19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect,
the Son of Man will come.”

Lk 12:32-48

Last July 20 (?) we recalled the terrible earthquake of 1990 (?). I remember being in a car at the intersection of Ayala Avenue and EDSA. We were waiting for the traffic light to turn green. Along the way we noticed a lot of people were on the streets. That was strange. When we arrived home, to our dismay we saw furniture and cabinets in disarray. What happened? We learned soon enough about the earth-quake that had struck which we did not feel. We also learned later that the Hyatt and Nevada Hotels crumbled to the ground. The wife of Jaime Laya died, but Senator Roco's wife survived. She was under the rubbles of Nevada Hotel for 36 hours.

Because of that terrible tragedy schools were ordered to organize evacuation drills. We live in what is called the ring of fire. Earthquake and volcanic eruption is common in this part of the world. In order to minimize the loss of human life in the event of another killer earthquake, students and school personnel must be ready. They must be prepared.

Preparedness requires planning and foresight.

If you own a family business, you know that you will not live forever. You have to prepare for your exit. Do you want your children take over? Will any of them be willing and competent to take over the family business?

Bawal magkasakit. It’s expensive. Will you enroll in one of the HMO’s?

Death strikes unexpectedly. What will happen to your spouse and children? Will you buy an insurance policy? Will you buy a life plan?

With the birth of a child, you will have to plan ahead for his education. Will you buy an educational plan for him?

Opportunity knocks on the door of those who are prepared. What is your dream? What is your ambition in life? Do you already have a plan how to get there? Was it PGMA who observed that after the May elections, the campaign for the Presidency which is still in 2010 has already begun? And perhaps that is why the alliances for the May elections have crumbled and new ones are being formed. You just have to look at the Senate.

Preparedness requires planning and foresight.

I have said that death sometimes come unexpectedly. Are we ready to meet our God?

St. Aloysius Gonzaga was with a group of friends. One of them asked, “If you were to die today, what would you do?” Some said that they will go to confession. Some said that they will go to church and pray. Others said that they will say good-bye to their loved ones. St. Aloysius Gonzaga said, “I will do what I ordinarily do everyday.” He was prepared to meet death.

But not all of us are ready to face death today.

When I was in the minor seminary, we had what we used to call the monthly exercise for a happy death. It was a monthly preparation for death. We had to put our places in the study hall and in the dormitory in order. We had to return the things we borrowed. And we were encouraged to make our confession as if it were our last. Making sure we were at peace with God was an important part of that monthly exercise.

But making peace with God may not be enough. Consider this true to life story.

A man all his life was craving for his father’s blessing. He needed to hear that his father loved him. He needed to hear his father’s approval, that his father was proud of him. His father was the type who didn’t say much and seemed to be uncomfortable about showing his feelings. Then one day his father who was already ill called for him in the hospital. When the son entered the room, the face of the father brightened up. The father told his son to pull the chair close to his bed and sit down. The father held his son’s hand in a way he never did before. Father looked with tenderness at his son. Tears started to fall down from the father’s eyes. With great emotion, the father said, “Anak, I am happy to have you as my son. And I want you to know how proud I am of you.” It was the turn of the son to cry. Maybe for the first time since he was a child, he hugged his father.

Perhaps, making peace with God is not enough preparation for death. Maybe we need to deal with some issues affecting our relationships. And maybe we don’t need to wait for death to deal with those issues and put them to rest.

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The Salesians of Don Bosco is a religious congregation of priests and brothers dedicated to the welfare of the young. If you feel called by God to give your life for the good of the young, you may want help in discovering if this is really God's will for you. Please get in touch with the Vocation Director (Don Bosco North Province, Philippines) - 0917-7930112 - finvoc@yahoo.com - Bro. MON CALLO SDB.