I read about three men in a hospital maternity waiting room. A nurse announces to the first, “Congratulations! You have one boy." The man says, "How about that! I'm president of CapitalOne!"
A few minutes later, the nurse reappears and says to the second man, “Congratulations! You have twins!" He replies, "What a coincidence! I own the Minnesota Twins!"
The third man starts crying, and the nurse asks, "What's wrong?" He says, "I work at Seven Up"!
Well, our God can be a God of surprising coincidences.
We’re approaching the end of the liturgical year which relives the story of our salvation. It begins with Advent (where we re-experience the hope for a Messiah), then Christmas or the birth of the Messiah, then through Lent to the dying and rising of Jesus at Easter. Finally, after Ordinary Time, Jesus Christ comes “in great power and glory,” and next Sunday we will crown him king of the universe.
Yes,
we await the second coming of the Lord Jesus when God will transform this universe
into a glorious kingdom in all its fullness. The question is, are we ready to enter the dazzling light of Jesus
Christ, where we will see who we really are. That light will illuminate our better or worse selves.
Now, the Book of Daniel takes us back to a crisis. Greek oppressors are trying to force the Jews to give up their faith, to deny their covenantal relationship with God. Daniel pleads: don’t give up despite the cruelties you’re enduring; the archangel Michael will protect you; God will win and you will shine brightly. Yes, good will triumph.
The Word challenges us to persevere despite doubts we may have about God’s presence, especially in difficult times.
The letter to the Hebrews recalls the one sacrifice of Jesus. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus re-established our relationship with God.
The Word challenges us to grow in that relationship by living a life of discipleship with Jesus.
In the Gospel, Jesus speaks about an apocalypse: a darkened sun, an unlit moon, falling stars, all symbolic and scary images.
Jesus Christ will usher in the glorious kingdom of God in all its fullness. The Gospel author urges us always to be ready to meet the Living Christ because we don’t know when He actually will come to us.
The Gospel asks whether we are ready now.
Today’s Gospel brings to my mind a medieval fable about a man who sent an employee to the Baghdad marketplace. There the employee saw the figure of death. Death seemed to look threateningly at him. He rushed back to his employer and begged for a horse to flee. His boss obliged and the employee galloped off to the City of Samara. Later, the businessman went to the Baghdad market and he too saw the figure of death. He asked why he had stared so threateningly at his employee. Death replied, “That was a look of surprise to see him in Baghdad. You see, I have an appointment with him in Samara tonight.”
This fable reinforces the theme of watchfulness or readiness. Are we ready
to meet God in the mystery of death? What do we have to do today in order to be
ready? We know that some things can delay death. We can exercise, eat right,
stop smoking, and so on. But we ultimately will have to keep an appointment
with death.
The good news is this. As people of
faith, we know that the God who gave us
life will transform our earthly self into a new heavenly self. That's the Easter message.
So how do we prepare to meet God?
First, value each day as a gift from God and live today well.
We were created to live in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ by the power of the Spirit. Without that relationship we will feel empty deep inside. As St, Augustine wrote, “God, you have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” Yes, no matter who we are or what we do, our true purpose is to be in relationship with God. That makes life worth living.
So take every opportunity, no matter what the circumstances, to do the right thing, to make our life worth living. You've heard the saying: Cowardice asks the question, is it safe? Expediency asks, is it politic? Vanity asks, is it popular? But, conscience asks, is it right?
Yes, many times in life, we have to ask, “What is the right thing to do?” And then just do it.
