Preparing for the Last Day of Your Life!
Homily preached November 14, 2021
by Monsignor Deering
Some years ago, I attended a Legatus meeting
at “The Club” Restaurant high atop Red Mountain in Birmingham.
The name Legatus is a Latin word meaning “Ambassador”.
So, the membership of Legatus is made up of Catholic CEO’s and President’s and their spouses who gather together each month to enjoy fine food and friendship and then hear a guest speaker share ideas to inspire them to study, to live & to spread the Catholic Faith in their business and in their professional and personal lives.
I served as Chaplain to the Birmingham Legatus group for a year and a half.
I was honored to be a part of this endeavor for 3 Reasons:
1st - I got to know and pastor some of the most prominent business people
in the Diocese,
2nd - I got to enjoy some superb meals with them at some exquisite restaurants,
3rd - I got to hear the insights from many great Guest Speakers brought in
from all around the country.
Wow! It was like having a mini-retreat once a month!
Today, I’d like to share with you a great insight from Guest Speaker, Mr. Keith Fimian, the President and CEO of a company called US Inspect out of Virginia.
Mr. Fimian, was a powerful Speaker in his 50’s who shared many moving stories of how his Catholic Faith guided him and guarded him all throughout his life …
through difficult days in school, through injuries and playing in the NFL,
through moving his family several times and starting up his own company,
through raising several children and through narrowly losing in a run
for Public Office.
What were the hinge-pins that were there all throughout his life?
There were two: Daily Mass and the Daily Rosary!
Imagine hearing that … not from a Priest … not from a Sister …
not from a retired Senior Citizen.
But from a Businessman … who had trouble in school, played football at the highest level and developed the number one company in his field in the country!
Where did he learn to go to Mass and pray the Rosary? From his Father!
How beautiful! That’s how God designed it … that fathers would pass on every good thing they know to their children … especially their faith and love for God.
Yes, we learn a lot of good things from our Fathers ... and in the early years ...
we may do them just because Dad does them.
But the day will eventually come ...
when we develop our own reasons for continuing to do good things.
For Mr. Fimian it was this … it was the thought that he had in his early years:
“that the day I die ... will be the most important day of my life”!
Wow!
He had the thought … that the day of death … is the most important day of life!
He said it was that thought that moved him to continue: to go to daily Mass …
and pray the daily Rosary … and go to monthly Confession ...
so that on the day he died … he’d be as close to the Lord as he could ever be!
There’s a good chance that many of us haven’t thought about the day of our death.
But, there’s real value in doing this!
Which is why the Church presents us with Scripture Readings like the ones today from Daniel and Mark’s Gospel … that speak of the day when we leave this earthly life and enter into Eternity … which will either be: Eternal Life or Eternal Death!
The Prophet Daniel writes,
“At that time … people will escape, everyone who is found written in the book.”
What book? The Book he’s referring to is God’s Book … the Book of Life.
Yes, all those whose names are written in this book, will escape eternal separation from God ... and be allowed to enter in through the Gate of Heaven.
So how do we get our names written into God’s book?
This initially happens through ... the great Sacrament of Baptism …
At that moment, our name is written into the Book of Life!
The Church demonstrates this in a profound way ...
when she has adult Catechumens (adults who are unbaptized) come up to the Altar
in St. Paul’s Cathedral and sign their name in the Book of the Elect!
This demonstrates what will happen when they get baptized at the Easter Vigil …
their name will be written in God’s Book … the Book of Life.
After Baptism, we get to choose each day if our name stays written in the Book of Life.
We choose to keep it written there by choosing to avoid serious sin.
Falling into grave sin breaks our relationship with God …
which has the effect of removing our name from the Book of Life ...
and jeopardizing our chances of getting into Heaven.
Thankfully, receiving God’s mercy in the Sacrament of Confession restores our relationship with God … thereby returning our Name to the Book of Life.
One thing is for sure …
we want our name to be there in the Book of Life … when we die ...
whether it’s the end of the world ... or just the end of our life!
If only we knew which day that was. But we don’t know. Jesus tells us today:
“But of that day or hour, no one knows,
neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
What will the Last Day of the world be like?
Jesus says that we will see …
“the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.”
For those who have fallen in love with Him, the sight of Jesus will be comforting.
For those who have fallen away from Him, the sight of Jesus will be convicting.
Then it will be a little late to start turning away from sin and
trying to return your name to God’s Book of Life.
The best time to prepare to be admitted to Heaven is right now.
Our goal is to make sure that our name is on the list and never comes off the list.
That’s why we need to regularly turn to Jesus for forgiveness and strength …
especially in the Sacraments or Confession and Holy Communion.
Yes, Jesus has given us everything we need to stay connected to Him.
In today’s passage from Hebrews we heard,
“By (His) one offering he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated.”
That’s all of us, baptized Christians, who are choosing to follow Him.
What happens if you die tonight? Are you quite sure that your name is still there
… written on the list of entrants to the Kingdom of Heaven?
In our Gospel Acclamation Jesus said, “Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.”
Hear what the Lord is saying, “Judgment Day is coming!
This is really going to happen.”
Are you united with ... or separated from ... Jesus?
Jesus wants all of us to be ready for that Judgment!
And we stay ready ... by regularly taking a spiritual inventory of our lives ...
honestly assessing those areas where we are lacking in virtue and goodness ...
And then, taking action to remedy them.
But so many people don’t do this … they don’t even want to think about it.
And the Devil is all too happy to help us to not think about it. He’s doing everything he can to distract us and to keep us from being prepared to meet the Lord.
Realize that Mortal Sin takes our name out of the Book of Life.
How many Mortal Sins does it take to receive the Sentence of Hell? One!
So our daily desire should be ... to never, ever commit a Mortal Sin.
Take this to heart … and then take the time to assess your spiritual status.
Examine your conscience.
If your life was required of you today, would your name be found in the Book of Life?
Or do you need to confess mortal sins and turn away from sinful things
to get your name back on the List?
Recognize that the Day of our Judgment is coming.
And as Mr. Fimian realized … that’s the most important day of your life!
I hope you’ll consider doing what Mr. Fimian has done his whole life
… going to daily Mass and praying the daily Rosary.
Don’t wait till after you retire. You can do these things right now.
We have many people from previous RCIA classes and many UA students ...
who are attending Daily Mass at 6:45 AM on weekday mornings!
There’s simply no better way to insure
that your name stays written in ... the Book of Life.
Remember … the day of your death is the most important day of your life!
That’s the day you’ll want to be as close to Jesus ... as you’ve ever been!
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