To Catch a Thief

Upgrading our security system called Christianity

12/01/2019

Matthew 24:37-44 Jesus said to his disciples: "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. In those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark. They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left. Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come."

One of the highest priorities for people these days is safety and security. Surprisingly, we are even willing to sacrifice our personal freedom on the altar of feeling more safe and secure. Long gone are the days when people could casually leave their car key in the ignition, or their front doors of their homes unlocked all day. And who can blame anyone, when week after week we hear of some random shooting or terrorist attack? Put simply: faith in the common man has been replaced by fear of the common man, and we want to feel safer than we do.

As the pastor of a church prominently placed at the head of Garrison Avenue, safety and security are often a concern for me, too. Several years ago, a church usher told me his dream of how he wanted to die. Some Sunday, while he is serving as usher, he envisions a crazed gunman barging into the church and open firing. As the gunman turns to point his gun at the priest, my usher-friend would jump in the way of the bullet. He would sacrifice his life and simultaneously save the life of the priest. He figured dying for a priest would get him a one-day ticket to heaven. By the way, my friend was an ex-Marine and that is why I have instituted the new policy that all ushers at Immaculate Conception must be ex-Marines. People put a high premium on their safety and security, and we sometimes sacrifice everything else for it.

In the gospel today, Jesus hopes to harness that natural desire for safety and security and help his apostles elevate it to a more supernatural end. That is, he wants their instinct for self-preservation to be their impetus for self-preparation for his return. How so? Well, listen to our Lord explain how: “For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into to.” He goes on: “So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” In other words, Jesus compares his coming to that of a thief in the night. And how do you catch a thief? You install the best security system available. I hope this does not sound irreverent, but I believe Christianity can be compared to a high tech security system to catch a thief, and that thief is Jesus. We want to catch Christ so we can love him and live in him.

As we begin the holy season of Advent, may I suggest a few ways we can enhance our security system called Christianity, that is, our personal faith life, so we can catch a thief? I am convinced the best way to be on guard spiritually-speaking is by going to confession. Why? Well, sin has the effect of lowering our defenses and makes us vulnerable not only to manipulation by Satan, but also to missing our Savior. This week on Thursday evening at 6 p.m., we will have priests from the area to hear everyone’s confessions. I promise: they will be priests you have never seen before and will never have to see again! Every confession sort of “reboots” our security system and we are prepared to catch Christ, who comes like a thief in the night.

Another way to sharpen our security capabilities is by attending Mass every Sunday. By the way, do you know that we have between 75 and 100 people who attend daily Mass at 7 a.m. every morning? Why do they come? C. S. Lewis described our world as “enemy occupied territory.” He wrote: “Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.” He continued: “When you go to church you are really listening-in to the secret wireless from our friends: that is why the enemy is so anxious to prevent us from going.” Folks, is it really that far-fetched to suggest that in the eyes of this world Jesus comes like a thief in the night to launch a counter-offensive against the values of this world? When we catch the divine Thief through the Scriptures and sacraments, we can be sure we are on his side in the spiritual battle.

And thirdly, my favorite way to catch a thief is to follow Mother Mary’s example by praying the rosary daily. Mary was the first to catch Christ not only in her heart but even in her womb. What happened when she caught Christ? We read in John 1:14, “The Word was made Flesh and dwelt among us.” Nothing less than the Incarnation happens when you catch Christ! In other words, when we pray the rosary we learn from Mother Mary how to grow in holiness and humility, which are the irresistible bait to lure the love of our Lord so we can catch him. Every time we catch Christ, “the Word becomes flesh” again and again, in each one of us who are called Christians, that is, “little christs” (with a small “c”).

My friends, you keep your family safe by locking your house doors at night and activating your alarm systems. And I promise I’ll keep our spiritual family safe by allowing only ex-Marines to serve as ushers. But we should also be on red alert and not lower our defenses spiritual-speaking by living our Christian faith to the fullest. Why? Because Christianity is the best way to catch a thief.

Praised be Jesus Christ!