Jesus said to his disciples: “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man; they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage up to the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Similarly, as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building; on the day when Lot left Sodom, fire and brimstone rained from the sky to destroy them all. So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, someone who is on the house top and whose belongings are in the house must not go down to get them, and likewise one in the field must not return to what was left behind. Remember the wife of Lot. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it. I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. And there will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken, the other left.” They said to him in reply, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the body is, there also the vultures will gather.”
REFLECTION
Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it.
Many of us love to travel. We carefully pack our suitcases, often bringing more clothes and shoes than we really need. When we return home, we cherish the memories, relive the wonderful experiences, and enjoy looking back at the photographs of our journey.
In today's Gospel, Jesus reminds us that our life on earth is temporary and that we must always be prepared for the most important journey of all-- our journey into eternity. Unlike our earthly travels, however, we do not know the day or hour of our departure.
St Frances Xavier Cabrini understood that our earthly life is a pilgrimage. Born in Italy, she dreamed of becoming a missionary in China. However, God had better plans. At the direction of Pope Leo XIII, she traveled west instead, crossing the Atlantic Ocean to America to serve immigrants who were poor, neglected, and struggling. She traveled approximately 24 times across the ocean, in service to immigrants. She traveled across oceans to bring Christ's love to others.
We may never be called to travel as far as she did, but each of us is called to travel through life with our eyes fixed on Jesus and our hearts directed toward heaven.
In our journey to heaven, we must travel lightly through this world, leaving behind whatever keeps us from God, because heaven is our true destination.
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