GOSPEL MESSAGE & RECORDING
What’s in your bucket list? A bucket list is a certain number of achievements or experiences that a person wants to accomplish during his or her lifetime. This idea was further popularized in American culture with the release of the movie, “The Bucket List (2007),” starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. Do you have a bucket list? Most of us do, even though it is unintentional. In other words, we all have a few things that we want to do before we leave this world. And in most cases that deals with us going to a certain part of the world that is unique and exotic. Or maybe we want to reach a certain position in our career or have a certain level of accomplishment in our workplace. Whatever the case might be our “bucket list” usually is numbered with “going somewhere” or “doing something.”
In the Gospel Reading today we hear of a man named Simeon, who would not see death until he saw for himself the Messiah of Israel. In Luke 2: 22-40, Jesus’ parents did what was customary among Jews, that is, to bring their child into the temple to be dedicated on the 40th day after birth. When they brought Jesus to the temple Simeon took Jesus in his arms and praised the Lord: “Lord, You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation. Which you have prepared before the face of all people. A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles. And the glory of your people Israel.” (Luke 2: 29-32) Here Simeon praises God for finally sending the Messiah for the redemption and consolation of Israel and the whole world. After this Simeon passes away.
What we see here is that Simeon had a “bucket list,” and in that list there was one thing: “see the Messiah eye to eye.” My friends, we may have many things written on our bucket list, but do we have our spiritual growth as number 1?
On the previous Sunday, as we were celebrating Qurbana, Kobe Bryant (41 years old), one of the greatest basketball players of all time, died in a helicopter crash alongside his daughter. Kobe might have had a bucket list. But at the very last moment, when he knew most assuredly that he and his daughter’s lives were going to end, only a few things mattered: his God and his loved ones. In the following days through Facebook feeds, I was happy to find out that Kobe leaned on his Catholic faith and practiced it seriously. In fact, various reports stated that Kobe was able to deal with the toughest moments of his life by talking to a Priest.
You and I need to review our bucket list. I am not saying we shouldn’t go to certain places, or see things, or have career goals. What I am saying is that we should put them into perspective. Always remember that God comes first and family second.
Here are a few things that you might want to have in your bucket list considering what was said above:
Reading the whole Bible
Memorizing Psalm 51, 91& 121
Observing all the holy Fasting seasons
Spending more time with family
Talking to our kids
Spending quality time with our spouse
Asking forgiveness from people we hurt
Changing a person’s life through the Gospel message (bringing someone to Christ) through the Orthodox faith
Mentoring someone
Going to confession more than once a year
These are only a few, but you get my point!