That gospel parable about a king who gave a wedding feast for his son (cfr. Mt 22,1-14) reminds us that we should be ready when God calls us to himself. In that parable, the king was frustrated because all those whom he invited refused to come. And so, he ordered his servants to call whoever they would meet in the highways and byways. Still, he expected that those who would come would at least be properly dressed.
This means that we should truly be prepared for the eventual call and invitation that God would give us so we can be with him as he wants us to be. In this regard, we have to know how to “govern” our life such that at any time we would be ready for this eventuality.
Yes, some art of good governance over our life should be learned. We just cannot be at the mercy of chance and fortune. We need to know and be constantly aware of the real and constant purpose of our life, and arrange our life in such a way that that purpose is always pursued.
We should have a clear vision of our ultimate and definitive eternal destination and able to relate everything in our life to that goal. For this purpose, we should develop the practice of making daily examinations of conscience.
In our spiritual life, it is important that we settle accounts with God regularly. In fact, saints and the Church herself have recommended that we make a daily examination of conscience just before going to bed.
This practice can only mean that we understand that our life is not just a natural, material, individual or social affair. Or that it is simply our own life. It would show that we know that our life is a life with God and with others, pursued and developed in the spiritual and moral spheres more than anything else.
This way, we can somehow feel secure that at any given moment we would be eternity-ready, prepared to see God for judgment when he would finally call us to himself! (Fr. Roy Cimagala)
