RBWords

     How long can one "stay awake?"  Nowadays I know I get pretty tired by 9pm in the evening!  I even find an afternoon "siesta" necessary!  Even in crisis the disciples found it hard to stay awake in the Garden of Gethsemani!  At the same time, I know how parents of young children learn to sleep with "one ear open" to respond to needs and frights!  What kind of "awakeness" are we being summoned to demonstrate?  What kind of preparedness or alertness?  I am on the east coast of the United States in the Washington, D.C. area at the moment to preach a retreat and we were all caught "flat footed" by the relatively mild earthquake that struck the region on August 23.  Most folks were not prepared to see books and pictures come tumbling off the shelves!  The traffic jams that ensued were not encouraging!  In Houston, where I live, there are electronic signs on the freeways that warn of the "storm season" and ask the question:  "Are you prepared?"

     It seems to me that a good part of the "staying awake" refers more to "staying in shape."  The Gospel of Matthew contains some very definite commands about what the Lord expects, now and at the time of his return!  Responding to those commands requires effort and the development of "habits" of living that ensure those commands are receiving a healthy response!  In a few days (provided a hurricane nearby permits), I will be giving a retreat to candidates for the Permanent Diaconate and their spouses.  I will try to challenge them to healthy and intentional habits in regard to prayer, learning, relationships and ministry.  Intentional and steady effort in those areas can create a state of preparedness.  The return of the Lord is not a matter of a calendar event but a challenge to be what our baptism has created us to be.  AMEN