A&W (AWE AND WONDER)

Last week, we said, Life is a journey. In the journey of life, we are always looking for signs. At first blush, today's gospel also seems to be about signs (and perseverance). But I think there is more...something much more important - awe and wonder. 

Some years back on a business trip to Auckland, New Zealand, I extended my visit, flew to Christchurch, and rented a car to explore the southern island.  I wanted to get to Milford Sound on the southern-most tip of the island to see the Norwegian-like fjord. 

I asked, How do I get there? What signs should I look for? I was told, Don’t worry about it, mate, just drive south and open your eyes to the splendor of God’s creation in our land. How right they were!

The vistas were spectacular: the land of one-lane bridges, as the locals call it, with three million people and 70 million sheep, breath-taking, winding roads through rolling green hills, snow-capped peaks, pristine lakes, petrified forest, rugged shore line, and so much more.  And, yes, I got to Milford Sound. What a blessed adventure!

More importantly, it awakened in me the wonder and amazement of the Eternal Beauty. Awareness of the Divine begins with wonder. 

As Plato wrote, 2,400 years ago in Banquet, The true order of one's journey is to use the beauties of earth as steps along which one mounts upwards for the sake of that other Beauty. 

Conversely, indifference to the sublime wonder blinds us to the Holy Presence...and is the root of sin. In other words, if we could remain aware of God's presence with us at all times, we could not sin. Think about that. If we could remain aware of God's presence with us, we could not sin!

Though we believe God is with us, the problem is we forget. And when we forget, temptation can get the best of us.

In today’s gospel, folks were looking to the future...instead of focusing on God's very presence with them...in the person of Jesus. They were looking for a sign from Jesus as to when the days will come [to an end].  When will this happen?, they asked. What sign will there be? Why worry about the future when God is already with us? 

Jesus said in essence, Forget about a sign that the time has come. And in another gospel passage, Jesus tells us, No one knows the day nor the hour.

A story is told of a man who rushes to his master’s hacienda, and begs to borrow his fastest horse.  The patrón asks why, and he responds that he had just met Death at the mercado, who gave him a look of fear, and so he must ride out as quickly as possible to take shelter in the distant sanctuary of Casa Santa Maria.

The patrón gives him his fastest horse, and off he rides. But the master is curious and decides to go to the mercado to check out the worker’s story. There, he meets Death and asks, Why did you give my servant the look of fear?

Death replies, That wasn’t the look of fear. That was the look of surprise. I did not expect to see him here, for I have a date with him tonight...at Casa Santa Maria.

The end will come for each of us. When death does, its hand will not be stayed even an instant. We cannot run and hide, even in a holy sanctuary.

Today we come to the last Sunday of Ordinary Time in Year C of our Liturgical Year. Next week we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King, and then Advent begins again for Year A. The end of year is symbolic of the end of our journey…the end of life.

Perhaps we would all like to know when that day will be. But since we don’t know the day nor the hour, what are we to do? Wiser sages have said, Live today as if it were your last, for it may be.  This may be both wise and perhaps not a little daunting. There may be another way.

I often find wisdom in Calvin and Hobbes, Winnie the Pooh, and other “children’s” books. For example, in the latter, Pooh is asked, What is your favorite day? His response, Today, because I get to spend it with you.

Jesus came not to prepare us for our death or some future encounter on “judgment day”, but so that we might spend our time with him…with God…TODAY!

There is no need to look for signs to our hoped-for destination. Journey in any direction and take in the splendor of God’s creation. Let us open our eyes to the awesome wonder of the true Beauty...the holy presence of God.