I bring up Ted Kennedy so I can remind each of us that we all have something in common with him. We are all sinners and we are all in need of God’s great mercy. Our sins may differ, but a fact is a fact; sin takes us away from Jesus Christ.
A lot of people put on their “judgment robes” after Ted died; especially when he was afforded a Catholic funeral Mass. Many thought he didn’t deserve a funeral Mass. He didn’t follow Church teaching and was a sinner, why should the Church afford him a Mass?
We don’t know what happened spiritually to Ted Kennedy at the end of his life. It is said he attended daily Mass to pray for his daughter when she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. I am sure our Father in heaven used that time with Ted to His greatest advantage. I pray he was able to make a good confession and receive the anointing of the sick and maybe even the apostolic pardon before he died.
We are, after all, to desire what God desires and He desires us all to be in heaven with Him for eternity. We are not supposed to put on our black robes and judge people, that’s God’s place and it’s a good thing, because He is all merciful and all loving – traits we completely lack.
Don’t be jealous because God is generous. That’s what we read in Matthew 20:1-16. The landowner goes to town throughout the day and brings in workers to the field and at the end of the day, even those who came at the end and worked only an hour, received the same pay as those who had labored all day.
Some of us will “labor” all our lives to live the gospel and follow God. Others will “labor” mere moments at the end of their lives. The reward is the same for all of us. In heaven they rejoice when a sinner repents and we should do the same on earth.
