Inviting all into an eternal relationship with Jesus.

Please read the following art reflection while viewing the cover of this week's bulletin:

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus calls His disciples to a life of readiness: “Gird your loins and light your lamps… be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding.” (Luke 12:35–36). The passage urges vigilance and faithful living in anticipation of Christ’s return, a return that will come at an unexpected hour. Few works of art convey the gravity of this moment as vividly as Michelangelo’s Last Judgment (featured on the cover of this weeks bulletin), the monumental fresco behind the altar of the Sistine Chapel.

Painted between 1536 and 1541, The Last Judgment presents Christ at the center, not in quiet repose, but in dramatic action. His right arm is raised in judgment, His face focused and intense. Mary, usually seen as intercessor, sits quietly beside Him, emphasizing that the time for mercy has passed. This is the final hour, the moment of truth. It captures the essence of the Gospel warning: when the Lord returns, we will either be found ready or not. There will be no time left to prepare.

The composition swirls with movement. Angels sound trumpets as the dead rise from their graves; saints hold the instruments of their martyrdom.  St. Bartholomew even holds his flayed skin, thought to be a self-portrait of Michelangelo. The blessed ascend toward heaven with peaceful expressions, while the damned are dragged downward, some resisting, some despairing. Each figure, each gesture, tells a story of a soul’s readiness or refusal.

One striking feature is the emotional intensity of the figures. Unlike many serene religious images, Michelangelo’s work confronts the viewer with raw human emotion: joy, fear, defiance, hope. It is as if we, too, are being asked to choose our path. Will we live with watchfulness and faith, or allow ourselves to drift into complacency?

As Catholics, we are not called to live in fear, but in faithful preparation. Christ is the Bridegroom returning, and He longs to find us ready with hearts open and lamps burning.  Like Christ in today’s Gospel, Michelangelo’s Last Judgment invites us to examine our readiness. Are we living with our hearts turned toward the Lord, alert to His presence, and faithful in our daily duties? The Last Judgment reminds us that eternity is not far off, it is always just one moment away. Blessed are those servants whom the Master finds prepared.