Traditional Catholic Teaching - THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER

A little while and now you shall not see me.

John 16: 16.

In the Gospel that we read to-day our Lord foretold to the Apostles His approaching death, and their hearts were filled with sorrow at the thought of soon losing Him. He comforted them, however, by assuring them that they would see Him again ere long, because after three days He would rise from the dead in order to ascend to heaven. For a short time the Apostles were to lose Him, and after a short time they were to see Him again. Everything here on earth, whether sorrowful or joyful, lasts but a little while. We ought to take this truth to heart, for it conduces to our eternal salvation.

The life of man is short, and, as the Psalmist says, passes away like a breath. When we look forward to the future and make plans in our imagination, life seems long, but year follows year in rapid succession, and soon the man who looked forward to a long future has to look back upon a long past. He has grown old unawares; he is on the brink of the grave and cannot account for the years that are past. An old man, however long he may have lived, thinks that his life has been short; and yet, as he looks back, he seems to see here and there the graves of those with whom he once lived, played, worked, suffered and quarrelled. All have gone before him, and life, so short in itself, was shorter still in their case. We do not know whether our companions to-day will look back on our graves or not. Whether we are to die first, or to outlive them, life is always short, and it behooves us to make a good use of it.

The time of youth is short. How soon does it become too late to make good all that has been neglected in one's early years! There is no need of death to convince us of this fact; it is enough to reach a more advanced age. Negligence in training the hearts and minds of the young often makes them incapable of doing right in later years. The short period of youth often decides whether the rest of life is to be happy or miserable. Remember that, as you grow older, it will be useless to lament over the time wasted in your youth, and that all such lamentations are nothing but so many charges brought against yourselves. It is sad to have to confess: "I am to blame for all my misfortunes; I would not listen to any well-meant advice or warning; I wasted every opportunity of doing right; I threw away all my youth and with it my whole life." You should often renew your resolution by God's grace to spend your youth in doing your best to acquire training in piety and in useful work.

Life is short, and short, too, are all our efforts to do much good and to adhere firmly to what is right. It is often a hard matter to do right, and it is no easy task to persevere and to accomplish this or that good work. But our efforts will not last forever, and the days of toil, exertion and struggle pass, and when they are gone we shall indeed be happy if we can say to ourselves: "By that short struggle to please God I have won eternal merit and a reward that will never perish." Many people tell us that life is short, and therefore we ought to enjoy it while it lasts; but this is a foolish remark, for what they call 'enjoying life' is really frittering it away unprofitably. Just because life is short we ought to work with redoubled energy and try to lay up a store of everlasting merit. Just because life is short we ought to suffer with redoubled patience whatever trials God sends us. In time of sorrow let us never forget that the hour of agony will pass. The days of our Lord's Passion, death and burial passed, and what had gone before added to the glory of His Resurrection. Under every cross, if it is to win us merit, we ought to call to mind the words: "You now indeed have sorrow, but . . . your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man shall take from you". (John 16: 22).

Life is short, and it would be the height of folly to cling to it. Of course we may enjoy the good things and pleasures of this world, for God gives them to us in His incomprehensible kindness, but it behooves a Christian to act, as St. Paul says, and delight in the things of earth as if he did not delight, i. e. he ought never to set his heart upon them; he may make use of whatever is permitted, not becoming a slave to it, but always thinking of what is eternal. Whoever clings too much to the pleasures and joys of this world is preparing for himself a very sad and painful departure from them; for everything here lasts but a short time, and sooner or later he will have to give up all to which he is now attached.

Whoever sets his heart on the things of this world must look forward to a sorrowful death, for the more his heart clings to earth, the more painful will be the wrench, when, after a little while, God requires his soul of him. Life is short, and yet this short time is often long enough for us to insult God by committing many grievous sins. In a short time we earn for ourselves an eternity of pain. How foolish this is! The pleasure afforded by sin lasts so short a time, and yet we prefer it to everlasting happiness. When we are tempted to sin, let us ask ourselves what it will profit us to enjoy a deceptive happiness in sin for a few moments, hours, days or even years. The excitement of sin soon ceases, the false dream vanishes, and nothing remains but unending misery and lamentation. Time is short, therefore let us live mindful of eternity. Let us lift up our hearts above what is earthly and temporal; and as time swiftly passes, let us pray to Him, who never changes, to give us grace to keep from sin and to make us persevere in what is right. Then we, too, shall be able to say with joy: "You will see me no more, because I go to the Father." Amen.

End of Sermon

Return to: "Readings"