Word to the Wise
Saturday, December 2, 2017 - Saturday in the 34th Week in Ordinary Time
[Dan 7:15-27 and Luke 21:34-36]SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2017. SATURDAY IN THE THIRTY-FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME [Daniel 7:15-27 and Luke 21:34-36] "Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man." [Luke] How long can one be on "high alert" before it begins either to lose its meaning or your own personal resources lose their power? One could remember the disciples in the garden of Gethsemane, falling asleep in Jesus' time of crisis. For the past couple of weeks, the scriptures for Sunday and weekday have exhorted us to be vigilant and not to let our daily cares weigh us down so that we become sloppy in our efforts to bear witness to Jesus teachings and the reality that he will someday return. Theologians like to use the word 'horizon' to describe the framework of time and creation that we live in. Our roots in faith go back for centuries upon centuries and could extend forward for the same amount of time. How long is God's creation meant to last? The answer to that question for humans has to be "as long as it takes!" Which means we don't know. But that is no excuse of taking our faith and its challenges for granted. We live in the present with all the joys and sorrows that humanity is prone to and the "least" of Jesus' brothers and sisters are all around us. This Sunday (tomorrow) will begin the season of Advent and a new liturgical year. The hope of Jesus' first coming is proclaimed with a view to remembering that he will return. We live our Christian lives in that hope. Being vigilant is part of it. AMEN