Are you a “worst case scenario” sort of person? Caution in life is not a bad thing; we are all wired for survival with our inbuilt fight or flight mechanism. Physiologically it’s amazing too how our bodies automatically respond to threats by illness or injury.

Concern about the future and judgements about managing risks is a good thing it enables us to make decisions and plans, this facet of human behaviour is a gift from God.

We constantly do our best to plan for the future in our own lives. How carefully have we planned for our future with God?

The three synoptic gospels – Matthew, Mark and Luke (synoptic means offering a common view) all offer similar perspectives on the end times. They differ in details, but as Jesus’ view of the end times is presented in all three, this suggests that the account of the end times is based on what Jesus said. We see an aspect of this in this Sunday's gospel.

We see that Jesus is clear that there will be an end time and that he will return to complete his work of salvation, to inaugurate a new heaven and earth that will be united in the kingship of Jesus within the life of the Holy Trinity.

How ready are we for this? When will it be? Surely the signs that Jesus speaks of today are all around us? I suspect that every generation has thought the same. Today people still comb scripture for dates and times, and various cults are built on this.

As always we need to look to Jesus himself where, in both Matthew and Mark’s gospels he says that only the Father knows when this will be. Running around focussing on search for the signs of the end is fruitless and ends up being as distraction from what each and every one of us needs to do to develop our relationship with God.

The truth is that for somewhere, for someone, today is their "end time". This takes many forms, a quiet death in home or hospital; the unexpected death by an accident; the taking of one life by another in its different guises – murder, abortion, execution; a person taking their own life; martyrdom for taking a stand for their faith in Jesus (which is more common in our own time than any Roman persecution). We don’t need to wait for some global catastrophe, a universal end of time; every moment of every day is an end time for someone, somewhere. One day, even ourselves.

I remember as a child a common desire among Catholics not to have an “unprovided for death”. An old idea perhaps but a good one. Without it becoming a morbid preoccupation, we must be prepared to meet God at any time. How often do we reflect on the prospect of meeting God face to face and then do something to be ready for it? The opportunities for grace are all around us, particularly confession and the Eucharist. Do not be afraid. God wants each and every one of us to be saved, he does not want a single hair on our heads to be lost, how beautiful is that? But it comes down to us. He has given us the means of salvation, it is for us decide how to respond.

As always, be assured of my daily prayers for your intentions.

God bless and keep you.

Fr Chris