Readiness is the key theme in today's gospel. To think of death is very far for children and youngsters, unless someone, who is young and very dear to us, has suddenly died. The death of our beloved ones always stimulates us to think: what is the meaning of our life? Where did we come from and where are we going? Is there really a Heaven and a Hell as the Bible claims? All of these questions point to one reality and truth: our life is not in our own hands - we cannot decide where and when we were born and when, where and how we die. That the source of life lies somewhere else and in someone else's hands is the basic reality we all have to face. We should live connected with the source of life or else we simply dry up and die. To be ready is to be alert and cautious whether we are constantly connected with the source of life or not.