Daily Gospel Reflection for October 20, 2026

Reflect on being spiritually prepared for Christ's return. Consider forgiveness and love in your daily life, striving for a heart ready for His arrival.

Today's Gospel: Luke 12:35-38

When I host our book club or any family holiday gathering, my goal is always to be ready fifteen minutes before the guests are due to arrive. I want to have the house cleaned, the food as prepared as possible, the dirty dishes in the dishwasher, even the lights on, a candle burning, and soft music playing. That way I can be watching for their arrival and prepared to greet them joyfully instead of anxiously still running around getting these finishing touches done.

If I knew Jesus was going to stop by my house at a certain time, I would definitely want to have everything ready early so that I could be like Mary and just sit at His feet, giving Him my full attention and enjoying His visit. I would also want my heart to be free of anything that stands between God and me so that I didn’t feel guilty about anything.

This Gospel forewarns us to strive to be ready like this for our last day, whether it comes due to our own demise or the second coming of our Savior. Is our heart-home clean of any unforgiveness, greed, or malice? Have we done all we can to show love to our family and those with whom we came in contact today? If Jesus were to unexpectedly knock on our door in a couple of hours, would we feel ready to open it to Him immediately, as it says in today’s Gospel?

We don’t know how many days we have left on this earth, so live each day to the fullest with love, joy and faith in God while striving for holy sanctity.

Ponder:

Is there someone you need to ask forgiveness of or offer it to without being asked?

Pray:

My dear Jesus, thank You for challenging us to grow closer to You by preparing our hearts for Your last coming. Help us have the courage and willpower to be more loving.

Pray Together:

What can you have your child clean up to use as an analogy for cleaning our hearts for Jesus’s arrival.

Copyright 2026 Colleen Mallette