My Dear People,

I would like to thank the Knights of Columbus who helped with the mailing of the letter sent to our parishioners last week.  I would also like to thank those who participated on Saturday, November 12th to pray the Rosary publicly for the Police downtown at the Police Station.

Today we begin (liturgical) year A, and we will be reading the Gospel of Matthew on Sundays. 

In this week’s Gospel, Jesus asserts that the day of His arrival is a mystery known only to the Father. To illustrate this point, Jesus turns to the story of Noah. Here we have a contrast between the days leading up to judgment and the day when it strikes. Noah’s generation did not know God was about to pour out his judgment in the torrents of the flood, and so they went about their business, eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. By the time the rains came roaring down, it was too late, and all but Noah and his family were carried away to a watery death. The point is, Noah readied himself for what was coming, not by sitting around and watching the sky, but by diligently making  preparations in obedience to God's instructions.

The Son of Man will come suddenly and unexpectedly, so Disciples must be prepared. This is shown by two scenes from daily life, where folks are going about their daily routine. In the first, there are two men working in the field.  In the second, there are two women turning a stone mill. In both illustrations, one is taken, and one is left. Because modern media have given popular exposure to certain dispensationalist views of the future, many think humanity is “left” to endure the tribulation. Apart from the problematic eschatology that underlies this, the interpretation seems to be backwards. More likely Jesus speaks in the idiom of the prophets, whereby those taken are those captured or killed in judgment and those who are left constitute the surviving remnant that is spared (Isa 1:9; 4:3, Jer.  40:11; Ezek. 14:22).

When the hour the Lord finally does come, it will catch many by surprise. His arrival will be “like a thief at night” (1 Thess. 5:2). The danger is that those who follow Christ will be lulled to sleep, like the master of the house who settled down to bed, only to discover in the morning that a nighttime burglar made off with his valuables. 

Preparedness for the Lord’s return requires spiritual alertness and vigilance. Spiritual alertness and vigilance means to be and remain in the state of Grace. If one is not in the state of grace the individual should do measures of repentance; that is, go to confession as soon as possible so that he or she will remain in the state of grace.  

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Vincent Clemente