“Missed Opportunities.”
My thoughts for today revolve around the phrase: “Missed Opportunities.”
Our lives contain many “Missed Opportunities.” One hundred years ago, at a Resort Area along the East Coast, a small community was having an open town meeting about some financial problems that they were having. There was a man in the crowd that no one seemed to know. He was apparently visiting in that area and had just dropped in on the meeting.
He started to make a comment once as various projects were considered but they told him that he could not have the floor because he was not a citizen of their town. So for the rest of the time he kept still and he left early.
Just as he went out someone arriving late came in and said, “What was he doing here? Is he going to help us?” The rest of them said, “Who are you talking about? Who was that man?” The person who had just arrived said, “You mean you don’t know? That was John D. Rockefeller. His yacht is in our harbor. Didn’t you get his help? “ Someone said, “No, we didn’t get his help; we didn’t know who he was!
We missed an opportunity to get the help that we needed.” John D. Rockefeller was the first billionaire in our nation and he loved to give away money. He wanted to help but they turned him away. A classic case of a “missed opportunity. “
Shortly before he died Jesus gave a speech that had a rough beginning and then a hope filled ending. It began with Jesus saying that the sun will be darkened and the moon will no longer give its light. He also said that the future will contain earthquakes and wars and famine and plagues. People will die in fright in anticipation of what is coming.
It sounds like Jesus had a very depressing outlook on what the future will hold. But He did not go there. He refused to go the route of despair and depression and hopelessness. Instead He said, “Stand up straight and raise your heads.”
That what Jesus said in today’s Gospel. He did not say, “In the future our eyes will be downcast and our hearts will be filled with feelings of doom and gloom.” No. He said, “Stand up straight and raise your heads.”
Why did he say that? Because the future will be filled with opportunities. What kind of opportunities? Opportunities to serve God and serve our neighbor. Several years earlier Jesus had said, “I came to serve, not to be served. And I expect James and John and all of my disciples to be servants.”
Jesus was always looking for opportunities to serve. Even when He was suffering extreme pain on the cross at the end of His life here on earth, He was looking for opportunities to serve. He never missed an opportunity to serve. He looked at the soldiers who nailed Him to the cross and He forgave them. He looked at the thief who repented and He forgave him and said, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” He never missed an opportunity to serve.
And now we turn to our situation today. Time and time again I hear people say that we are living in dark times. In the midst of that observation I hold before you the words of Jesus: “Stand up straight. Raise your heads. And look for opportunities to serve.”
Where can we locate opportunities to serve?
I suggest the corporal and spiritual works of mercy that most of us memorized in our catechism classes many years ago.
We can serve others by counseling the doubtful and comforting the sorrowful.
And we can feed the hungry and visit the sick and shelter the homeless.
We can share our faith and console the afflicted and forgive offenses.
We can heal divisions that need to be healed.
There are so many opportunities to serve out there.
We just have to stand up straight and raise our heads perform the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.
There so many opportunities to serve…… Even during hard times…. And especially during hard times. Opportunities are all around us.
History tells us that the small town on the East Coast missed out on a great opportunity when John D. Rockefeller came by. We are not interested in missed opportunities.
On the contrary, we will stand up straight and raise our heads and look for ways to serve with Christ, our savior, by our side.