Word for Word 1/24/18

Msgr. Ed Lechtenberg
Msgr. Ed Lechtenberg

For your meditation: Jonah 3:1-5, 10 – 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 – Mark 1: 14-20

In the first reading, Jonah the Prophet goes to the basically pagan city. He tells them they’d better shape up, and soon, or else terrible things will occur. And you heard what happened. Miracle of miracles, they all shaped up, right now.

n the second reading Paul gives us a kind of sober, somber warning. He says, “The time is short – those who are making use of this world should conduct themselves as if they were not using it because the world as we know it is passing away.”

In the gospel, Jesus is hard at work. After John’s arrest, and John is his cousin, mentor, precursor and forerunner, Jesus runs right out to preach God’s news. He says, “This is the time! The reign of God is at hand. Reform your lives and believe in the good news.”

There seems to be this rush on. We’ve got to get going, now!

The impending doom that Paul is referring to was a jump of the gun and too hasty a conclusion, made by sincere people, that the end of the world was going to happen any day now. Funny thing, some people are still making that same mistake today. I mean to say there are people even now who are proclaiming that the end is near, like next month, or like during the next snowstorm, or next war or next flood.

I remember speaking to one person about this and quoted our Lord Jesus: “No one knows the day nor the hour” and he quickly shot back, “I know what Jesus said but I know the year and the month.” He proclaimed 1965. A lot has taken place since then.

Do you want to know what I think? Live each day in love with God in our model Jesus Christ. Fall more in love with Him each day. Read the Bible, pray, encounter Him every day in your journey of life - Catholics call these sacraments, grow in Him. As St. Paul tells us in Galatians, “I live, no not I, Christ lives in me.”

So when He comes you will greet Him like you greet anyone you love and treasure in life. (I hope he comes soon - I’m a senior citizen. If not and you’re still alive, give Him a hug for me.)

And Jesus in the gospel - well, that one’s a little tougher - but given an hour or two anybody could whittle that down to “He’s only beginning. He is excited and anxious. He wants to make a big impact - and quick.”

Well, ok - whittle away, explain away - distract, subtract and get off the track even. The truth remains, if you want to shape up, the only time is now. If you want to pray, the only time is now. If you want to put your life in order, the only time is now. If you want to tell your spouse that you love him/her, the only time is now.

Yesterday we can either be proud of or we can regret. Tomorrow we can make plans for or excuses for, but it will happen - with us or without us.

Now is the time, the only time we can be sure we have to do something! Let’s do something!!!

Income tax time is coming. I met a man the other day named McCormick, or was it Farley, or McGraw or Gallagher or McRud? I said, “You’re a happy man.” He said, “I am.” I said, “Why?”

“Well,” he said, “the income tax people have been after me for ten years, driving me mad, to get money out of me, driving me crazy with worry. But this morning I got a letter from them that said: Final Notice.”

“Thank God,” he said, “I won’t be hearing from them again.”

Msgr. Ed Lechtenberg
Lansing