That Long, Last mile....

Unless someone has been in solitary in Outer Mongolia or somewhere over the past few years, one cannot help but notice the coldness and the absolute coarse discourse that takes place in daily living. I hear and see behavior by young men, and lack of responsibility, that makes me sad. I hear young girls using language that would have gotten my mouth washed out with soap so fast it would have made my head spin. I see and hear general hardness and disregard for others’ in daily living that it saddens me, and makes me not disappointed that I am not a young man.

The political discussion has taken this fact and put it on steroids. Hate filled, class vs. class, rich vs. poor vs. middle class; I guess none of this is new, but the scary part is those who have decided not only do we dislike what you have to say, we are going to make sure you do not have the opportunity to say it. We are going to make the arbitrary decision that you do not have the right to be heard.

I’ve never seen it this bad. Everyone has their own axe to grind....everyone thinking that things will be just wonderful if we get our way. We’ve got it all figured out.

It seems that God is forgotten, or is used as a figurehead to make one political statement or another. We seem to think that He’s gone, just sitting up there, out of the way. We forget, or don’t accept, the fact that He is right here. Right now. This very moment.

He’s here in the Sacraments. The physical signs of His presence among us that He instituted in the Catholic (Universal) Church all those centuries ago. Here in the Holy Spirit. Always has been. Very much involved in what is going on in the world, yet also loving us enough to give us free will whether to accept His presence or not.

And, here is the reality check. We are all going to become aware of His presence, one way or the other, at the end of our physical lives. That is the fact. No doubt about it. My grandfather used to tell me that the one true happening in this world is that nobody gets out alive. At some point, each of us will be pacing off that long last mile. At that time, we will see everything in it’s proper perspective.

On Saturdays, I deliver the Eucharist to a local Hospital here. Holy Communion. Literally and physically, the Body of Christ. Think about that for a moment. Let that sink in. The simple fact that He allows me, a super flawed human being, to even distribute His body absolutely blows my mind. I’m so unworthy, it’s not close to being funny. Me. Of all folks.

In the wing of the facility that I service, the majority are not doing well, at all. Some are elderly, some are young, terminally ill, all are very sick. They are in the process of pacing off that long last mile, that same mile that we all will have to pace off at some point in time. Things are winding down. The ultimate reality.

Other stuff is not important, most absolutely hunger for the Eucharist, and are so humble and grateful for the death and the Resurrection. No B/S here, this is where the rubber meets the road, we’re pulling into the last train station. The worry and fighting over trivial b/s is over. Politics don’t mean anything right now.

I go into these rooms and see Rosaries, bibles, prayer books. Folks like you and me, folks that made excuses in the past for doing things that were sinful. It’s that time. Death is staring them right in the face. I always ask Our Lady for intercession and comfort after distributing he Host. Quite often the entire family joins in reciting the Hail Mary. To use a sports vernacular, it’s crunch time.

It is easily the powerful and humbling thing I have ever done. It’s also a sober reminder that the long last mile will be coming for me. And, you, too. It would behoove all of us to remember that.