Four Moments to Die: And the Final Conversation with the Lord

 (Fr. Andrew’s Homily for Sunday 3^rd, 2023)

Advent is the memorial of the Lord’s first coming and an expectation of His future coming. He came once in the past to Bethlehem, in order to come to every person in every time and place. He will come again to see whether we have welcomed Him or not. He will remember the doors which he found closed in Bethlehem. He will remember the hearts which He found closed in history, the ears which were not open to Him. “I was a pilgrim, and you did not welcome Me. I passed by in my messengers, I reached out to you through my Gospel, I called out to you so many times, whispering to your spirit, and you did not welcome me...” Today’s readings are an invitation to figure ourselves at that moment, when the Lord comes for us, for each one of us, to have the final conversation.

1.  When will He come? “Watch, therefore; you do not know when the lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning” (Mark 13:35). Unless we are alive at the second coming of the Lord, the Lord will come for each one of us at the hour of our death. The Lord mentions four different times: evening, midnight, at cockcrow and in the morning. We can see a progression, from the most expected moment to die to the least expected. We live thinking that we will die in the evening of life, as honorable senior citizens. But if you make it to midnight (late 80’s and 90’s?) you probably stop thinking that death will be any time soon. Still less expected, but possible, is death at cockcrow, at the beginning of life... and least of all is death expected in the morning, when we are too busy enjoying life to even think that we may die one day. When will the Lord come for me? Am I ready for the final conversation?

2.  What will that final conversation be about? Would words be even necessary? One look of our Lord will be enough for us to know what happens next. We will feel known, perfectly understood, and in His eyes we will see clearly the verdict. The book of Revelation pictures the Lord’s eyes as flames of fire (cf. Revelation 1:14). Fire of love for those who did good and, also, for those who did bad but repented. Fire of anger for those who did not love and, also, for those who did not love to the end, those who began well but did not persevere.

But yes, the Lord will talk. He will say, as we heard last Sunday, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father” (Matthew 25:34). We hope to hear those words, and not the other words, addressed to those on the left. The Advent season, however, is time to ask ourselves “Can Jesus say those words to me, truly?” Am I truly blessed by the Father? Am I open to receive his blessings? We all are open to receive blessings of health and material things but, am I open to receive spiritual graces in prayer? Am I open to receive mercy, conversion, forgiveness, the knowledge of Scriptures, the wisdom of the cross? Am I open to receive a vocation, a mission? Am I open to receive God himself as my blessing? How do I receive the blessing of Holy Communion? Do I even think that God is my portion, my happiness and my blessing? What are my blessings? Am I truly blessed by God the Father? Do I let those blessings in?

3.  Jesus will say also, “Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34). God has been thinking of me since the foundation of the world. He prepared for me Kingdom. Have I prepared a manger at least for Him? What is the place for God in my life? Can I expect a Kingdom from God? Yes, actually. You can, you still have time. Advent season is the time to prepare a Kingdom for God in your own heart. It may seem humble to you, but remember that His first throne was a manger and His last throne was a cross. A humble heart is the best throne for God, a heart crucified by sorrow for your sins. The Advent season is a time for penance and reconciliation, so that our heart may be Jesus’ throne. The Advent season is a time for prayer, so that the Lord may never be left alone while He is in our hearts.

4.  Can Jesus say to me, “I was hungry and you gave me food... I was a stranger and you welcomed me”? (Matthew 25:35). Advent is also a time of charity, of welcoming my brother for Jesus. The world’s charity, however, is not always like the Lord’s charity. When we have faith, the people we help are not inferior to us, even if they may be less fortunate. The people we help are our superiors, because we serve the Lord in them: “Whatsoever you did to the least of my brothers or sisters, you did to me” (Matthew 25:37). When we help them, we are not simply giving alms, we are paying a debt. We do not help them just because they are like us and deserve their human dignity, we help them because they are like Christ. We help them because God loves them, and wow to us if we are not their friends.

Advent is a time to watch, to get ready for the Lord’s coming. When will He come for me? In the evening, at midnight, at cockcrow or in the morning? And so that we are ready, we can ask ourselves: what are the blessings I need to receive from Him, before He comes? Have I prepared a Kingdom, for Him? Can I prepare a manger, at least? He takes whatever you can offer, what matters to Him is to be with you. In this Advent season, may the Lord truly come to our lives, so that our lives may shine with the splendor of that Holy Night.