Throughout his ministry, the Lord offers many warnings about the need to repent, to turn one’s life around and to embrace his teachings and place faith in him. For example, in the parable of the 10 virgins, which we heard last sunday, the foolish virgins are shut out of the wedding feast, for failing to prepare for the return of the bridegroom. There will be consequences if you fail to prepare your soul.
In today’s reading the Lord gives a series of examples of those who were unprepared for the end of their lives which came rather unexpectedly.
The people of Noah’s time, ignored Noah’s warnings, wrote him off as a crazy person for constructing the ark. They just went about their lives eating and drinking and marrying. They were unprepared for the flood because they unlike Noah, had not attuned their hearts to God.
So too the people of Sodom, a city filled with wickedness. They were going about living godless lives—eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting and building, engaging in earthly matters, when all of a sudden fire and brimstone rained from the sky. Due to their wickedness, their souls were unprepared for this natural disaster.
The warning is clear: we must be prepared by attuning our lives to God. How do we do that? St. John gives us the clear instruction.
St. John rejoices because many of the Christians to whom he was writing were walking in the truth, abiding by the commandments of God. They were attentive to attuning their moral lives to the truth that comes from God.
But John also offers a warning. He warns the Christians about being too progressive. Finding this term “progressive” in the scriptures might surprise us. I’ve known Christians who have prided themselves about being progressive. Open to new ideas and the changing ways of the world. And to an extent that is fine. But John is very clear about the possibility of being too progressive, so much so that you do not remain in the teaching of Christ.
He is very clear that there comes a point where the ideas in the world, new ideas, new philosophies, new moralities, and models of the human person, cease to be consistent with the teaching of Christ.
And just like the people of Sodom and the people of Noah’s day, the danger of being too progressive is that you get so wrapped up in pursuing and pushing the ideas of the world, that you will find yourself unprepared for the return of the bridegroom.
For the people of John’s day, it was considered “progressive” to deny that Jesus was fully human, to consider him simply appearing to be human or that his humanity was insignificant: a clear contradiction of the Catholic faith handed down by the apostles. In our day, so-called progressives might be those who seek to make allowance for certain moral teachings that are contrary to the Catholic faith. Progressivism can devolve into a form of godlessness when it no longer remains rooted in the truth of Christ.
So, St. John is warning us to be very careful about progressive theological trends, because you might just find yourself deceived by the antichrist, and unprepared for the return of the bridegroom.
Rather, as our Psalm declares: “Blessed are they who follow the Lord, who walk in the law of the Lord, who observe his decrees, and seek him with all their heart.” May we be prepared for the return of the Bridegroom by walking always in his truth, by seeking Him with our whole heart for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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For the healing of all division in the Church, for the Pope and all Bishops and Priests to be truly faithful in teaching the fullness of Faith, for the conversion of those whose hearts are hardened to the truth of the Gospel.
That leaders of nations may find guidance in the Word of God for proper governance and the pursuit of justice for all.
That Christian families may be places where the Christian faith is studied, understood, observed, and cherished.
For all those who suffer illness, those in hospitals, nursing homes and hospice care.
For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, the deceased members of our families friends and parishes, for those who fought and died for our freedom, and N. for whom this Mass is offered.
O God, our refuge and our strength, hear the prayers of your Church, for you yourself are the source of all goodness, and grant, we pray, that what we ask in faith we may truly obtain
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