A Reading
And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be a deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from the four winds – from the farthest ends of the earth.
(Matthew 24: 30-31)
A Thought
On Tuesday, I was reading in our sitting room when suddenly a mighty roar was heard. It rapidly approached the house, growing louder. Expecting that it was a military aircraft, I rushed to the French window to catch sight of it. The roar reached its crescendo, the plane at a very low height, but its trajectory over the house was on a different bearing.
I quickly unlocked the door and stepped out to watch it fly onward, but it was already out of sight beyond my horizon. The roar abated, but I had missed it completely. Members from the house joined me to confirm what it might have been. Others had noticed it too - horses in the field were running in fright. We called their names to calm them.
‘Military sorties usually involve two planes, so there will be another very shortly’, I suggested expectantly. But there wasn’t. We were left, looking hopefully upwards, but had missed the only event.
It reminded me of the parable of the ten bridesmaids that Alex spoke about on remembrance Sunday. If we are not ready for Jesus’s second coming, we will be passed over as the trumpet blasts loudly, looking forlornly at those who remain with us.
We will have missed the main event, the only event of any importance – being gathered for life in heaven. That’s not to be missed on any account. So let’s ready ourselves now through prayer.
A Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus
I know that you are the Son of God, who loves me and died for me.
Thank you that you took my punishment instead of me - I am truly sorry for the sins that I commit.
Please fill me with the Holy Spirit, that my new life begins now, and that I may be ready always to serve you better.
Amen