Happy All Hallows Eve everyone! I hope everyone manages to enjoy Halloween this year in the face of dealing with COVID. I am not sure how universal across the world the celebration of this holiday is, compared to the United States but it has certainly become a big deal here over the years. In a sense it has overshadowed Thanksgiving in that many people in the US seem to move from Halloween to Christmas, stopping literally for just enough time to cram down some turkey before they head out in the darkness to catch an early Christmas bargain.
I know some boycott celebrating Halloween because the holiday appears to center on demons and evil spirits. There does seem to be some justification for this view when you see much of the pranks and vandalism that occurs during this time as well as the abundance of what can only be called inappropriateness of some of the costumes. Patrick Madrid from Relevant Radio had an interesting take on the controversy. When his kids were young and celebrating, his wife made saint-themed costumes for their children to wear. He then saw Halloween as an opportunity to evangelize when people asked them what they were dressed up as. I guess the Madrid family took the attitude of, “when life gives you pumpkins, you should just make…pie?”
In today’s first reading from Philippians, Paul seems to have gotten into the morbid Halloween spirit when he considers the possibility of his own death. Paul is in prison, probably in Rome, when he wrote this epistle. While imprisoned, he ponders his “choice” of living or dying and what it means to his relationship to Christ. He sees the possibility of his death as an opportunity to see Christ. However, he also realizes that, if he lives, he will be able to continue to serve the community of believers in the churches he helped to establish in the region.
Of course the reality is that Paul doesn’t get the choice as to whether he will live or die. That decision rests with God. But it is how Paul faces these possibilities that speaks volumes. For Paul what he fears most is that his life will not serve to magnify and glorify God. Has he taken the gifts that he was given to fully reveal Jesus to the world in order that they might be ready when the Lord comes again? This is what drives him. What is foremost in his mind when he approaches each day. Christ is truly the center of Paul’s life. Everything else is secondary. His life, or his death, is in God’s hands.
Boy could I use that message over these last few weeks. I have made it my sole mission to convince people I come in contact with that they should see the political landscape the way I see it. Why? Because if they don’t, the world will likely come to an end if the “wrong” person is elected. It all depends on me!! Doesn’t it? Ummm..no. Not really. It all belongs to God. He’s got this. And Paul knew it. Do you think that there was no political turmoil in Rome during Paul’s time? Et Tu Brute! (Robin Williams in Aladdin for all you Disney buffs). Did Paul spend most of his days writing witty political riffs on his Forumbook page? Heck no. It was almost as if political intrigue did not exist. His focus was on winning souls for Christ, on growing the church, and encouraging the weary.
And doesn’t our lives improve when Christ does become the center? When we finally acknowledge that “He’s Got This”. It is not all on our shoulders. Now that does not mean we should just sit back and let the world roll over us or we should not spread the Gospel. But in the end, it is Christ who saves, not us. We can expose others to joy of living with Christ as our center but only can God’s grace open a crack into a person’s heart and soul. I am sure Paul got frustrated with those who could not hear his message. He must have had a palm print on his forehead from all the times he head slapped himself when someone just didn’t get it. But he persevered. When he received life instead of death after all these times that he was persecuted, he got up, dusted himself off and lived another day for Christ.
But death did finally come to Paul when he was eventually beheaded in Rome. I think what drove Paul the most was his fear that he would face God and be judged as to not having done enough. Did his life honor Christ in every way possible? Paul urges us to live for Christ. For Paul, life is the test and death is the eternal reward. In Paul’s words, “To Live is Christ. To Die is Gain”. Paul’s life exalts Christ and humbles his own. Which is the message today’s Gospel points to.
Several years ago, Elise and I were visiting our eldest daughter in France. It also happened to be Holy Week. And what better place to attend the Easter Vigil services than Notre Dame?! We arrived at the church early to get a good seat and found that Vesper services were going on but the church was mostly empty. We were excited when we found the first pew was open. We could be sitting right up front at Notre Dame on Easter!! How cool was that. Well, I sure most of you see what was coming. The church filled up once Vespers ended leaving not a single pew available. But, we had the front row!! Not quite. Apparently the front row was reserved for some dignitaries. And we were pretty sure that was not us. We had to move..in front of everyone. And by this time there were no seats except way in the back and behind a pole. We were certainly humbled and not exalted. As Jesus warned in the Gospel.
I think the message from both readings today is to live each day for God by living each day for others. Faith in the Lord leads to His grace flooding our hearts. And this only naturally leads to doing His works in the world. We can then face death, as did Paul, with the confidence that we will hear the words, “well done good and faithful servant“.
