out of this world
"Whoever tries to preserve his life will lose it; whoever loses it will keep it." —Luke 17:33
On the last day many people will be totally "out of it," meaning reality, because they are now totally "in it," meaning the world. To be worldly is to be out of touch with reality. The worldly act as if this earthly life is all there is. That's a devastating omission. When Jesus comes, planet earth burns (2 Pt 3:7), and Judgment Day is here, the worldly will be buying a pack of cigarettes or looking at TV Guide. They will be taking out insurance policies and making investments, but it will be all over in seconds.
Jesus said: "As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They ate and drank, they took husbands and wives, right up to the day Noah entered the ark — and when the flood came, it destroyed them all" (Lk 17:26-27). There's no fool like a damned fool. "I have often said this to you before; this time I say it with tears. Such as these will end in disaster! Their god is their belly and their glory is in their shame. I am talking about those who are set upon the things of this world" (Phil 3:18-19). To be in the world means to be out of touch with reality. The worldly fear reality and try to escape from it. To be out of this world is the only way to be real. Only the otherworldly can stand to be conscious.
Prayer: Jesus, without You I could not stand to live.
Promise: "For if they so far succeeded in knowledge that they could speculate about the world, how did they not more quickly find its Lord?" —Wis 13:9
Praise: Before St. Martin died, he insisted on a peacemaking trip to a parish in his diocese, and then was ready to return to his heavenly home.
Reference: (For a related teaching, order our book Living In Reality or our tapes, either a four-part audio series starting with AV 38-1 or a two-part video series starting with V-38.)
Rescript: †Most Reverend Daniel E. Pilarczyk, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, April 21, 2005
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