Remember Me

“Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”

So said the thief on the cross beside Him that day in Calvary. So sing we at Mass, in a hymn that resonates with me. What a hopeful phrase, one that we can all live by and hopefully live up to.

Will Jesus remember us? If we don’t let Him into our lives, should we expect Him to? Those are big questions. As believers, we want to believe that He will … but we have to work hard to assure it. In my mind, it is not a given. Whether you believe in heaven or not, if there is an afterlife, it will be a joy to be a part of it … it will be true grace to be remembered when the time comes. And we have daily chances to create lives and legacies that will be worth remembering … both here on earth and at the gates to heaven.

I pray that I always keep in mind what it will take to be remembered …