“If Only I Had Known” by Colleen O’Sullivan

“If Only I Had Known” by Colleen O’Sullivan

Wednesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

God indeed is my savior; I am confident and unafraid.  My strength and my courage is the LORD, and he has been my savior.  With joy, you will draw water at the fountain of salvation. (Isaiah 12:2-3)

Jesus said to his disciples: “Be sure of this:  if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.  You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”  (Luke 12:39-40)

Piety

… Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.  Amen.

Study

I wonder how many times and in how many homes on September 11^th and the days following the phrase “if only I had known” was heard, how many sighs of regret breathed out and how many tears of sadness shed.  The terrorist attacks that day on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon are for me the modern-day, real-life version of the example Jesus uses when talking to the disciples.

September 11^th was such a gorgeous day here and in New York City.  Not a day when many of us were thinking about terrorist attacks, end times or meeting Jesus face to face. Just the usual get-to-work on time rush.  When the passengers boarded their ill-fated planes that morning, I wonder if any of them thought this would be their final day on earth or that they would never reach their intended destinations.

On subsequent days, how many people left behind grieved doubly hard because they didn’t tell their family member they loved them as they went out the door that ill-fated morning.  Or, worse, their final memory was an argument or exchange of harsh words before the door slammed shut.  No further chance to make up or take back what was said in anger.

Jesus knows that we easily fall into complacency.   We lose sight of the big picture and get caught up in the details of everyday living.  The Lord is reminding us today not to live as though this world is our final destination or as though we’ll be here forever.  Whether Jesus summons us today or we happen to be here still when he returns as King in Glory, the earth is not our forever home.

September 11^th changed me.  Every day is a gift from God.  I don’t want to come to the end of my days saying, “If only I had known.”  Jesus’ illustration is a reminder to live in such a way that there will be no regrets whether he calls us to be with him tomorrow or not for decades.

Action

If you knew this were your last day on earth, is there anything you regret or would like to change?  If the answer is yes, there is no time like the present for setting things to rights.