So be prepared……Remember thou art mortal

Today at Holy Mass we are reminder in the Gospel of St Luke that Jesus will return again…Whether we are alive for his second coming or we die and stand before God today…The fact remains - He is coming!….In the text presented to us today, a question is implied for us to consider - Are we ready to stand before the Lord?…..”Jesus said to his disciples: "Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master's return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them. And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants”…….Human beings have a way to “put off” uncomfortable realities…..”Get that our of your mind!”…..This is done as a self-defense mechanism - We all do this sadly…….To avoid the “800 pound gorilla” in the room - That we all must change - That we do not die on our terms - That we are judged on God’s terms and not our own….This is reality! - And this is something each of us MUST deal with….To “put off” thinking about our own death is not a wise way to live one's life…..Catholic Tradition over the centuries has a phrase for what I am trying to communicate to the reader in this reflection…..”Memento mori” is a Latin phrase meaning "remember that you must die”……All of us, Catholic and non-Catholics alike should never forget that the gift of time given to us is limited…What we do with that time is completely up to us….Jesus in the Gospel today at Mass is telling his friends to be prepared!…..He is also telling us the same thing…Death comes like a thief in the night - That is so so true….Do we have our “spiritual bags” packed and are we ready?

“Be vigilant at all times and pray that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man”

When I was 33 years old, one of my college roommates died of a heart attack…At the time, Ron was only 33 years old as well…Such an event should not happen - But it did! - And all of us who loved Ron were shocked!…I remember the day like it was yesterday…A college buddy called me at work to tell me Ron had passed…Ron went to see the Yankees play in the World Series…He came home to his apartment after the game…Had a slice of pizza at his kitchen table…Went into the bathroom and had a massive heart attack…His roommate found him died on the floor…..My buddy Andrew called to tell me - And I did not believe him - Straight up! - Why? - Because I could not allow myself to believe him!…So I called the family business where Ron worked with his Dad - When I asked for Ron Jr on the phone - An awkward silence fell over the conversation….The silence was broken by the words - “Ron had a heart attack last night and died”…I was in shock!……Fast forward…I am now 55 years old…..In the last 5 years four of my good friends have also died…Three of cancer and another one of a massive heart attack…..Why bring all this up - None of these deaths should have happened - But they did!…None of these guys - All “good guys” by the way, ever thought they would die young when they were in their twenties - But guess what? - They did die young and two died completely unexpectedly…..The story of my college roommate Ron should make us think long and hard about our own mortality….Are we ready to give an account of our life to God?…..Are we at peace with the events of our life and if not what are we doing to reconcile those events not only with ourself and those around us but with God himself…The old Catholic saying rings true to this very day…….”Memento mori” - “Remember that you must die”….When that day comes - And it will - Make sure you are ready!

Sacrifice or oblation you wished not, but ears open to obedience you gave me. Burnt offerings or sin offerings you sought not; then said I, "Behold I come."

St Luke’s Gospel today at Mass is not just a reminder but a warning - Each of us will die and some of us will die in a manner that was not accepted or planned - That is reality - So let that sink in deep!…So the question is - Are we “blocking out” this reality from our mind?…If we are, frankly, we are simply foolish!…..The “party ends” and for some it ends a lot earlier then others…….While this thought should concern us, if we are at peace with ourselves and with the Lord, we have nothing to fear….God is merciful and his mercy is endless…We however have to ask for that mercy - Don’t take the mercy of God for granted - That is a huge and costly mistake….When we are at peace with God - We can face any trial that comes our way - Even our own death…..One Sacramental Confession gets us to “that place”….Always have your “spiritual bags” packed - What we are told from the time of our youth is really true - Death comes to us all……So be prepared……Remember thou art mortal………JMJ

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