Prior Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance. “The 6 P’s.”
A dangerous alliteration for microphones.
Whether it's exams, a big game, a big show, or battle; project deadlines, college savings, bill payments. Prior proper preparation is necessary.
Those with a military background may know that there are variations on these 6 Ps. They may even vaunt a hidden, gnostic knowledge of a 7th P in this alliteration. Contra the 7th P of their gnosis, I propose my own: Parousia.
Prior Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance at the Parousia.
This Greek word parousia, meaning Christ’s second coming, relates to the prophecy of Daniel that we heard (Daniel 12); the parousia is the subject of Christ’s preaching (Mk 13). It is before us at the end of our liturgical year.
Applying this alliterative principle to our life on this side of eternity, how is our prior proper preparation for the Parousia going? The Son of Man will return. Is His second coming on my horizon?
Prior Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance at the Parousia. In our life of faith, how do we best prepare? I give you three ways.
Praise
When Daniel speaks of the bright stars bringing many to justice, we can think of the saints. One of these bright stars is St. Elizabeth of the Trinity. Hear what she says about this life we live:
“Jesus wills that where He is we should be also, not only for eternity, but already in time [in this life],” (Heaven in Faith, no. 1).
The Carmelite again says:
Here, now, God teaches us “to fulfill the work which will be [ours] for eternity and which [we] must already perform [in this life],” (Last Retreat, no. 1).
One of St Elizabeth’s pearls of wisdom is this: there is a continuity between this present life and the life to come. The continuity is found in the “work which will be ours for all eternity.” What is that work?
It is an 8th “P” for our alliteration: Praise. In Heaven, our only occupation, our vocation will be heartfelt, love-filled praise.
This heavenly work is ours already in the Heaven of our souls. “It is in this little heaven that God has made in the center of our soul that we must seek Him and above all where we must remain,” (Heaven in Faith, no. 32).
Prior Proper Preparation through Praise. The Catechism says praise is “the form of prayer which recognizes most immediately that God is God,” (CCC 2639).
Praising on earth readies our hearts for praising eternally in Heaven.
When we praise we declare and acclaim God-centered reality. This is the atmosphere we live in and the air we breathe. God is God; He holds us and all things in being out of His goodness and love; He lovingly dwells in us! This is praiseworthy.
I should say that we might think that a spirit of praise comes only with a feeling of elation or gladness. This might be so. But, what if we are in the darkest night or the deepest valley? In the dark and in the depths, we can praise.
Looking at the order of creation, made to praise the God who made it: we can be bold and radiant like the Sun. Praise can arise when a storm rages within us. Our praise can be like “the rocks crying out in silence” (see/hear “So Will I,” by Hillsong).
Prior preparation through praise prevents poor performance at the Parousia.
Permit me to proceed to posit another “P”.
Penance
Why Penance? Because there are so many ways that our prior preparation of praise gets ruptured or interrupted. Proper preparation becomes improper.
What we listen to, what we watch, what we talk about, what we read – so many avenues where our spirit of praise can falter. Many things that negate our heart’s longing for what is True, Good, and Beautiful.
Prior preparation through penance and praise prevents poor performance at the Parousia.
What is my heart set on? What do I do with free time?
If we find we’re caught up in the world or ourselves, we can and should admit that! This is repentance. One grace of confession is humbly being before the Lord in our weakness. Penance begins in the desire to say ‘no’ to the fleeting pleasures and say yes to friendship; yes to praise; yes to inheritance. As we sang in our psalm: “You are my inheritance, O Lord. You will show me the path of life, fullness of joy in your presence, at your right hand happiness forever.”
How do I say yes to friendship, yes to praise, yes to inheritance? What is one good step you can make?
Do you read the upcoming Sunday’s readings in advance? Do you allow for silence in the car? Can you pray the rosary in the car or on a walk? Pick up the life of a saint like St Elizabeth of the Trinity or St Jane Frances. Come to Men’s Bible study or Walking with Purpose or even our OCIA classes on Monday evenings. Visiting the Lord in our parish chapel.
This brings me to the last thing.
I do not have another “P”.
Because we await the perfection of all things, I’m going to ruin this by proposing not a “P” but a “B”. We are still dealing with bilabial plosives for the Parousia.
Prior preparation through: Beholding.
When we come to Mass, when we come to Jesus in the Eucharist, we are coming to Heaven; Heaven comes to us. There is something of the Parousia here.
As Jesus says of that day, “They will see the Son of Man is coming.” When you are here at Mass and when you are praying before Jesus in the Eucharist, we behold the Son of Man. Behold him in the horizon of this sanctuary. We pray: Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, who takes away the woes, the fears. If the sun and moon darken, if heaven and earth pass away, the Eucharistic Lord remains forever.
Prior proper preparation through penance and praise and beholding prevents poor performance at the Parousia.
Let us live our Heaven on earth through Praise and Penance and Beholding. Behold the Lamb of God. Behold, the Son of Man is coming, very soon. Indeed, He comes right now, veiled just off to my right [in the Tabernacle] and again in about 12 minutes, and very soon, at the end of this Age. Come, Lord Jesus.
Given at St. Jane Frances de Chantal, Pastorate of the Visitation with Our Lady of the Chesapeake, November 17, 2024.