Dear Brothers and Sisters,
This time of year reminds me of the holy death of my father who was only 64 years old. He had been going to daily Mass for about the last ten years of his life and this helped him a lot. He was surrounded by his five sons; we said the rosary together; that was a first and a priest came by to give him Last Rites without being called and it was the feast of the Apostles Simon and Jude. It was a beautiful passing to the next world. Perhaps it was my return to the Church that led him to start to seek the Lord more seriously. We don’t know the effects our actions, good or bad, can have on others.
The Church helps us to think of these eternal truths at this time of year. These reflections are so important so that we are prepared to die well and to face our Last Judgment without fear and with a great longing to see the Lord. This reality helps us to put our life in the right perspective. We are only stewards here. This is not our definitive home; we are made for something much greater where there will be such an intense love and communion with God and with others that there is no need for marriage.
Only Christ is king. Not you or me or Biden or Trump or anyone else. The bad thief says to Jesus Christ to take him down off the cross. The other thief says take me up. What is your prayer? Lord, take me out of this mess or is it, Lord, take me up into a higher understanding of you and my life, my sufferings.
The good thief confesses first, and then Paradise opens to him. By confessing his guilt, he dares to ask for the kingdom. He sees on the cross how the King gave his like for his subjects. He was the Shepherd/King. He gave freely his life for his sheep. This is what moved St. Dimas, as he is called, to not be afraid to beg for his salvation. The first man in heaven is a thief and a murderer.
So, in the coming weeks let us think of the next step that we can take in getting closer to Our Lord during this time of Advent. To confess our sins every two or three months is the best way we can prepare for our death and our Final Judgment. If we live this devotion faithfully, we will not be afraid to see our God. We will look forward to it.
To remit the punishment due to our sins we should do small acts of service and of self-denial. What is better to do it here or to wait till purgatory? I think to do it here so we can do it freely. In purgatory there is no choice. The Church doesn’t want us to be caught by surprised but to anticipate our death and to clean ourselves up.
What can we do to prepare ourselves for that event? Confess our sins, for sure. But also, to be in a small Christian community where we get to know ourselves and others more deeply. Let us be willing to follow the Lord more intentionally and be willing to take the next step before Christmas.