Wow, that’s so “now!”

Sometimes when people read the Scriptures, connections with contemporary reality leap out at them.

The richly symbolic visions described in today’s first reading from the fourth chapter of Revelation seem like the product of modern hallucinogenics.

Likewise, the politically-minded, after a bitterly fought election, may hear one particular verse from today’s Gospel in a strange way:

“Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king, bring them here and slay them before me.”

Actually, Scripture always has strong and deep connections with contemporary reality -- LSD and the “Revenge of the Reelected,” however, are not among them.

(It also has strong connections with the time in which it was written and with what went before: our Lord’s story about the king going to a far country recalls a trip made to Rome in those days by one of Herod’s sons; also, much of Revelation’s imagery repeats what was written by Ezekiel and others.)

Perhaps the most fundamental connection Scripture has with contemporary reality – the here and now – is the meaning it has for our individual lives.

Today’s readings remind us that we are going to stand before the judgment seat of God at the end of the world – if not before – and it could come much sooner than we think (either the end of our individual lives or the end of all things).

It could even happen NOW (may God have mercy on us all).

When that happens, we will behold him in all his glory and he will judge us.

If we have been like the good servants, we will have made good use in our lives of whatever gifts and graces the Lord has given us and then he will give us even more of his grace.

If, however, we have not used well the gifts and graces the Lord has given us in our lives, then when our lives are over, so also will be the gifts and graces of the Lord for us: we will find ourselves with nothing but an eternity of oblivion.

And, God forbid, if we should have openly rebelled against the Lord, how much worse should be our fate! (May God have mercy on us all.)

We should take the hint. We should look at how we are spending our time, talent, and treasure; we should recognize that God will hold us accountable for everything we have and everything we do (or fail to do); and we should do whatever we can to make God proud of us when we come to stand before his throne of glory.

And we should do all this now.