TakeHome-ily: On Readiness and Seeing Him

Today, I went for a Monday mass with my parents and the priest has a very basic yet remarkable homily.

He said:

“Whenever we attend the mass – every Christian (Catholics most especially) HAVE SEEN THE LORD – we just didn’t recognize IT.“

Have you seen Him?

Yes we have. We all have. Others may say we see Him through the cross. It’s correct, but what if there is no cross. How else do we see God during the mass?

We see Him, through the host. The host which other people may think – it is just a bread. A bread that others sees it as nothing. But the bread with the wine are two important things in life. We eat bread and drink (water/wine) to survive. These two are essential in living. As Catholics, we believed that the bread represents Christ’s body and the wine is His blood. In life, we don’t only eat, and eat and eat without drinking. We don’t drink, and drink and drink wihtout eating. These two must go together, without it we die. I love how the priest delivered it in the Cebuano dialect . . . “Pareho sa pan/bino – ang Ginoo, kung wala cya, wala pud kita. “Kung wala Ko – wala ka na” (patay ka na). (“Just like the bread and wine, without it – we will not survive. And as the Lord always says, without Him we are nothing). – John 15:5

The Lord sees us everyday. the question is, do we recognize Him?

We mostly fail to see Him in our day to day life – that’s why we fall into sin. Let’s be reminded, that the Lord is everywhere. In the mass, He is the host. Outside He is the neighbor that annoys you. At work, He is your boss or colleague that challenges your patience. He could be that noisy kid near you . . . God is everywhere. God is with us, He is Emmanuel.

Another take home-ily (homily) I had today is the common joke we often hear from priests.

He asked:

Priest: I have 2 questions: First, Who among you here wants to go to Heaven?

Crowd: Everyone raised our hands. ( :) Smiling and seemed ready for the next question)

Priest: Very good . . . Now the second question. Who wants to go to heaven, – NOW?

Crowd: (No one raised their hand, including myself) – and a roar of laughter answered that question.

Priest: “Mao na di ha…Ngano man nga way gusto mo adto sa langit? If heaven has everything. If Heaven has it all, it has endless happiness?”. (That’s what we’re saying… Why is it no one wants to go to heaven? If heaven has everything. If Heaven has it all, if it has endless happiness?”)

Crowd: Silent, listening intently… (that includes myself again – asking the same and my mind was wandering why.)

Priest: No one wants to go now, kay ang tao daghan pa kaayo ug kabilinggan. Naa pa koy trabaho, naa pa koy pamilya, naa pa koy kini, naa pa koy mao ni – mao na. (No one wants to go now, because we still have some earthly concerns and things/people we don’t want to give up. I still have work, I have my family, I still have this or that. . . . )

He continued . . .

Priest: Naa di ay tay choice kung oras na? (Do we have a choice if it’s time?)

The very reason why no one raised their hands for the second question is because, we are not ready yet. You are not ready yet. Because IF YOU ARE READY – who would not like to go now? If heaven is a place for continous happiness, where everything is present – why not go now? Aside from the fact that we are not ready yet because of the things or people that we may leave – ARE WE ACTUALLY READY?” Examine your life and ask again, if today – the Lord will ask, come with me in heaven. Will you go with Him?”

Will you go with Him, thinking that you are ready?

Spiritually ready?

Have you lived your life for Christ?

* * * This simple joke from the priests maybe taken lightly by others, but going deeper than the usual, it is a remarkable reminder of how we should actually live our life. Living a life ready when He calls us. A life that we must be proud of – because you can claim that you have lived your life for the Lord. * * *

So the next time, the priest or a spiritual speakers asks –

Will you go to heaven? Will you go to heaven now?

What will be your answer?

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Let this be our Prayer:

Dear Lord,

Tonight, as we lay our body to our bed – may You allow us to be ready when you call. Allow us to offer our life for Your glory. If one day, you ask me to come back to you, make me ready. Ready for your call.

In Jesus name. Amen.

God bless,