“You also must be prepared for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

I’ve always avoided horror shows or even great movies containing graphic violence. As a kid, the Bible stories and sermons about end of the world were my least favorite. We all wanted Jesus to return but did it have to be so brutal???

In reflecting on today’s Gospel message, I draw a gentler and more practical lesson. This Gospel is about taking the time to do unplanned kindnesses for others who might be today’s manifestation of Christ coming into our lives. Forget the end of the world. Concentrate on this morning.

The Son of Man comes into our lives countless times every day in the form of people who stumble randomly across our paths needing our help, especially those who bug us. We need to be prepared to see Him in these.

In my case, Christ often comes in the form of students knocking on my open door, politely asking if I’m doing anything. I welcome most of these visits since I love most of my students. But we all have our “B+ whiners” questioning every grade who grate on our nerves and the kids with insoluble problems that we have to listen to. If Christ were to walk in with a couple of these problem kids, would I behave differently? How much, at our worst, do we resemble the dreadful supervisor of today’s Gospel?

In another Gospel, Jesus reminds us that when we do anything for the least of our brothers and sisters, we have done it for Him. Maybe that’s something as simple as listening patiently to someone who takes too long to get to the point or chilling when the person ahead of us chats up the grocery clerk and delays us three minutes.

If we can respond kindly to Christ coming to our daily lives in small, unexpected, even irritating ways through ordinary people, His coming at end of the world will take care of itself.