From now through the first two weeks of Advent we are going to be reading in different ways about the second coming of Jesus. In today's gospel we hear
I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken, the other left.
And there will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken, the other left.
This has nothing to do with the FICTIONAL "Left behind Series"
The point Jesus is making is much simpler. We are called to be one. We are called to live as members of Christ's visible body, the Church. Ours is a communal faith.
But it is also a personal faith. It is, at its heart, a personal relationship with the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit. And at the end of this life we are all held accountable for our actions individually. You cannot blame your spouse for your bad temper. Your mother is not responsible for your bad manners.
You cannot blame anyone nor can you save anyone. You can help to some degree, and we believe in the power of prayer but each person has to make their own choices. The wife going to church will not save the husband. And until your alcoholic spouse or child decides to change, you cannot fix them.
Particularly for those of us who are helper, the hardest thing in the world for us to realize is,"The only life I can live is mine. The only person I can change is me." Jesus constantly calls us to love one another and pray for one another. He never tells us to fix one another.
I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken, the other left.
And there will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken, the other left.
Today let us do the two most powerful things we can do for others: pray and give a good example.
