19^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear friends in Christ, 

Watchfulness: The Mark of a True Christian 

Dear brothers and Sisters in Christ, Sacred Scripture is replete with various images regarding the coming of the kingdom of God. One of them is the image of the thief who comes at an unexpected hour. The end will come for us in the same way. The keyword to bear in mind is “watchfulness”. Keeping vigil is no easy matter. We must employ various means to stay awake and remain alert in order to avoid licentiousness and vanities and focus on the things that endure: faith, hope and love. In relation to this, Saint John Mary Vianney exhorts: “Dear Children, a day will come, perhaps it is not far off when we must bid adieu to the world, adieu to our friends, adieu to our relations, when we shall return no more. Our poor bodies that we take such care of will go away into dust and our souls trembling will appear before the Good God(…) Unfortunately some hardly think of death, then it comes and behold they have nothing. Faith, hope and love are all dead within them. Prepare for death. Life is a preparation for death.”

Saint Mechtilde aware of the torments of the devil at the moment of death and the frailty of the soul at that dreadful hour beseeched the Virgin Mother to help her at that awful moment. Our Lady then appeared to her and said: “Certainly l will. But l also want you to say three special hail Marys to me every day. “She further explained that the first is in honour of the Omnipotence of God the Father. She would use the power of God the Father to keep any hostile power away from her at the hour of death. The Second will be in honour of the wisdom of Jesus Christ , God the Son. In the hour of death she would fill the soul with the light of that wisdom so as to dispel the darkness of ignorance and error. The third Hail Mary will be in honour of the sweetness and tenderness of the love of God the Holy Spirit. She would use it to change the bitterness of death into Divine sweetness and delight.

Could we make this practice ours and also pray through the intercession of Saint Joseph Patron of Good death that we may die reconciled to God and in his peace just as he (Joseph) had died in peace, in the embrace of Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mother.

Brethren, let us remember the last four things: Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell. Death will come sooner or later. Will we be ready? There is need to do daily examination of conscience,  to do good while we can, to forgive and reconcile as soon as possible and above all to live a sacramental life. If we do these, death will be a homecoming and not a nightmare. The exhortation of Saint Peter to us is timely:  “Be vigilant because your enemy the devil is prowling round like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand up to him strong in faith.” (1 Pet 5: 8-9)

Remain blessed 

Fr. Marcel Kofon.