Don't Wait to Get Right With God

In every generation, there seems to be an urgency—an almost frantic desire—to determine when Jesus will return. We pore over signs, read into natural disasters, wars, and the moral decay around us. Some ask, “Is this the end?” Others speculate if this pope may be the last, pointing to private revelations, apocalyptic warnings, or visions like those of Garabandal. The human heart seems desperate to pinpoint the timeline of Christ’s return. But why?

Jesus Himself addressed this: “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matthew 24:36). It’s a clear and simple truth, yet we often ignore it. Why? Because maybe, just maybe, deep down, we want to know how long we can afford to keep sinning. If we knew the exact day, would we change our lives the day before? Is our search really about readiness—or is it about delay?

The messages of Garabandal, Fatima, and other apparitions are not meant to spark fear or             speculation, but to draw us to repentance and deeper conversion. They echo the Gospel’s call to stay awake, stay alert, and be ready at every moment. The danger in obsessing over “when” is that we lose focus on how we are called to live now.

We cannot wait to get right with God. We cannot afford to treat grace like a last-minute escape plan. Every moment is a gift, and every day an opportunity to return to the Father. If we live constantly watching the signs while clinging to worldly vices, we miss the point entirely. Jesus didn’t tell us to watch the skies for clues—He told us to take up our cross and follow Him.

So let’s not waste our lives waiting for the right time to repent. Let’s stop trying to figure out when to start living holy lives and simply begin now. Stay close to the sacraments. Stay grounded in prayer. Live each day as if it were your last—not in fear, but in faith. Not because Jesus might come tomorrow, but because He is already here, walking with us, calling us to live for Him today.

Blessings,    

Deacon Mike