Luke 21:34-36
34 Jesus
said to his disciples: “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy
from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that
day catch you by surprise 35 like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. 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.”
Reflection
Today is the eve of Advent. The spirit of Christmas is upon us once again, and the revelry in the air is all the more telling of an economy in the upswing, with lavish spending evident in all the malls and jam-packed restaurants all over the land. Surely it is during this season of “carousing and drunkenness” when we must pause and reflect on the message of our Lord in today’s Gospel. It is also the time to be vigilant. Isn’t it strange that on the eve of Christianity’s greatest celebration, such foreboding message should come from the Celebrant Himself? As He warned in another Gospel passage: “… in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away.” (Mt.24:38-39) That is how it will be in His Second Coming. So, to be “vigilant at all times . . . and have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent. . .”
Today is the eve of Advent. The spirit of Christmas is upon us once again, and the revelry in the air is all the more telling of an economy in the upswing, with lavish spending evident in all the malls and jam-packed restaurants all over the land. Surely it is during this season of “carousing and drunkenness” when we must pause and reflect on the message of our Lord in today’s Gospel. It is also the time to be vigilant. Isn’t it strange that on the eve of Christianity’s greatest celebration, such foreboding message should come from the Celebrant Himself? As He warned in another Gospel passage: “… in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away.” (Mt.24:38-39) That is how it will be in His Second Coming. So, to be “vigilant at all times . . . and have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent. . .”
Father God, on this eve of Advent, please let Your Holy Spirit keep us vigilant and prayerful, well prepared for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ, for it is during times of celebration that we become complacent and vulnerable to the temptation of the evil one. Help us, Father, to be ready for His coming. Amen.
