Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I was wondering what story could illustrate the main points of the readings on the start of this new liturgical year (the First Sunday of Advent) and then I went to the wake of a three-year-old boy in Queens last night. It gave me more material than I could have imagined. There were many tears and broken hearts and yet it was a celebration of a young, innocent child who was with the Father. Several young fathers were sincere about how this event at this beginning of Advent helped them to think of death and to humbly keep their feet on the ground. One of the grandmothers of the boy, Owen Francis, said when I saw how perfect he looked in the coffin with his suit I was at peace. Then she knew he was with God. One of the catechists had mentioned earlier that we are not here to propagate more kids into this world. Our mission is much greater: it is to bring them to heaven.
What a perfect introduction to this new year, this season of Advent which is to help us prepare for the Second Coming of Christ or our death, whatever one comes first. (Only the last nine days, a novena that starts on December 17th, is the immediate preparation for Christmas.) Our ignorance of when this will happen should lead us to be prepared for this event for ourselves and for those who are near to us. Even my mom’s death came as a surprise to me; I should have been more ready for it. I should have been there.
Two men will be in the field, one will be taken, one will be left. Two people are doing exactly the same thing and one is saved and the other is not. Each one will experience a totally different outcome and it all depends on how well each one was prepared. Stay awake the readings tell us! We don’t know the hour. Jesus Christ didn’t know, only the Father knows.
Many times, we are throwing spears or cutting others with swords, our words or even more often our thoughts and Isaiah promises us that all of this will be changed if we worship at the right mountain. When we worship at the wrong places, our relaxation, our plans, our projections for life everything stays the same. Use well this time of Advent to set more time aside to speak with the Lord and with those who are close to us, and He will change our hearts. Stay awake and put on the Lord Jesus Christ in our thoughts and deeds!