Sunday, December 02, 2018

Memento Mori


St. Paul’s Church in Bergen & Church of the Incarnation, Jersey City NJ
December 2, 2018

Year C: The First Sunday of Advent
Jeremiah 33:14-16
Psalm 25:1-9
1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
Luke 21:25-36

Memento Mori
            If you go back in Jersey City at least as far as I go back, you’ll probably remember that there used to be a whole lot more going on at the Hudson Mall than there is today.
            Before the construction of the Newport Mall in the late 1980s, the Hudson Mall was pretty much the only game in town – and so it was often packed with people who were there to see a movie or eat at the Rodeo Steakhouse or to shop at the many different stores that lined both sides of the mall.
            When I was a kid, my mother would sometimes take my sister and me down to “the mall” (there was only one) and when I was old enough I was allowed to wander around on my own while she shopped.
            I can remember spending a lot of time browsing the shelves at the Coles Bookstore – and, in fact, I think I still have a couple of books that I bought there so many years ago.
            And, there was another store that I would sometimes wander into: the Catholic bookstore and gift shop.
            Maybe some of you remember it.
            The store was run by a Roman Catholic order of nuns called the Daughters of St. Paul – and they were always there in their very traditional-looking habits: long dark dresses and long veils and a crucifix around their necks.
            I can’t remember ever interacting with them, which is surprising because I doubt that there were too many ten year-old boys coming into their store looking at their merchandise and sometimes even wandering into the back where there was, if you can believe it, a small chapel!
            Of course, along with all of the other stores from those days, the nuns with their little shop and chapel are all long gone.
            But, for whatever reason, a couple of months ago I thought about them and I wondered whatever happened to the Daughters of St. Paul.
            So, through the wonders of modern technology, I simply googled them and discovered that the nuns are very much still around – they still operate bookstores across the country including in Manhattan and Staten Island – and, on top of that, they have some young nuns who’ve brought their ministry into the 21st Century through the use of social media – they’ve even created their own hashtag: #MediaNuns.
            One of these “Media Nuns” is a young sister named Theresa Alethia who has an interesting life story of having previously been an atheist who loved punk rock but who eventually was felt drawn back to the Church and then to the convent.
            And, at some point she learned about a very ancient Christian spiritual practice called Memento Mori – a Latin phrase, which basically translates as “remember your death.”
            For more than a year she has kept a plastic skull on her desk and just a few weeks ago she published a very punk- or goth-looking journal decorated with skulls, a journal with a lot of blank lines providing people with the opportunity to reflect on and write about their own – our own – inevitable death.
            Now, let’s be honest, most of us do everything possible to avoid thinking about this stuff so, even for an order of nuns, it’s a pretty crazy, a pretty wild counter-cultural move, to publish a book encouraging people to think and pray about their own deaths - and yet, believe it or not, it seems to have struck a chord with people. This skull-covered journal seems to be flying off the shelves.
            Memento Mori: remember your death.

            Speaking of counter-cultural, today is the first Sunday of the new church year, the first Sunday of Advent.
            And, Advent – these four Sundays before Christmas – Advent is definitely the most counter-cultural time of the Christian year.
            In fact, Sue had to reassure the florist and the tree people that, yes, we really know what we’re doing – we really don’t want our Christmas tree and the poinsettias until December 22.
            Because, while out there in the world they think it’s already Christmas – I’m sure the Hudson Mall has already been decorated for many weeks – here in church we’re focused on Advent – we’re focused on preparation – preparation for Jesus’ birth - and also preparation for the last day – the last day when we will be judged on how we have lived our lives.
            Memento Mori: remember your death.

            So, please accept my apology if by same chance you came here today hoping for some Christmas cheer! In fact, if you came here looking for a little Christmas, you may have been more than a little startled by today’s very un-Christmassy gospel lesson.
 Jesus offers what sounds at first like a pretty scary vision of the end – a time of signs in the sun and moon and stars and people fainting from fright – a time when even "the powers of the heavens will be shaken".
But, even now, especially now, Jesus sticks to one of his main and most important messages which is, “do not be afraid.”
            When the end comes, rather than be terrified, Jesus tells us to stand up and raise our heads because our liberation has arrived.
            But, here’s the thing: we can only face our last day – we can only face the last day – we can only face the end with courage if we’ve prepared for it – if we’ve been alert – if we’ve been praying – we can only face the end with courage if we’re ready.
            Memento Mori: remember your death.

            As you would probably guess, as a priest it’s been my privilege to be with a lot of people as their lives draw to a close.
            In some cases, people have been at peace – they’ve reconciled what needed to be reconciled – said what needed to be said – accepted what needed to be accepted - held the hands that needed to be held – kissed those they loved.
            I’m reminded of my grandmother who, just a few days before she died, turned to me and said, “I’ve know where I’ve come from and I know where I’m going.”
            (Whether she knew it or not, she was quoting Jesus in John 8:14)
            And, it sounds like President Bush was blessed with that kind of death on Friday night.
            But, in other cases, much harder situations, it’s been like people never considered that this day would actually come for them – they hadn’t prepared – they had managed to push the idea of death out of their minds – and so they hadn’t said or done what was needed – and instead of peace there was bewilderment, fear…and not enough time.
            Memento Mori: remember your death.

            It really is counter-cultural to talk about death, I know. We’d probably prefer to talk about just about anything else.
            But, we Christians are meant to be counter-cultural.
            And this most counter-cultural season of Advent – this season of preparation – is the perfect time to remember that we really don’t have all the time in the world.
            Advent is the perfect time to ask for - and to offer - forgiveness.
            Advent is the perfect time to say what we’ve always meant to say – to say what needs to be said.
            Advent is the perfect time to hold tight to the ones we love most.
            And, Advent is the perfect time to pray even just a little bit – to spend time with the God who is pure love and mercy – the God who tells us to be not afraid – the God who longs to spend all of eternity – forever and ever – together with us.
            Memento Mori: remember your death.

            Amen.