Fr. Bob
I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving. I was with my family. At diner I sat with my 6:3, 212 pound nephew. We both had seconds. But when he got up to go for his thirds I gave up. It’s hard to keep up with a growing 17-year old young man, not just at the dinner table but in practically anything he does.
Anyhow, t’s good to be back with you. As you may know, last Sunday I was at Lambo Field. Yep, things didn’t go so well for the Vikings that day. But the Packer ‘fans were surprisingly kind to us. In fact, they were almost feeling sorry for us. “Don’t feel bad.” They told us. “Ther’s always next year.” They’re right. It certainly isn’t this year.
At first glance today’s scripture readings seem as glum as the Vikings game last Sunday. Not much to cheer about. Like the dramatic image Jesus describes in in today’s Gospel passage from Matthew 24. “Two men in the field, one is taken, and one is left.” The Gospel suggests that those taken away are like those swept away by the great flood in Noah’s day.
So, what are the “distractions” in our lives that if we’re not alert to, like the man in field taken away, could easily sweep us away from what’s truly important in life? And so, the invitation in that story, stick with the Jesus who came for us and there’s less chance of being swept away by things in life that in the end really don’t matter.
Then in Romans 13 today’s second reading we hear “It’s the hour for you to wake from sleep.” In scripture, falling asleep is a metaphor for self-indulgent living in pursuit of things that really don’t matter.
Then again in Mathew 24, today’s Gospel passage Jesus tells his listeners, “Stay awake! For you do not know on which day the Lord will come.” That line makes me think. If I had but one year left to live is there anything about the way I’m living my life that I’d want to change or do differently? I can think of a few things. How about you?
A hospice chaplain who works with dying patients would sometimes ask her patients, “If you had any regrets, what would they be?” The answer that people often gave surprised me. “I wouldn’t have worried as much as I did.”
So, if I had but one year left to live that’d be one of the things I’d do differently. I’d make it a point not to worry so much. How about you? If you had but one year left to live, what would you change or do differently about the way you’re living your life?
So, in a busy time of year some questions to think about. And the Advent season we’re now in is not a bad time to think about them. What are the things about the way you’re living that you’d want to change. Make now the time to make those changes. And if not now when?