Gospel Reflection for The 28th day of August in the year of Our Lord, 2025
Memorial of Saint Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Matthew 24:42-51
42 Watch ye therefore, because ye know not what hour your Lord will come. 43 But know this ye, that if the goodman of the house knew at what hour the thief would come, he would certainly watch, and would not suffer his house to be broken open. 44 Wherefore be you also ready, because at what hour you know not the Son of man will come. 45 Who, thinkest thou, is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath appointed over his family, to give them meat in season.
46 Blessed is that servant, whom when his lord shall come he shall find so doing. 47 Amen I say to you, he shall place him over all his goods. 48 But if that evil servant shall say in his heart: My lord is long a coming: 49 And shall begin to strike his fellow servants, and shall eat and drink with drunkards: 50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day that he hopeth not, and at an hour that he knoweth not:
51 And shall separate him, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
How often do you contemplate your approaching death? As Catholics, I suppose that most of the rest of humanity thinks us rather odd in our seeming obsession with death. Other denominations do not have ashes applied to their foreheads on Ash Wednesday with the admonition from the priest, “Remember your death oh man.” No, the rest of the world would rather do most anything than consider their mortality. Any entertainment or even difficult work is favored to thinking of one's own death. Yet, we each die. We are born knowing that we will die. In truth, we begin to die the moment we are born, every moment bringing us closer to the end.
Contrary to the opinion of the world, Catholics are not morbid (usually). We are actually quite the opposite. We recognize that our lives on earth are of but brief duration, while the soul lives forever. As Hank Williams, Sr. wrote and sang, “No matter how I struggle and strive, I'll never get out of this world alive,” in one of his most humorous songs. We know that our time will come, and what happens next is truly all that matters. Our few years in this life will dictate our existence for all eternity.
While the rest of humanity would like to avoid this fact, we know it to be true because we believe in the doctrines given to us by God, through His Church. In this life, we struggle. We struggle especially with ourselves, as our human nature is far more inclined to the pleasures of sin than the austerity of holiness. From the beginning of time, man has argued, “Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you die.” While we, as Catholics, feast, we also fast. Looking forward to the future, we strive not lose sight of the goal and be bogged down in the mire from which no one can escape. No matter how pleasurable this life may be, it is not worth spending eternity in hell or forfeiting absolute joy in Heaven. No matter how much we suffer in this life, we would not trade our temporary state for fleeting pleasure if it cost us what is most dear.
So yes, to much of the world, we are more serious and strict than they would like. Others condemn our celebrations and enjoyment of wine (and other natural gifts from God) just as the Pharisees condemned Jesus' disciples for not observing their fasts and customs. Meanwhile, they preach a “Prosperity Doctrine” that denies the necessity of Christian suffering. We can never please either the secularist or the Protestant. But, we have no need to please them. We must keep the end goal in mind through all of life's ups and down's, remembering, “Those who persevere to the end will be saved.” We are all born into this world and we all die and leave it. What matters is how we spend that time in between, and after.
Judson Carroll is the author of several books, including his newest, A Daily Catholic Devotional, Reflections on the Daily Mass Readings July-December, 2025 It is Available in paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F5BHFZ7X
and
Confirmation, an Autobiography of Faith. It is also Available in paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C47Q1JNK
His podcast is The Uncensored Catholic https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-uncensored-catholic
Once again, thank you
Well said!