US4 min(s) read
Catholic priest's response to Florida Learjet crash goes viral as he turns it into powerful homily
.jpg_xKEaT0?tr=cr-0.328.2730.3058,f-webp,q-70,w-100)
A Catholic priest has gone viral after delivering a powerful homily about mortality, following the tragic Learjet 60 crash in Florida on November 1.
The Bahamas-bound private jet was flying over Florida after taking off from Austin, Texas, when it lost control and started to nosedive.
The aircraft was flying at 35,000 ft before plummeting to the ground in just over a minute and bursting into a ball of flames.
An investigation is currently being carried out by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which has recently revealed that it has recovered the cockpit voice recorder in the wreckage.
Tragically, all nine on board lost their lives, with the victims including entrepreneur Adam Robinson, 44, his wife Helen Sharp, their four-year-old daughter Emma, and their two-year-old son Charlie.
Nanny Anita Maria Apellido Cetina, and close friends Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr also perished.
Recorded audio between crew members, 55-year-old captain Jeff Gregory and 20-year-old co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, was made public after the crash.
Following the incident, a priest's homily has circulated online.
Priest's speech about the Learjet crash
Footage of the tragic crash had circulated online, with the private jet crashing in Palm Springs, Florida, after departing from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas on November 1.
During a homily that was recorded and posted to YouTube earlier this week, a Catholic Priest said he listened to the recording and said that the pilots' final words were 'horrifying'.
However, he said that there's another layer below what's on the surface.
He explained: "The reason why it's grabbing so much attention is the realization that pretty much all of us are going to have that same experience of being 10 seconds out from our death.
"You know, over the last five weeks, I've been at the bedside of five people. I would say the moment that they realized that they were out of time... whether it's on a conscious level or a subconscious level, it's always a surreal moment, and always surrounding is the question of, 'Am I prepared to die?'"
The Priest said that one of the people's deathbeds he was alongside was his own mother's.
He mentioned St. Alphonsus Liguori, an 18th-century Italian Bishop, who wrote a book on the preparation for death.
"He says it is foolish to not think about your death. It is greater folly to think of it and not prepare for it," the priest explained.
The preacher added that there are two practical things you must do to prepare for your death, and the first is to 'make peace with God'.
He said he wonders how many church-going Catholics who go to church every Sunday still need to repent for their sins, adding: "I wonder sometimes of how many people who come to church every Sunday are carrying with them unconfessed and unrepented mortal sin.
"Maybe 20, 30, or 50 years. And maybe you've convinced yourself that because it happened so long ago, it doesn't matter anymore.
"Please hear this. The passing of time does not forgive you of your sins. The passing of time does not forgive you of your sins," he repeated.
The priest said he has heard that people believe that time can forgive them of their sins, but he once again reiterated: "You are not prepared for your death if you have not made peace with God."
Priest encourages people to develop a love for God
Apart from suggesting that you may be condemned to eternity in hell if you don't go to church, he said that the second thing you must do is 'develop a personal love for God'.
He used Jesus' parable of the ten virgins, which highlights the need for personal readiness ahead of Christ's return at an unknown day and hour.
The story, which involves ten carrying lamps, and only five who have prepared with extra oil, is meant to signal that you must prepare for the end times.
He added that the oil represents love for God, which can't be borrowed from someone else's faith, including loved ones.
Turning attention back to the Learjet crash, he said that the pilot, who can be heard reciting the Lord's Prayer as the aircraft went down, can serve as a reminder that God's mercy is available while you are alive.