Dying Now

 

Wednesday’s Gospel (MK 13:44) has Jesus telling of the man who found a treasure in a field, and sold everything to buy it, and of a man who finds a perfect pearl and does the same.  Jesus is talking about the kingdom of heaven, in parables about how precious it is.  It is worth selling everything to obtain; nothing, no matter what our perception of happiness, nothing will make us happier.  There is no earthly thing which can make us happier, no matter how appealing it sounds now ---- Adam and Eve found that out.  Unfortunately, so do many humans since them.

So many things “seem” to make us happy, or “sound like” they will make us happy, and they are the focus of much of the world.  And so many people DO achieve those things, and then they long for more.  There is never enough money or friends or “likes”.  And many, having achieved their goal, ask: “Is that all there is?”  And yet they still struggle for one more thing or one more friend --- or one more day to live.  But they all eventually die, leaving behind what they struggled their whole life to attain.  Was that struggle to attain things worth it?

Jesus’ two stories tell of a different struggle, parables to explain the unending happiness He came to bring.  He is the treasure, the pearl.  Selling of our “self”, and all we have, to focus on Him and His teaching will bring us eternal happiness.  Even after dying, to this earthly life, our possession of this treasure lasts forever.  Jesus’ apostles forsook everything to follow Him.  They found Jesus Christ a cause worth living for, and a Kingdom worth dying for.

We will all die to this human life, and are dying even now as our remaining minutes tick down.  Are we better striving for earthly things which we will leave behind soon, or eternal things, which we will share, face to face, with God?  Our earthly focus on things here, which this body can appreciate, are like preparing for the best dinner ever.  Everyone says it is best; it costs an outrageous amount of money and time to make, but when we finally get it and eat it we say (as we belch happily), “it was forth it.”  But then tomorrow comes; it is all gone, and we ask ourselves “was it worth it?”

We are all dying now.  Do we focus on getting something here before we die, or do we focus on getting an eternal life, eternal happiness.  It might take a little longer to achieve, and perhaps take greater efforts (but maybe not), but the results will be better than we could even imagine, and last forever.  It took the apostles a long time to understand what Jesus was preaching, but they and millions after them took the time to learn, what God came to teach us.  We are made in His image, but we have to work to be His forever.

What are you focused on right now?  Is knowing and getting close to God at the top of your “bucket list”?  You know, you are dying now.

Fire!

 

The recent Eucharistic Congress has lit a fire in most attendees.  They want to evangelize, spread the belief in the truth that God is here, present in the Eucharist. They are like fires looking for kindling.  A local parish will begin study and discussions of the Wild Goose videos on The Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary.  They are extremely well-done explanations of Christ’s life which will create a kindling of hearts, and more people will, I’m sure, want to pray and live out their faith, to witness.  But at my men’s group meeting this morning, we were discussing a book on the Eucharist, and the table leader spoke of how he believes what the Church teaches, but he never really “felt” any presence of Jesus in that host.  And he looked around the table for assurance from the other men.  He had no consolations, so he has a weak faith.

Thoughts immediately poured into my heart, and I spoke.  Love, forgiveness and faith are things we WILL TO do.  No senses trigger them, nor result from them.  That person we commit to love, we may not “like”, and that thing we have faith in we may never have seen “proof” of, we love and have faith anyway.  That is how Jesus taught us to live --- as He did.  St. Teresa of Calcutta willed to love the smelly people she cared for and to do many other difficult things, and she had no consolations from God for over 30 years, but she continued to do as He taught.  Her life was no parties, no happy meals of great food and music --- but she did have one thing:  joy.  Her committed actions made her become what they represented, another Christ, as she continued to grow in love, and forgiveness, and in faith.  And with her growth came a joy which others say she “just radiated.”  THAT was not something she willed; It was a gift.

I enjoyed the Gloria Purvis speech at the Eucharistic Congress on Saturday.  She spoke of a focus on unity, as children of God, which is a form of loving our neighbor --- all of them, but she never spoke the word love, nor witness, which is how we best evangelize.  “Hey, look at them!  See how they love one another!” is how the Romans identified Christians for persecution, even as their witness of faith triggered others to become Christian.

I think the rosary study groups at the local parish will deepen the faith --- and commitment to love --- in many lukewarm Catholics, which is good.  But a broader, more noticeable witness is needed, like that of the apostles who fell on their faces in awe of God at the Transfiguration of Jesus.  As my men’s group gave witness, many Catholics are far from in awe of the Real Presence they commit to believe.  A real question to be pondered is how we can witness in such a way that others will say “Hey.  Look at them! …”

They need to look at us and yell: Fire!

If You Say It, Mean It

 

The Surrender Novena is a prayer for our troubled times.  The novena has, for nine days, a short reflection in which Jesus speaks to you, telling you to not worry, to not be anxious.  He is here for us.  Each day’s prayer then ends with us responding to Jesus: “O Jesus, I surrender myself to You, take care of everything!”

Last Tuesday I received a call from the repair company telling me the part I needed was in, and asking if could they come next week (today) to install it.  My calendar was clear, so I said yes.  But then some things needed purchase, and by Sunday my checking account was low.  Should I skip my Sunday donation this week, so I had enough money for the repair man?  I finally decided no, it’s Gods money not mine, so I made my usual church donation.  This morning, as the repairman visited, I looked at the checking book balance.  What now?

Does the repair man accept credit cards?  If my check to his company bounced, what would be the penalty from my bank, from his company?  Should I just re-schedule the appointment and try and synchronize our schedules again?  Tomorrow my monthly Social Security check is due; maybe any check I wrote today won’t clear until then?

I decided to just wait and ask the repairman, if he knew, or could suggest action.  I’m sure he likely ran into this situation in the past.  So, he came over this morning and made the repairs.  And when he was done, he came over to me and said:  The amount due is $165.00 dollars.  I looked in my checkbook.  The balance I showed?  $167.54. 

Now, I rarely balance my checkbook, so the actual amount was probably more or less, still, in my heart I heard that small still voice saying: “Didn’t I say not to worry?  Didn’t you tell me: ‘O Jesus, I surrender myself to You, take care of everything?” 

I could only smile.  If you PRAY it, mean it.