The Bishop of Kabale Catholic Diocese, Rt Rev Callist Rubaramira has urged Christians to live in constant spiritual readiness as they await the second coming of Jesus Christ, warning that it will come at an unexpected hour.
In his homily at the Climax of the Jubilee Year 2025 at Our Lady of Good Shepherd – Rushoroza Cathedral in Kabale Municipality on Sunday, Bishop Rubaramira likened the return of Christ to the days of Noah before the flood, when people went about their normal lives, eating, drinking and marrying, without realizing disaster was approaching until it was too late.
He said this scripture reminder shows that many will be caught unprepared because they are too absorbed in worldly affairs.
Bishop Rubaramira emphasized Jesus’s call to “stay awake,” explaining that this does not mean physically staying up all night, but rather living every day in a state of spiritual alertness.
“If a house owner knew what time a thief would come, he would stay awake and not let his house be broken into. In the same way, Christians must be vigilant and ready at all times,” he said.
Bishop Rubaramira stressed that being prepared for Christ’s coming is not about performing dramatic rituals or chasing sensational prophecies, but about living faithfully according to Jesus’s teachings.
He called on Christians to lead productive, righteous lives and to serve as witnesses of the Gospel in their families, workplaces and communities.
He reminded the faithful that the exact time of Jesus’s return is a divine mystery known only to God the Father.
“No human being, no angel, no prophet knows the hour,” he said. “Our task is not to calculate the date, but to prepare our hearts.”
He also reflected on the biblical image that “one will be taken and one left,” saying this shows that the Lord’s return will be a moment of separation between those who chose a life of faith and those who neglected it.
He urged Christians not to delay their decision to fully commit to God.
“Now is the time to choose,” he said. “Live as if Christ were coming today, because when He comes, there will be no more time to prepare.”
He encouraged believers to renew their prayer life, strengthen their moral conduct and support one another in faith, so that whenever the Lord returns, finds them ready.
CUE IN BISHOP RUBARAMIRA….ON THE MESSAGE…..RR//
The “Pilgrims of Hope” Jubilee Year 2025 was declared by Pope Francis, with the theme “Pilgrims of Hope” to inspire hope in a world facing conflict and crisis.
It is described as a time for personal conversion, reconciliation, and acts of hope and charity, encouraging individuals to be signs of hope through their daily actions and to care for one another and creation.
