are those of us who are prepared for tomorrow, because of how we live today. Jesus calls us to follow Him, to love and serve God, by loving and serving each other.

Through our Baptisms, we became united, as one, in the Body of Christ, the Church. Through the Eucharist, we receive the grace and strength to love and serve each other. When we receive the Body and Blood of Jesus in the Eucharist, our God lives in us, and we are living in Him. May we become like Him who we receive. That is why we place our hope in Jesus! The Eucharist gives us the grace and strength to live in that hope, to love and serve to each other as if today is the first day of the rest of our lives. As if today is the last day of the rest of our lives. As if today is the only day of the rest of our lives!

– Bp. Roy Campbell