Suddenly
Early in my ministry, I used to make regular visits to the hospital.Today, because of the laws surrounding privacy, I’m no longer allowed to visit a patient spontaneously. The patient has to ask for me. When I am asked, I visit people and offer them Communion and prayers or just a simple chat. One day I visited an energetic woman. She was healthy and strong. She said to me, “Father Steiner, I’ve never been sick a day in my life. What am I doing here?” Yesterday she was so strong, today she is so weak…and tomorrow…she’s gone…dead. It happened so suddenly – SNAP! She wasn’t expecting it. No one was, especially her family.
Dear brothers and sisters
Jesus said, “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.” The theme for the First Sunday of Advent is always the same: Be ready, be alert. Advent is an invitation for us to be ready- at all times; to live with a sense of readiness; ready to meet God face to face - tomorrow…or today.
Here in the Canton of Zug, young men and women have the opportunity to volunteer for the fire department. They have a regular job but a part of their life is spent in-service for the Canton. A volunteer firefighter lives in a state of readiness all the time, because he or she never knows when they will get a call. A fire or a bad accident and SNAP! They have to go. This kind of work can be a matter of life and death. You have to go quickly, now, immediately and not wait around and think about it.
The Gospel According to Mark
In the Gospel Reading from Mark, Jesus is getting ready to leave his disciples. They are on their way to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. Jesus knows what will happen to him there and he is anxious for his disciples to understand the message he has taught them.
In our text this evening, Jesus talks about a man traveling abroad, leaving his home and putting his servants in charge, each with his own area to keep watch over. I am sure you know what that’s like. Whether you are the CEO of a large company or the CEO of your own home, you expect the members of your team to work together for the good of the business or the good of the family. When you leave for a short time, you hope that they continue to work together. But when the cat’s away, the mice will play.
Preparing the Kingdom
We are all part of a team, my dear friends. We should all be working together to help build up this wonderful thing called the kingdom of God. We never know when the master is going to return and we want to have a place ready that we can be proud of. A kingdom fit for a King!
You know, in our lives we can prepare ourselves for all kinds of things, but are we really ready? Let’s say there is a reorganization in the management of your company and SNAP you’re out. Would you be prepared for that? What if all of a sudden your wife or husband became terrible ill. The family would have to really work together to keep the daily structure going. The global pandemic has affected all of us and we didn’t see it coming. Were we ready for something like this, which drastically changed our way of living? Well, I’m sure you could find other examples.
Preparing Good Shepherd's
Let’s have a look at our community: Eighteen years ago we began celebrating Mass in English right here in this Church. After an increasing demand we moved it to twice a month. And then one day, Karen and I made a SNAP decision to celebrate each Sunday. Were we ready? No, but it worked!
And from January 2021, we from Good Shepherd’s will not be called “guests in Gut Hirt” anymore. Together with the Croatian Mission, the Syrian-Orthodox community and the mother parish Gut Hirt, and hopefully later on with the Missione Cattolica, we will build “one church – many languages”, act, and decide together as equal partners. Are you ready? Ready to give this community a bright future through your participation, support and commitment?
Take your Time
When you hear this text “You do not know when the Lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight.” Who do you think this should be directed to? The seniors who have the time to reflect on their own lives and consider their mortality? The sick? The dying? No, no, my friends, this text is directed to all of us – because we don’t have the time, we don’t take the time to reflect on our lives.
Living the Gospel
I know we are all busy, in our careers, with the children and in finding a little time for ourselves. But when was the last time you went to Confession? When was the last time you opened your Bible? I don’t ask you this because I want you to feel guilty, on the contrary. Life moves so very quickly. I look at some of the children who come to my Church. I remember baptizing them as a baby in what seems like yesterday and now they are running around or I remember baptizing a baby girl in what seems like yesterday. Last Sunday Bishop Felix confirmed her. SNAP! It happened so fast! The kids are in school and before you know it SNAP! They are off to college and the house is empty. I look in the mirror and see a man my age and think, “it seems like just only yesterday when I…” SNAP! I’m not so young anymore. And SNAP I’m facing retirement SNAP in ten months I’m gone.
My dear friends, all of life happens so suddenly, doesn’t it? And Jesus said to all people of all ages, the end will come - SNAP!
Covid Christmas
Christmas is coming in 4 weeks, whether we are ready or not. The Swiss Federal Council and the Federal Office of Public Health urges us to stay at home and limit our celebrations to a handful of people. We are challenged to find different ways to celebrate. It is the Covid winter, one we will long remember. Let us use this time wisely to reflect on what the Season of Advent really means, without all the parties, dinners and crazy shopping. Let us stay alert and find the true message, the message of Jesus. He is THE MESSAGE –the word made flesh! Take that message, let it, let Jesus, live in and work through us. He will return and the Kingdom of God will be established in all it’s glory. Let’s get ready and wait. Amen.