Father Bill's Pondering from October 8:
The first thing I did today when I arrived at the rectory at St. Matthew was to turn off the air conditioning and open all the windows. This is one of the many pleasures that comes our way when Summer turns to Autumn. With the threat of high temps and high humidity fast retreating it seems like a good time to air out the house before we must button it up against the frigid temps of winter. This is also a wonderful way of removing the smells of summer, both the good and not so good ones. A new season and, as it were, a new start.
Another thing we will find ourselves doing soon is preparing for Winter. This may include cutting and stacking wood, getting our furnaces cleaned, or tuning up the snowblower. For us hearty Mainers, this is just what we do so that when the cold of winter descends upon us, we have a warm and safe home in which we can take refuge. Of course, we will all, hopefully, have the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful display of colors that Autumn presents to us before the black and white of Winter takes over.
When we stop and think about our routines it would appear that we spend a lot of time preparing for what comes next. Whether it is the next season, the next day, or our next vacation, we get ourselves ready for what is to come. While we may not be able to see into the future, we do have the ability to prepare contingency plans for dealing with the unknown.
On more than one occasion, Jesus shared a parable with the people of His time and with us that reminds us that we do not know the day nor the hour when He will return to judge the living and the dead. I am certain that He is not saying these things to scare us, nor is he saying them to force us into anything. Instead, Jesus, knowing that it is part of the human condition to prepare for what comes next, wants us to remember to spend as much time getting our souls ready for what comes next as we do getting the rest of ourselves ready.
His very first message to us is a call to repent and to turn away from sin. He gives this command as He also announces that the Kingdom of God is at hand. From the get go, Jesus is calling us to get ready for something new, something extraordinary that is coming our way.
Jesus also reminds us to stay alert. The competition for our attention is great. Politics, work, school, family, fun, and a host of other stimuli demand our time and attention. Each of us is being pulled in many directions and it may very well be difficult to take care of our minds, bodies, or souls with so many things vying for our attention. Jesus’s call to be alert reminds us once again to be attentive to the whisper of God, and the promptings of the Holy Spirit as we navigate the noise of our world. God is talking to us and if we do not deliberately and intentionally listen, we may very well miss what we most need.
Jesus also told us that, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.”(Jn 6:54) Along with giving us instructions on how to prepare for eternal life; loving God and neighbor, feeding the poor, clothing the naked, being generous with mercy and forgiveness, Jesus also gave food that provides the strength and courage we need to follow Him through Good Friday to Easter. The food Jesus gives us is his very body and blood. The food Jesus gives us, the blood He sheds for us, gives us what we need to be prepared to live well now and for eternity in paradise.
Jesus spent much of His time on this earth teaching us how to live well with one another. He taught us the importance of love, the power of mercy, the usefulness of humility, and the grace that comes our way through suffering. He is the Prince of Peace who challenges us to reveal a glimpse of heaven on earth. Jesus also spent much of His time on this earth helping us to prepare for the life that is to come. His challenge, His example, His teaching, His death and resurrection all revealed to us that He has come to make all things new and to restore us to our exalted destiny. He came to show us what was in store for us and to prepare us for the fullness of that which we have only had a glimpse. Put simply Jesus came to show us heaven on earth and to teach us how to prepare for what comes next.