When the Time Comes - You Will Be Ready

(Circa 1998)

What does Heaven know about our destiny? What does Heaven know about the time and the hour of our death?  The answer is: ALL. 

Somewhere in my mid fifties I was in my bedroom upstairs in Rowley, MA and began to think about how quickly time had gone by. Somehow, I thought that I might be called home earlier in life (in the military as a Navy pilot, we all recognized this possibility), but now I wondered how time would play out and began to think about my inevitable death.  At the thought of death, I began to be a bit disconsolate as I have always considered death (common to man) to be an unnatural event not intended for us. That, somehow, the fate of death had been imposed on mankind through some sort of unnatural evolution. I always thought this -even as a young person. Of course, that is true -isn't it?  Sin and Satan, or Satan and then sin brought death to man. It is unnatural and it was not the originate destiny of man.

So, there I was standing and dressing -thinking these thoughts, when I audibly heard: "When the time comes, you will be ready."  I was amazed, and then greatly consoled at this revelation. To this day this spoken word brings me a great sense of peace and assurance in the face of a now crumbling and aging body.  I rejoice in knowing that Heaven knows the hour of my death, and that when it arrives, I will be ready to meet and embrace it.  Alleluia! Praise be to the work of the Savior, who at a great price opened the door for all of us to the possibilty of Peace at the hour of our earthly passing. 

Now, at the age of seventy, that hour is much closer for me than at the time I received this consoling word of knowledge. God is in control, and will call me home when the hour does arrive. In some ways, I actively prepare for that event through my prayer life and asking for the gift of greater intimacy with God our Father. 

 Yes, He is Love, and He is passionate for us. And, as Scripture teaches, He seeks those who desire to worship Him in Spirit and Truth . 

Yet, it is impossible to gain an understanding regarding this great spiritual truth without first submitting to His Will for your life. Then, understanding comes as infused knowledge lovingly, tenderly and mysteriously given. 

In this world, where many of us have experienced poor, or even violent parental events, it takes time to come into this place.  For many of us, great interior healing is needed to enter into intimacy with God and to embrace His tender Love. But, begin by asking for it, by  praying from your heart, and being faithful to His Commands. And, above all of this, learn to persevere in this endeavor.  Urgently avoid the occult in all of its forms, embrace purity, and do not rely upon your own strength.  In due course He will answer your cry. He ALWAYS does!

MORE TO FOLLOW

At Prayer

(March 23, 2012)

I am praying before the tabernacle early in the morning at St. Mary's church in Rowley, Ma. There is no Mass, but I have keys to access the church as I offer Alpha and other programs from this site. As Mass is only offered on Monday and Tuesday mornings, I had begun to make it a practice to go there early (usually 7:00 am), and to pray for at least one hour's time worshipping and praising the Lord, and quietly listening for his voice.

On this particular Friday morning, amazingly, during prayer I am able to remember with preciseness the names of many of my grammar and high school friends, associates with whom I flew in the Navy so many years ago, ex-clients and associates from my various workplaces. And, as I begin to go down this list of remembrance, I mention each name in the silence of my heart and I say: "Yes, Lord, thank you for him (or her), and bless him". This list of remembrance was quite long and extensive, and while I was praying this way I did not think that what I was doing was anything unusual.  Some of the men brought to mind had not lived the holiest of lives, but I was moved, with great love, to thank the Lord for their existence, and to bless them. This went on for perhaps twenty minutes or so.

At the conclusion of this time, I finished my prayers, knelt before the Lord humbly asking his blessing, and left the church.

It was only the following day that I noticed something quite substantial had altered within me.  Suzanne and I went to a luncheon with some friends during which I was seated across from man with a very difficult personality. He was someone I consciously sought to avoid.  To my amazement, I was filled with great love for him, had wonderful joy in my heart, and had no difficulty listening to his meandering and quite vociferous stories. Love caused me to view him as Jesus viewed him, and I knew that the Lord was blessing and preserving him even as I spoke to him (He is quite ill.). I also knew that the Lord desired that I love him with a father's love, so that he would be open to the love of the Father either now, or at the point of his death, and come to know Jesus.

I learned so much that day, and it has changed my heart toward others. I have come to more fully understand that God loves and blesses, and does not curse his creation. It is men and Satan and his minions that do that. I learned too, that such love is costly, but that it is the only way to reach into the heart of a wounded, fearful and broken man. In the beginning, God used his son to show us the way of love in order that we might come to know  salvation, and how costly such love is. Now, he relies on us to reveal that love, and that love opens to me (us) the path of peace and reconciliation.