Being Awake…That's The Point

Feast of Saint Monica
(patroness of mothers who worry about their children…are there any left out?)

Thursday of Week 21 in Ordinary Time

1 Thessalonians 3:7-13

Paul prays "and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all"

Thanks, Paul!

Psalm 90

Fill us at daybreak with your kindness, O Lord

Matthew 24:42-51

Stay awake!  For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.

I come across Blood Moon/EndTimes/Apocalyptic mindsets fairly frequently in the hospital.  And I try to understand it in the same way I understand the genre of apocalyptic writings in the Bible (and elsewhere)…a literary testimony to finding hope in hard times.  The hospital can be an alien place.  There is a different language being spoken.  Natural light is hard to come by and days and nights go unsensed.  And the myth of control is pretty well debunked.  Give me something certain!  I understand.

The funny thing is just how clear Jesus is in Matthew's gospel and elsewhere (Luke 12:35-48, Mark 13:33-37).  And the fact is that every prediction/prophesy of the end times, has, up to this point, been off the mark.  This fascination with the End Times is the result of being far off the mark…of missing a pretty obvious point.  I need to be careful about the disguises this fascination can take.  I may not have bought the latest "Blood Prophesy" bestseller, but there is plenty that distracts from my living awake!

The gospel is challenging me to let go of needing the answer, or a timetable, or secret knowledge in order that I might enjoy the freedom to live awake today.  Live awake.  Live ready.  Live with earthly watchfulness.  Live about the business of holiness at work.  Live.