The Time to Reap Has Come

November 25, 2008

Tuesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Another angel came out of the temple, crying out in a loud voice to the one sitting on the cloud, “Use your sickle and reap the harvest, for the time to reap has come, because the earth's harvest is fully ripe.” Revelation 14:15

While some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, he said, “All that you see here - the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.” Luke 21:5-6

Piety

There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens.
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant.
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to tear down, and a time to build.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them; a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces.
A time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away.
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to be silent, and a time to speak.
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

Study

If you have been through a Journalism 101 course, you are familiar with the “5 W’s” – who, what, when, where, why. These facts are what a reporter digs up to tell a story well. The Jews press upon Jesus to tell them when his prophecy will come true about the destruction of the temple (the death of the Son of Man) as well as the end of time. Jesus shares a lot of details but he leaves out the “when.”

If you have to track your hectic schedule either in Outlook, another program or in a Day-Timer or paper calendar, all your appointments pivot on the when. You have to make priority decisions based upon when you can meet with this person or that, this group or that. Deadlines drive our daily existence. The walls that box in our life is the ability to meet our commitments by those deadlines.

Jesus has laid out a set of requirements for our life. He asks us for humility, service and obedience. He tells us what will happen if we don’t follow him. Then he leaves it up to us to “follow Him.” Then he leaves it up to us to meet the commitments. Then he leaves it up to us.

We put off picking up our cross. We put off our piety for tomorrow. We worry about next week. We put off our study. We worry about our bank accounts, loan payments, yard work, and so much more. We put off our action. We worry about our own lives not the lives of others that Jesus sends our way. We put of the WHEN.

Action
As we wind up this liturgical year in the coming days, consider now the “resolution” you will make. Consider addressing the WHEN of your spiritual life by committing to the NOW in your resolutions for the new liturgical year.

Don’t just make a mental note. Write it down. Put it on your calendar. Enter an appointment and commitment with Jesus in your Outlook or calendar. You will never know when the time to reap has come.