1st Advent - Fr. Leo
“Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke)
A couple of weeks ago, I received a text from a friend who asked for prayers. He was anxious about a major heart surgery that was coming up this month. He mentioned his anxiety as a tool of the devil. That was an interesting take. Yes, we can over worry and become victims of catastrophizing when it comes to major events that lie before us. I think doing so is normal, but there comes a point where it can be a sign of a faith that we have not yet reached.
No one wants to die, I get that and we want to survive surgeries. Most of the time people do. But what if in that rare case of death, can we in time see that as sad, but Ok? With faith we look at death as an incredible blessing. There loved one is with God, it can’t get any better than that.
Yes, we morn. We should and must. But in time grace can turn that into blessing, a moment of knowing God’s love beyond the boundaries of our thinking and our hearts. There will be the felt realization that as we heal, our loved one is with the Lord and can intercede for us as we intercede for them
In November, we took the month to remember and celebrate our dead. And in our prayer we embraced their physical death, but by grace, the splendor of heaven that is theirs, brings us peace, joy and an anticipation of the day we will join them. Many older people talk about their parents more as they near death and often long to be with their loved ones again.
We don’t need to rush death, but a lively faith may bring us some peace as we face life’s uncertainties. Let us pray, for one another and all who are troubled like Christ in the garden of Gethsemane and ask that an angel of comfort may come to them who cry out to the Lord.