August 28, 2014
(St. Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church)
Jesus said to his disciples: “Stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. . . . be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” Mt 24:42-51
Most of us tend to think Jesus is necessarily speaking about death. And, yes, we do need to be prepared for death at all times, for we do not know exactly when we will die. We apologize to God with every slip of the tongue. We help others wherever we possibly can. We go the extra mile: giving, praying and consoling. We avoid pride and we give God the credit for everything good in our lives and thank Him for the times we are chastised or challenged that help us to grow.
But maybe, beyond death, Jesus is also speaking about the here and now. Maybe Jesus will come in opportunities right before our eyes. The poor man on the street corner begging for some money to buy some food; or the child quietly standing in the corner of the room, with no friends to play with; or the mom or dad so burdened with work or money issues that the kids are neglected. Maybe Jesus is there, seeing if we are prepared to offer a buck, or a listening ear, or an encouraging word, which might sound pretty simple at the time, but in reality, has the possibility of changing the whole world.
So stay awake, beloved! Be prepared!
He WILL come,
maybe when He’s least expected!
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