In this weekend’s passage of the Holy Gospel, we read a passage that can make us uneasy. The words describe the “end time.” However, the Gospel gives us the assurance that our God will be with us all the days of our lives. AND…we will have the ongoing presence of the Holy Spirit of Jesus also in our midst guiding, protecting and strengthening us in spite of the uncertainty concerning the end times when “Christ will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.” As a matter of fact, each year at this time, the Church asks us to mediate on the “last things” – death, judgment, heaven and hell – in an effort to push us into the realization that death and judgment will come for all of us. All of the readings from Scripture this weekend assure us that in the end God will welcome the righteous…that those who are “ready” will survive “the ordeal” and will find a place with Him in everlasting peace. Through the parable of the fig tree at the end of the Gospel passage, Jesus tells us to keep our eyes open to read the “signs of the time,” reminding us that we must each be prepared to give an account of our lives to Jesus our judge. Are there other messages for us in this passage of the Holy Gospel? Hmmm…how about this one? Today’s Holy Gospel reminds us of a “coming” of God which, unfortunately, we tend to forget, namely, God’s daily coming to us in the ordinary events of our lives. We must learn to recognize and welcome Him in these everyday occurrences whether they are happy, encouraging, painful or disappointing – always remembering that He comes without warning. Let us remember that the Lord is present wherever people treat each other with gentleness, generosity, and thoughtfulness. Hence, let us try to bring Jesus to earth, as Blessed Mother Teresa puts it: “by doing little things to others around us with great love.” Ever since the attack on the World Trade center in New York on Sept 11, 2001, there have been nonstop warnings to be alert to possible terrorist attacks. In U. S. airports repeated public announcements from Homeland Security advise whether the level of alert is yellow, orange or red. People are asked to be vigilant. Today’s second and third readings want us to move to red alert. Paul wants the Romans to wake up and Jesus warns us to stay awake. Gospel Question for the Week: Where are you looking for Jesus?