Lenten Reflection 16

Preppers. Men and women who feel the need to prepare themselves and their families for an impending danger of cataclysmic proportions. These individuals are hard at work collecting, building, re-purposing, and even engineering ways to uphold a standard of living, basic as it may be , when life as we know it ceases to exist. Whether by means of a natural disaster, world war, economic crash, or ‘zombie’ apocalypse, they men to have what it takes to survive and thrive. Over the past 10 years or so, it seems that every year brings a new calamity and with it the certain annihilation of the general populous. From H1N1 and swine flu, to SARS and now the Corona virus. Each of these threats encouraging the ‘prepper’ mentality to get your affairs in order and make sure you and your family are ready to face whatever is on the horizon next. What if we were able to use the prepper mentality and apply it to our spiritual lives? Lent is that catalyst. It is our “practice drill” that allows us to do a yearly run-through of our plan to safeguard our souls for the end times. And while the prepper may never face the day zombies attack, we are assured of a much greater threat. One we do not have to anticipate because it is already here. Sin, the greatest destructive force, destroying our souls and keeping us from a full union and friendship with God. The ‘end of the world’ may only be hypothetical for the prepper, but for us it is assured. Our earthly sojourn will end and we will face our final judgement with no more than we PREPARED for. So how are we preparing? Lent is the time to ask this question and reevaluate what’s working and not working in our spiritual lives. Do we make time for God daily? Do we attend mass weekly? Are we actively participating? Do we make God our first priority? Is our life an example of faith? Has our faith decreased because of a life circumstance? Can we allow ourselves to fully trust God? Have you been to confession and received the grace to be welcomed back from sin? Making God #1, taking time to talk to Him everyday, living out our faith via charitable acts and works of mercy, teaching our children and others the truths of the Gospels, receiving Holy Communion as often as we can, especially on Sundays. These are the ways in which we prepare for meeting our Lord at the end of our earthly pilgrimage. We cannot hope to endure the ‘end times’ without these preparations.
CHALLENGE: Embrace this season of Lent as your time to prepare for the certainty of our own ‘end times.’ Commit to the habit of daily meditation with the Lord. Consider signing up for a holy hour or begin attending daily mass. There are many apps available that will guide you through a mindful meditation, even give you daily scripture readings as well as reflections (Laudate). There is no escaping our ‘end time’ friends, let’s make sure we face it prepared!
Blessings to You and Yours!