Living Ready in the Here and Now

HOMILY: First Sunday of Advent (C)

Luke 21:25-28, 34-36

28 November 2021 

Fr. Ricky Cañet Montañez, AA

Lola Isca or Francisca Montes Susano was the oldest living Filipino at 124 years old until she recently passed away peacefully in her home in Negros Occidental. She was believed to be older than the current title holder of oldest living person in the world— Kane Tanaka of Japan who is 117 years old. One of her grandsons Jonathan Susano said that “Lola Isca had no illness although she had a wound on one side of her body from lying on the bed for a long time.” (Wala siyang sakit. Pero may sugat siya sa kanyang tagiliran dala siguro ng matagal na pagkakahiga.) The Negrense supercentenarian was born on September 11, 1897, even before the declaration of the Philippine Independence. She has outlived the Spanish influenza, the Philippine Revolution, the Spanish-American War, Philippine-American War, World Wars 1 and 2, Cold War and Martial Law. She had 14 children, one of whom is already a centenarian, herself,  at the age of 101. (Nasa lahi talaga!) She has 400 grandchildren. We are told that the secret to Lola Isca’s long life is eating vegetables, abstinence from alcohol, playing the harmonica and having a positive outlook in life. 

Not many of us will be given such a loooong…long life like that of Lola Isca. As Psalm 90:10 declares: Seventy is the sum of our years, or eighty, if we are strong; most of them are toil and sorrow; they pass quickly, and we are gone.” Imagine, to have reached seventy years old is already considered a blessing! To put things more into perspective,  many people have died unexpectedly because of the pandemic. The reality of death has never been so apparent for most of us than during this time. 

When we are in relatively good health, we do not seriously consider the need to prepare for our definitive encounter with the Lord. However, with the onslaught of this health crisis, we are suddenly forced to respond to this persistent and urgent call of the Gospel to a life of vigilance and preparedness. 

A friend told me how scared she was listening to the apocalyptic readings at mass last week. The thought of our end and the world’s end is indeed a tragic thought. Many are scared these days as they consider the signs of our times. This need for readiness is not a reason to be anxious nor to be afraid. Rather, we should be prepared at all times because the Lord said he would come at the most unexpected hour. The Gospel proposes a very different ending as Jesus enjoins His followers that “when these signs begin to happen, they are to stand erect and raise their heads because their redemption is at hand.” (Luke 21:28) The true essence of the Gospel’s invitation to us followers of Christ then is not of fear, but of courage and of faith in our God. In the KDrama, Hometown Cha Cha Cha, Mrs. Kim Gam Ri advises Hong Doo Shik: “Life seems to be very long, but after living it, you will realize how short it is. Get rid of superfluous thoughts and live true to yourself”.  So, it really isn’t about whether we live as long as Lola Isca. 

One Bible commentator said, “It is not about getting ready, but about living ready.” The only solution is to be ready here and now and leave the future to take care of itself. In other words what matters is the present. The prepared person lives constantly in the present and seeks to please God there. A life so lived in the present takes care of itself in the now and in its future. The simple daily choices to do good, such as making a real effort to be patient with an ailing parent, checking one’s self before erupting in a fit of anger and frustration, and offering a helping hand to those struggling around us — these are the practical ways by which we remain vigilant and prepared.  These are ways by which we will be able to “stand erect” before the Lord at the end. St. Paul advises the Thessalonians, anxious of the Lord’s return, to keep it simple and allow God to “make them increase and abound in love for one another and for all” and “strengthen their hearts in holiness.” (1 Thessalonians 12-13)

So, while we wait for the Lord’s return, the best preparation is to live fully every moment.  (He lived a full life! This is what we usually hear people say at wakes and funerals.) We have to simply do what is expected of us: to care for our family, to be fair in our relationships and just in our work places. Try to be prayerful, to be true and faithful to God in all our ways.  Believe that in our fidelity to the smallest acts of goodness will eventually create a habit and an attitude of vigilance! Without you knowing it, you would have managed to ready yourself for the Lord’s return, whenever that may be. We do not know the hour nor the day, so Jesus urges all of us to be prepared, be vigilant and to stay awake. Live in the presence of the Lord at all times, and be ready to meet the Master at any given time with a clear conscience. 

Today, I pray for you, as Paul prayed for the Thessalonians — “May the Lord make [us] increase and abound in love for one another and for all,… so as to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His holy ones. Amen.”  (1 Thessalonians 12-13) Let us pray for ourselves and ask for the grace to be guided by God and the timelessness of His wisdom. As the psalmist in Psalm 90:12 says, “Lord, teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart.”