Prepare for your exit
The story is told about a priest who asked a boy to come inside the church to pray but the boy refused, saying that his bike might get stolen. The priest told him: “Do not worry. The Holy Spirit will watch over your bike.” Once inside, the boy started to pray: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son. Amen.” When asked by the priest about the Holy Spirit, he replied: “Oh, He is outside watching my bike.”
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In today’s Gospel (Lk. 12, 32-48), Jesus tells us to be watchful and vigilant, “like servants who await their Master’s return from a wedding, ready to open the door immediately when He comes and knocks.” May we not become so engrossed in our worldly treasures such as material possessions, achievements, good name, etc., such that we lose sight of our true treasures in this life and in the life to come. As in our story, do we leave out God from our lives because we are so concerned with and focused on our material possessions?
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Let us ask ourselves today: How will I exit from this life? Will it be through a sudden death, a lingering illness or through a peaceful slumber? But beyond these we should ask: Will I exit in shame, in bitterness, in loneliness, in anger; or in peace, in contentment and in total surrender to God’s will? Let us continue to pray for the grace of a life well-lived, and a meaningful death.
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Speaking of vigilance, some years ago, while walking around our basketball court at Christ the King Seminary, I saw something quite unusual—a sprout growing out of the concrete pavement. On closer look, I saw a rotting mango fruit, and from its seed had come forth, a little stem with five little leaves! Wow! How did it survive in the concrete pavement? And how come it was not trampled upon or crushed in such a busy and much-frequented place? The message was clear—God protects those who trust in Him, and from death and decay will spring forth life and hope. It was such a life-giving moment for me.
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Today, let us find time to thank the Lord for the many times He made possible what we thought was impossible, and bearable what we thought was unbearable. Our faith in God does not make life problem-free. Our faith in God makes life despair-free.
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For those who think that their future is secure because they have enough, or more than enough worldly provisions, think again. Your money can give you assurance for your worldly comfort, but all your wealth can do nothing when the Lord summons you unannounced, to give Him your final accounting.
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When we finally leave this world, will we leave with cheers? Or jeers? And when we have crossed over into the great beyond, will the angels greet us with cheers? Or jeers? The choice is ours, by the lives we live.
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Today, this moment, let us pray for the grace to live meaningful lives, and for the grace of a happy death. Let us entrust our life, and the end of our life, to Him who gave us life. From Him we came, to Him we go back at the end of our life. Let us ask our Blessed Mother to be with us in our journey, and to bring us safely home to our final destination, heaven.
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Three reminders for those who take themselves and their wealth, talents or achievements too seriously: 1) You will die, sooner or later; 2) You are not that important; 3) You are not in control.
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Think about this: “Why are you not happy? It is because you make everything and everyone revolve around yourself. You are not the center. God is. The sooner you move out of the center, the better for you, and for the people around you.”
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Reminder to those who have many worldly treasures: “Sell your belongings and give alms,” and go after an “inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy.” And let us all be ready and prepared, “for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
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A moment with the Lord:
Lord, help us to prepare for our exit by living a life filled with love and faith. Amen.
