Precious Sundays

When Roy turned 52 years old, he was struck by how short life is. He had already lived 52 years and they had gone by so quickly. He reflected on how much time he had wasted, how he had taken for granted that there would always be enough time to accomplish his goals in life. The years just seemed to all slip through his hands and he wondered to himself what he had to show for it. He wondered to himself what he could do to make the most of the time he had left.

Sitting down at his desk, Roy figured that the average male lives to be 72 years old, which meant that he had about 20 years left. As there are 52 Saturdays in a year, he calculated that he had about 1040 Saturdays left in his life. So, the next Saturday morning, he went to every toy store in town and bought all their marbles until he had exactly 1040. Then he put a large glass vase on his desk and filled them with the marbles. Every Saturday he would take one of those marbles out and throw it away to remind himself of how little time he had left and not to waste it.

When Roy called his local Catholic radio station to tell his story, it was on the day he had taken the last marble from the vase. He was about to wake his wife up so that they could pick up their grandchildren and go out for breakfast. He explained how the marbles had taught him to cherish his family and all the beauty around him. Now that he was down to his last one, he was going to go out and by another 1040 marbles in hopes that he will live to his ninety-second birthday. All the while, he promised himself never to take another day for granted.

(adapted from a story told on Glen’s Story Corner on Relevant Radio)

In today’s second reading, Saint Paul warns us, “Watch carefully how you live, not as foolish persons but as wise, making the most of the opportunity, because the days are evil.” God has given us this day and every day of our lives as a unique opportunity to do good, to enjoy His creation and to love the people around us. We will never have this day again. There is no way to get it back. Therefore, we need to make the most of it, to not waste it and to treat it as a precious gift. None of us knows how much time we or our loved ones have left. We never know when our goodbyes might be our last. We need to make the most of every opportunity God gives us each day.

In the story, Roy used the marbles to count how many Saturdays he had left. However, I’d like to challenge us to think about how many Sundays we have left. How many more opportunities will we have to gather around this altar to hear God’s word proclaimed in the assembly of the faithful and to receive Jesus’ Body and Blood? God willing, we will have thousands more. However, it is possible that this will be our last.

At Blessed Mother Teresa’s chapel in Calcutta, in the area where the priest prepares for Mass, there is a sign that reads, “O, priest of God, say this Mass as if it were your first Mass. Say this Mass as if it were your only Mass. Say this Mass as if it were your last Mass.” That is powerful advice for priests but it is equally powerful for us who gather to celebrate. Imagine the devotion, wonder and joy we would experience if every Sunday we celebrated as if it were our first Mass, our only Mass or our last Mass! And, for all we know, it could very well be our last one. With God’s help, we need to make the most of this opportunity to be united with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through the miracle of Holy Communion.

All of us want to live life to the fullest. We all want to believe that we have made the most of the opportunities offered to us and experienced all the joys of life. However, what does it mean to live life to the fullest? Jesus tells us in today’s gospel. “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” Living life to the fullest means receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus. Jesus is the one who created us. He is the one who breathed life into us. Most importantly, He is the one who died for our sins and rose from the dead to give us the promise of everlasting life. Every Sunday - in fact, every day - He offers Himself to us in Holy Communion so that we can receive His very life. Unlike our human lives which will come to an end, the eternal life Jesus offers us will carry us through into heaven. What other way can there be to live life to the fullest than to receive the eternal life that Jesus offers us at every Mass?

Jesus goes on to say, “...unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.” Those are powerful words which we should all take seriously. When we miss Mass on Sunday, we miss an opportunity to have God’s life within us. When we allow sin to make us unworthy to receive the Eucharist, we begin to die inside. All the pleasures and riches in the world mean nothing if we are not drawing life from Jesus.

If there is a sin on your conscience which is keeping you from receiving communion, I urge you to go to confession as soon as possible and have your sin forgiven. If you are in a relationship or marriage which is keeping you from receiving communion, I encourage you to meet with a deacon or priest and begin the process of having it blessed by the Church. You will not be judged but welcomed with joy. Whatever situation you may find yourself in, do what you need to do to make it right. Do not let another Sunday go by without receiving Jesus’ Body and Blood.

Today is the day the Lord has made. We rejoice and are glad in it. Every day is a gift from the Lord which He gives us to live to the fullest. In particular, every Sunday is a special opportunity to gather with this community of faith and encounter our Risen Lord in the Bible and in the Eucharist. As Saint Paul says, “the days are evil”. We need the life that can only be found in Jesus who gives His flesh for the life of the world.