Just wait until your father gets home

                                                               

 (MT 24:37-44) Gospel Reading 12/01/19

As a child, I got myself into my fair share of trouble.  I am the middle child and embodied the definition of the “middle child syndrome” to a tee.  My younger brother followed the rules and rarely disappointed our parents.  Then there was me; opposite in every way – rebellious, selfish and living as if there were no real consequences.  After misbehaving at home, I vividly recall my mother reaching her limit and shouting, “Just wait until your father gets home!”  Sound familiar?

Let’s explore this scripture for a moment.  Two men working a field and two women working a mill.  One of each is taken away and the others are left behind. On face value, it appears the two taken are being rewarded; while the others are being punished.  I am not convinced that the reverse may be true, whereas those taken were perhaps removed because of their indifference, ill-preparedness and failure to stay awake to God’s calling.  Jesus sometimes speaks in ways I do not clearly understand. One message that jumps out here is that Jesus is advising me to stay awake.  But why?
   

Someone reading this may have been member of the Boy Scouts of America. I was for a short time and there was one adage that stayed with me over the years.  It was (and remains) the Boy Scout Motto, “Be Prepared!”  Preparedness is the cornerstone to scouting & survival.  It might be packing a survival kit that includes a pocket-knife, some twine and a pack of matches or maybe being reminded that a major storm will hit so stock up on water, food, gas and batteries.

Besides staying awake, being prepared appears to be the other important message in this reading.  Preparing oneself to acquire a state of mind & soul for the Lord.   Perhaps, this reading & and the Boy Scout Motto share a common thread in reminding us to be attentive and aware (MT 24:42) & to be on guard and in a state or readiness. (Mt: 24:44)

So, when I get lulled into sleep with the many distractions and temptations of this life, I must make a conscious effort to realign myself daily with God.  I must remain awake and stay prepared spiritually.  My dear friends, I implore you to stay vigilant in prayer.  Do not be lured into sleep by the evil one; for love will triumph over all malevolence.  The time is now to review your spiritual, survival kit.  Pack your bags for the trip home & be prepared for what is to come; because dad (Our Heavenly Father) is coming home.  Maybe sooner than we think.     

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving.

The Pilgrim

Christ the King

Quick Question. Who is the greatest King that ever ruled a kingdom? I know you’re thinking about Alexander the Great, Charlemagne, Louis the XIV and who could forget Henry the VIII. No, this is not a history exam. When I think of Kings, I think of the movie “Braveheart”. Braveheart is a 1995 epic historical medieval war drama film directed by and starring Mel Gibson. Gibson portrays William Wallace, a 13thCentury Scottish warrior who led the Scots in the first War of Independence against King Edward I of England. Actor Patrick McGoohan plays King Edward I, who is ruthless, cunning and deceitful. King Edward I of England shows no mercy when ruling his kingdom.

Today, we celebrate the last Sunday of the Church’s liturgical year, the Solemnity of Christ the King. We see in the Gospel of Luke 23:35-43, the passage of Jesus before Pilate. Pilate ask Jesus: “are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus reminds Pilate and us “that my kingdom does not belong of this world.” I can only imagine when Pilate heard that line, he probably said “REALLY!!!” Jesus was certainly not the kind of king Pilate feared. If his kingdom were of this world, then there would be people fighting to save him. Jesus established his kingdom and invites all of us to make a choice to be a part of it. Jesus is more powerful than any earthly ruler because His kingdom is one of everlasting Love.

Spoiler alert regarding the movie, “Braveheart”. William Wallace is condemned to public torture and beheading for high treason. Even while hanged, drawn and quartered, Wallace refuses to submit to the king. As cries for mercy come from watching the crowd deeply moved by the Scotsman’s valor, the magistrate offers him one final choice, asking him only to utter the word, “Mercy”, and be granted a quick death. Wallace instead shouts, “Freedom!”, and the judge orders his death. William Wallace made a choice. Either submit to the King or follow his heart.

We can make a choice in our life to follow our hearts. Christ the King will rule with mercy, wisdom and justice. Remember, his kingdom will have no end. We don’t have to look to the movie screens for our heroes. We only have to look at the stained glass windows for our Saints.

