Spot Audit

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

November 15, 2015

First reading
Daniel 12:1-3

‘At that time Michael will stand up, the great prince who mounts guard over your people. There is going to be a time of great distress, unparalleled since nations first came into existence. When that time comes, your own people will be spared, all those whose names are found written in the Book. Of those who lie sleeping in the dust of the earth many will awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting disgrace. The learned will shine as brightly as the vault of heaven, and those who have instructed many in virtue, as bright as stars for all eternity.’

Psalm                                                                                                           Psalm 15:5,8-11

Second reading                                                                                 Hebrews 10:11-14,18  All the priests stand at their duties every day, offering over and over again the same sacrifices which are quite incapable of taking sins away. He, on the other hand, has offered one single sacrifice for sins, and then taken his place forever, at the right hand of God, where he is now waiting until his enemies are made into a footstool for him. By virtue of that one single offering, he has achieved the eternal perfection of all whom he is sanctifying. When all sins have been forgiven, there can be no more sin offerings.

Gospel	Mark 13:24-32

Jesus said, ‘In those days, after the time of distress, the sun will be darkened, the moon will lose its brightness, the stars will come falling from heaven and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory; then too he will send the angels to gather his chosen from the four winds, from the ends of the world to the ends of heaven.

  ‘Take the fig tree as a parable: as soon as its twigs grow supple and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. So with you when you see these things happening: know that he is near, at the very gates. I tell you solemnly, before this generation has passed away all these things will have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

  ‘But as for that day or hour, nobody knows it, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son; no one but the Father.’

Reflection

By Edgardo Tulabut

In my two previous corporate employment, never did I experience any unannounced audit. Different types of audits happen very often in my line of work. There were customer audits, ISO audits, 5S audits, etc. But they were always scheduled ahead in such a way that we, the auditees, had time to prepare to make things better in the workplace than on a typical day.

Unlike in what a community sister told me about how they were audited in the bank where she works. She said that aside from the same announced audits, there are also times when a mystery auditor comes in disguised as a client or sometimes even as person who pretends to wait for someone else while observing the transactions going on. An example of what they check was whether the 'no noon break' policy is being followed or not.

Some of my siblings had experienced being the official mystery customers for a fast food chain in the 90s. They do what a regular customer would do but only taking notes of everything they observe, good or bad, such as attitudes of servers and the guards, the quality of food, the cleanliness of the place and the restrooms, and so on.

In the school where I now teach, the dean and the department chairperson do observe classes unannounced. But they usually happen towards the end of the semester. But it’s good that I just discovered earlier before writing this article that the dean conducts one of her classes next to my classroom so I’ll just assume that an observation may happen anytime she wishes. So I better be at my best every day.

Jesus has not announced when His final audit will be. But he’s given us hints when he’s coming and a lifetime to prepare. We may not live long enough to witness the Second Coming, but a spot audit may happen any time, that is when we will be called to leave our life on earth.

So we better be at our best every day.

But you know what, even before that big day, we can always do self-audits by examining ourselves, correcting our mistakes, confessing our sins, asking for forgiveness, and aligning ourselves to God’s specs through daily one-on-one conversation with Him and regular confession.

Prayer

Father, thank You for the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the 24/7 open line of communication with You. May these keep us calibrated to how You designed us to be—Your future saints in heaven. In Jesus’ name, Amen!