Stay Awake!

How many of you remember this children’s song?

Stay awake, (clap, clap) be ready. (clap, clap)

You do not know the hour when the Lord is coming.

Stay awake, (clap, clap) be ready. (clap, clap) The Lord is coming soon!

This children’s song for Advent was written by English born and raised, now USA resident, Roman Catholic composer and liturgical musician Christopher Walker (b 1947). It was written as a series of Gospel Acclamations based on the Gospel of Matthew (and thus for Year A).

“Stay awake!” our Lord tells us. Is He telling us not to sleep? No, not at all, for He continues “For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.” (Matthew 24:42)

What if you knew in advance “the day” the Lord will call you home? Would you behave differently? Treat people a little more kindly? Tell your near and dear ones that you love them? Eat a sumptuous meal on the fine china that you only use on special occasions? Would you make the time for a good confession? Perhaps, put your business affairs in order?

You Do Not Know the Hour

My retired boss passed away a couple of weeks ago. He was in bed sleeping; woke briefly to turn off the TV. He turned to his wife and murmured something, and those were the last words he ever said. He was 81. I think all of us would like to go that way. No prolonged suffering; no hospital stay. But, are we ready to meet the Lord when that time comes?

In these days of Covid-19, thousands of people have gone home to the Lord, probably sooner than they expected. I hope and pray they were prepared to meet their Maker. Since we do not know the hour when the Lord will call us home, we need to be ready. As Jesus Himself tells us in today’s Gospel,

“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.”

Be Vigilant

Scripture clearly reminds us of the need to be vigilant at all times, that we may not be caught unaware or unprepared. Jesus advises us to be like the faithful and prudent servant whom the master put in charge of his household. This servant performed his duties with diligence and took care of his master’s many possessions. When the master returned home unexpectedly and found everything in order, the faithful servant was richly rewarded. However, a servant who thinks to himself “my master is long delayed”, and therefore shirks his duties and abuses those under his authority, will be severely punished if he is caught off-guard on his master’s sudden return.

So, which servant do we want to emulate? The good and faithful servant, no doubt. But how do we accomplish that? Are we faithful Christians? Do we love God with all our hearts, all our minds, all our strength? Do we spend time with our God in prayer? Do we love others as ourselves?

Live Each Day Like It’s Your Last

Live each day as if it’s your last. Be kind to strangers. Tell your loved ones how much they mean to you. Be forgiving of others’ transgressions. Spend time in conversation with God. Notice the goodness of God’s creation all around you, in the leafy green trees, pretty flowers, bubbling streams, even the cacti in the desert! Appreciate the snow-capped mountains, a sunrise or a sunset, the crashing waves of the ocean, and the joy of animals, especially our own pets. All of these are God’s gifts to us.

I pray that at the appropriate time, we may all hear the words,

‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ (Matthew 25:23)

[Readings: 1 Thes 3:7-13; Mt 24:42-51]