Are You Ready for the Master’s Return?

Fr. Chris Alar, MIC, reminds us of a sobering truth: death is not the end — it’s the moment the Master comes for us. In today’s readings, we hear both the cause and the cure for death. Through one man, sin entered the world, and through sin, death. But through Christ, the new Adam, we are given the remedy: to be ready, vigilant, and in a state of grace when He comes.

We don’t often think about practicing for death. Yet the saints and Scripture tell us that this life is a preparation — every detachment, every act of surrender, every confession is a rehearsal for that final moment. As Fulton Sheen said, “The greatest fear we have is dying, because we haven’t practiced for it.” Lent, daily sacrifice, and dying to self are all ways to prepare our souls for eternity.

When we die in grace, death becomes not a punishment, but a mercy — the door through which we are stripped of all that is temporary and left only with God. This is why Fr. Chris calls us to gratitude and vigilance. Every morning is a small resurrection, every confession a renewal of life. For the baptized soul, death no longer has power — Christ has conquered it.

So be ready. Live every day as if the Master might come for you tonight. Remain in a state of grace through the Sacraments, and trust in the mercy that wipes away all sin. For those who die in Christ, life is not ended, but changed — transformed into eternal union with the Bridegroom who comes for His spotless Bride.