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.
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