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“Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord
will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known
the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed
awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must
be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will
come.” Matthew 24:42–44
How does one “stay awake” as our Lord commands us? We receive this
holy exhortation as we enter into a new liturgical year. In Advent,
we begin at the beginning. We ponder the Incarnate Son of God
dwelling as a human Child in the precious womb of the Blessed
Virgin Mary. We anticipate the celebration of His birth into the
world at Christmas. As the liturgical year progresses, we will
prayerfully walk through each moment of His life, from the events
of His childhood, to His public ministry, and ultimately His death,
resurrection, and ascension into Heaven.
Our Lord’s exhortation to stay awake invites us to be attentive to
the ways that the Son of God’s human life speaks to us, calling us
to become fully united to Him so as to share in the glorious gifts
of holiness in this life and eternal salvation in the next. After
exhorting us to stay awake, the Son of God said, “For you do not
know on which day your Lord will come.” Of course, we know He came
into this world over 2,000 years ago in physical form. This
exhortation is not only a call to ponder that event long ago; it’s
also an invitation and exhortation to become continuously more
attentive to the effect that His historical coming has upon us
today. Advent is a season that invites us to reflect on Christ’s
first coming in Bethlehem, His daily coming to us in grace, and His
final coming at the end of time. These moments are intimately
connected, as each prepares us more fully for the next.
From Heaven, the Son of God continues to descend to us, inviting
each of us to conceive Him in our souls by grace, to be attentive
to His divine presence within us, and to nurture His divine
presence so that He will grow and live within us, making us true
members of His Body, the Church. Staying awake means being aware of
Christ’s presence in every moment and cultivating a personal
relationship with Him that is alive and growing. This Advent, ask
yourself: How am I nurturing my relationship with Jesus so that I
am ready to meet Him whenever He comes?
Jesus calls us to be prepared at every moment of every day, “for at
an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” Though this
is a promise that He will return one day to judge the living and
the dead at the end of time, it is also a promise that He
relentlessly pursues us here and now, communicating to us by grace
and inviting us to be transformed more fully, so as to love Him and
manifest His love to the world around us. As we mature in our
faith, God often speaks in subtler ways, inviting us to listen with
the ears of our hearts. These gentle whispers of grace require us
to be even more attuned to His presence, ready to respond to His
call in the quiet moments of our day.
Reflect today on Jesus’ exhortation to be awake, vigilant,
attentive, and ready to love Him in the smallest ways. To stay
spiritually awake, cultivate habits that keep you attuned to God’s
presence: set aside time for daily prayer, receive the sacraments
frequently, and be mindful of opportunities to serve others. These
practices will help you remain vigilant and ready to encounter
Christ at any moment. Search for Him this Advent, and never tire of
loving Him in your prayer and in those around you. The Son of God
continuously comes to you “at an hour you do not expect.” By
building a spiritual habit of being prepared, you will meet and
love Him throughout your day.
My ever-present Lord, You surround me with Your grace and flood
me with Your mercy day and night. Please give me a heart that is
attentive and receptive to You so that I can receive all that You
wish to bestow and love You and others with Your Sacred Heart.
Jesus, I trust in You.
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