We can choose to walk in the life of Margaret Sanger who said, “It’s better to kill the unborn that are physically or mentally defective”, or we can choose to walk in the life of St. Mother Theresa, who gave dignity to the homeless, sick and dying on the street of Calcutta. We can choose to walk in the life of Catholic politicians, who vote for abortion to save their seats in congress, or we can choose to walk in the life of St. Thomas Moore, who lost his head to save his soul. We can choose to walk in the life of King Herod the Great, who slaughtered the innocent to save his throne; or we can choose to walk in the life of Jesus Christ, Christ the King; who came off his heavenly throne to save the Innocent.

Christ the King, Pray for us.

Stay Faithful.

In this weeks gospel  Luke 21: 5-19 Jesus explains  to the disciples that the world as they know it will come to an end.  He also explains what they can do as followers.  It starts with Jesus and the disciples discussing how beautiful Herod’s Temple is.  At the time it was something unbelievable to see.  It had been under construction for over 40 years.  There was incredible stone work, gold , and there was nothing like it anywhere. Still as impressive as it was Jesus warned that  one day it was going to collapse. He said that the entire temple would be “thrown down.”The disciples were taken back by this prediction and wanted to know more. Jesus continues with his  (doom and gloom) prophecy and gave three more signs to look for. The Signs were false prophets, natural disasters  around the world and  fighting among the nations.   Jesus also goes on to say that there will be a time when his followers will be persecuted.  They will be persecuted because of their belief in Him. Most importantly, Jesus also says that even though all of these terrible things will happen, don’t worry. Stand firm in your faith and you have absolutely nothing to worry about. 

      Personally, after reading this gospel I wasn’t too sure how much time we have left.  There are natural disasters popping up left and right. It seems like wild fires, hurricanes and every disaster possible has been happening. Let’s not forget about the  wars.  There is always a war going on someplace in the world. With all this going on you start to wonder how  long can we continue like this? Have you ever thought about it?  If we are truly in the “end days” are you ok with how you are living your Christian life? Are you content with how you walk the walk?  Are you ok with the way you display your faith in Jesus.  I spend a decent amount of time thinking about my life and death. Inevitably, I question how well I’m doing in God’s eyes. I start wonder if I’m “doing it right.” Am I the type do follower Jesus wants me to be?    Over the last few years I’ve been blessed  to have some incredible followers of Jesus in my life. They remind me that there is nothing that I can do to that is “wrong”  They remind me that God’s Grace is there to make up for the times that I think I fall short.   

     Just as Jesus prophesied the end of the world he also said that his disciples were to remain faithful.  When you read about the natural disasters and wars among nations it is very easy to get discouraged.  Thankfully Jesus, assures us that God will be with the us no matter what.   Maybe your natural disaster is something taking place inside your home and your war is with your spouse or co worker. It is in those times that Jesus is very  present. In every situation we face today and tomorrow Jesus will be present and ready to protect his followers.    The end of the world as we know it may very well be the start of the world as God knows it.  Stay faithful. 

Anonymous 

Jesus Changes the Conversation

In today's Gospel (Luke 20: 27, 34-38) we see the Sadducees, who denied the resurrection of the dead, pose a hypothetical question to Jesus.  They ask: if a woman marries a man and he dies, and she marries another and he dies, and another and he dies (x7 eventually), whose wife would she be at the resurrection?  They're trying to prove that because this question seemingly has no answer, the only conclusion to be drawn is that there will be no resurrection.    

In responding, Jesus follows a great rule: if you don't like what's being said, change the conversation.  It's not that Jesus is made uncomfortable by the question or can't handle it; it's that He knows the premise of the question is flawed.

Jesus explains that in the afterlife in Heaven, people will neither marry nor be given in marriage, because they will be like angels.  So no comparison can be made to the situation the Sadducees pose.  Therefore, there will be a resurrection, but we just don't know what it will be like.  

Exactly what that means, to be "like angels", none of us knows for sure.  But this all points out a reality of life: we can't comprehend what Heaven will be like because it will be so unlike life here on Earth.  It will be a state of perfection, and most of the reference points we have will be gone.  

I know that's not an answer to any mystery.  And I personally feel uncomfortable not knowing what Heaven will be like.  Maybe I can't decide if I want to go to Heaven unless I can know what it's like first.  If I can't give my wife and kids a kiss on the forehead at night, I don't think I want to go to Heaven.  

But that's the challenge of faith, my toughest challenge.  Being okay with an outcome I don't fully understand.  I'm a control freak, I am learning.  

So I pray.  I pray for acceptance of the idea that God has a plan to take care of us.  I also pray that that plan lines up with what I think I want out of life.  But like any good parent, God works more for what He knows His children need than what the children think they want.  

- The Older Brother