Pope at Mass: how do we want to meet the Lord?

By Sr Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp

Pope Francis’ homily at Casa Santa Marta on Tuesday took its inspiration from the reading from the Book of Revelation. It is wise to make an examination of conscience, he said, in view of the fact that we will one day face the Lord. We should ask how we wish to present ourselves when we meet Him, he said. It will help us make progress so that that meeting will be a “joyful” moment.

The final harvest

In the last week of the liturgical year, Pope Francis said that it is a grace to think about the end of the world and the end of our lives. The First Reading from the Book of Revelation speaks about that using “the figure of the harvest”, the Pope said.

At the harvest, each of us will meet the Lord…each will say to the Lord: ‘This is my life…. This is the quality of my life.’

All of us will have to admit our errors, because everyone errs, and the good done, because everyone does good, the Pope said.

How do I want to present myself?

 “What if the Lord were to call me today?” Pope Francis asked. What would I say and do? This thought, he said, helps us make progress. Not only will we meet the Lord in order to give an account of ourselves. It will also be a joyous, happy moment, one filled with mercy.

Thinking about the end, about the end of the world, about the end of one’s own life, is wise. Wise people do this.

The Church invites us to ask ourselves this week, “what will my end be like?” Pope Francis suggested an examination of conscience is useful in order to evaluate ourselves.

What would I like to fix because it doesn’t work? What would I like to sustain or develop because it’s good….

Let’s ask for wisdom

This is the Spirit’s work, Pope Francis said. In conclusion, he encouraged that we pray for the gift of wisdom.

This week, let’s ask the Holy Spirit for the wisdom of time, the wisdom regarding the end, the wisdom of the resurrection, the wisdom of the eternal encounter with Jesus… It will be a joyful day, that meeting with Jesus. Let us pray so that the Lord might prepare us.