What kind of treasure are you saving up? People plan for their futures all the time. People plan for a house or marriage or kids or vacations or remodelling or retirement, but the question this weekend is, what are you planning for? All these things are good things to plan and prepare for, but if you are not also planning and preparing for eternity, all those good things are for nothing.
You cannot take your wealth and riches and savings with you into eternity. You CAN take grace and sacraments with you into eternity.
So many people see the sacraments as something to get done and then move on with their lives. Some even hilariously see confirmation as graduation from learning the faith. How comical that we think we can ever be done learning and living the faith, especially at third grade! What third grader knows everything they need to know about the faith at that age?
Keep your kids in PSR and Catholic School and youth group and teach them to never stop learning and living the faith. Teach them by your actions to be part of a small group at our Church, or part of a bible study or Cursillo small group. Teach them to be part of the men’s and women’s groups in the parish. Teach them that you never stop learning the faith.
Take the opportunity to teach them to pray, to study, and to live out the sacraments; to see the sacraments less as something to get through, but instead something to embrace and to live out our entire life. The grace of prayer, fasting, and sacraments are what we need to store up. That relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church and His people are something that will not only bring us to life everlasting, but it will make it so that it is not something to fear but to embrace.
I have watched and prepared many people for death. For those who have lived the faith and embraced the sacraments, it is peaceful and beautiful. For those who have lived for the world alone and not for the Lord, it is terrifying and nerve-wracking.
What are you planning for? If it isn’t for heaven, all the planning in the world will not bring eternal comfort. If you plan for heaven, all the planning for the world to come will bring eternal joy.
I thank you for your prayers for my latest surgery. Please continue to pray for me as I recover from this most recent hernia surgery. Be patient if I am slow to get back to you, or seem a little spacey. The anaesthesia wreaks havoc. The incision hurts, but it isn’t awful. I will be doing some things in Mass differently for awhile, just to make sure I don’t re-herniate again.
Be sure I am following doctors’ orders in needing to take it very easy for awhile. Thank you to Fr. Ken and the missionary priest who was here this last weekend, Fr. Brendan, as both stepped up to make sure I could rest this week. Know of my gratitude for your continued prayers and patience.
Fr. Arisman