The Imminence of Eternity: Living Each Day As If It’s Your Last
Father Matthias Thellen recently gave a sobering homily, reminding Christians that we do not know the day nor hour when we will face eternity. Using vivid examples and analogies, he highlighted the importance of staying spiritually “awake” and making each day count.
Sudden Deaths Underscore Our Mortality
Father Thellen shared a tragic story of a friend named Chris who died suddenly in a car accident after a Super Bowl party. He was driving back to college and lost control of his car in a blizzard. Thellen has also officiated five funerals in one week as a priest. Death can come instantly without warning through accidents, aneurysms, heart attacks, strokes and more. These examples underscore how fragile life is and how we can all face death at any given moment.
The Particular and Final Judgement
According to Catholic teaching, when we die, we face what is called the “particular judgement” where our soul is judged by Christ and sent to heaven, hell or purgatory. Our eternal destination depends on how we lived our life and chose to accept or reject God’s grace. As John of the Cross said, we will be judged by our love. Once we die, there are no more chances to reform or repent. Our decisions in this lifetime determine our eternity.
Avoiding Spiritual Sleepiness
It can be easy to fall into patterns of “spiritual sleepiness” or complacency. Father Thellen warns against becoming self-absorbed in worldly pursuits like status, promotions and luxury goods which causes us to lose sight of what really matters. We can trick ourselves into thinking we will become more serious about faith someday while squandering the gift of today.
Living with Holy Urgency
In light of life’s uncertainty, Father Thellen challenges all Christians to live each day as if it is their last. This means letting go of the past and future and investing ourselves fully in the present moment through acts of love and service. We shouldn’t delay growth or put off reconciliation. By staying spiritually “watchful”, we can joyfully anticipate meeting Christ whether at the end of our lives or when he returns again in glory.
