Dear
Parishioners,
There
is a tradition in America to make some personal resolutions as we begin the New
Year. From a Christian perspective, this
attempt seems to be a bit misguided as
the new “church” year actually began for believers with Advent. This season—Advent—would have been a more appropriate time
for us to make changes to prepare for the Coming of Christ. I remind all of us of Advent’s two-fold
preparation: celebrating Christ’s First Coming (the Nativity) and awaiting His Second
Coming in glory to judge the living and the dead.
While
listening to an online presentation some years ago, one of the speakers mentioned a
rather intense and unique spiritual exercise.
Set a pretend date for your own death in a month and then do everything necessary to prepare for
that day. In other words, what would you do if you only had a month to
live and you knew you were about to meet God and face judgment—an eternal reward or punishment— in only a
month? What would you do if you knew
exactly the date of your own death?
This
brought to mind a song released by country singer Tim McGraw back in 2004: Live Like You Were Dying. The song tries to inspire a person to live
life to the fullest in the time remaining on earth.
Activities suggested included skydiving, mountain climbing, bull riding
and other bucket-list
activities. I think the song finally
reached much more spiritual depth when it spoke about loving deeper and giving forgiveness that long had been denied. The dying person spoke about becoming the husband that most of the time
he wasn’t and becoming a friend that a
friend would like to have. The song
goes on to mention reading the good book
(presumably the Bible) and ultimately facing eternity.
Well
then, let me bring this to a more Catholic perspective. All of us have limited time. We have a shelf-life whose expiration date is
known only to God. Even if we are given 100 years or more on earth, what is that brief time
compared to e-t-e-r-n-i-t-y? Eternity is forever. Remember that! Church teaching prepares us with the instruction that we all will inevitably
face death, judgment, heaven or hell at the end of our lives (the four last things).
What
would you do if that step from eternity were only a month away? Go ahead. Set the date. Pretend
that it was only a month away. What
would you do to get your life completely in order? Would you pray and go to Mass more
frequently? Begin now. Would you make a good,
sacramental confession like never before?
Start preparing now. Would you forgive that person who has hurt
you or ask forgiveness from someone you have hurt? Make the phone call or write the letter today.
Would you find more time for your children or grandchildren? Start now. Would you visit that neglected parent, grandparent,
aunt, uncle or friend? Just do it. What in your life needs to be done so that
when you meet God face to face and have to account for your life here on earth you
will be ready—completely ready?
Then [the king] will say to those on
his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the
devil and his angels. For I was hungry
and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no
clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did
we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and
not minister to your needs?’
He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of
these least ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal
punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.
(Mt. 25: 41-46)
Why not give it a try?
Just think of how much more spiritually mature and prepared you would be
after such a month of intense preparation! It could be like a spiritual boot camp.
Happy New Year!
Fr. Ed Namiotka
Pastor
Tim McGraw
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