A priest stood before his congregation and reminded them of a reality no one can escape: One day, every person in that room would die.
Minutes later, he was gone.
Father Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari died Saturday, Oct. 17, after a large wooden crucifix hanging behind the altar fell and struck him during a livestreamed Mass at Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro Church in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
The Associated Press reported that Molinari appeared unaware that the crucifix was falling behind him before it struck him in the head. Screams erupted as worshippers rushed toward the altar, desperately calling for help.
Yet it is what Molinari preached shortly before his death that has given this tragedy an especially sobering weight.
According to Ecuadorian newspaper El Universo, Molinari’s final homily focused on Jesus’ words in Matthew: “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.”
From there, Molinari turned the message toward something every believer must wrestle with: What are we actually giving God?
“In our lives, sometimes we do not give that time, that space to God,” Molinari said, according to El Universo.
He challenged the congregation to examine where their hours were going, pointing to work, money, television, phones and the endless activities that can quietly crowd God out of everyday life.
Then came the words that would, just minutes later, become hauntingly significant.
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“One day, all of us here are also going to die,” Molinari said.
Molinari could not have known just how soon those words would become reality.
Fox News reported that the service was moving toward Communion, and Molinari was preparing for the Eucharist when he was struck.
This horrific incident is a reminder that our life is but for a brief moment. In the Bible, James 4:14 asks, “For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.”
We build schedules as though tomorrow belongs to us. We scroll away hours. We chase deadlines and money while telling ourselves there will always be more time for God later.
However, later is never promised.
Molinari walked into church that Saturday, prepared to tell others to make their time with God count. He had no way of knowing those would be among the final words he would ever preach.
Life is short. Eternity is real. If God has been calling you to stop postponing something, perhaps the time to take Him seriously isn’t tomorrow.
It’s today.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the newly released book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected]. Learn more about Abby at abbytrivett.com.
