It's never too late to wake up

 

There it is, standing emphatically on its own.  One of the few direct orders we get from Jesus.

“Stay awake!” (Matthew 24:42-51)

People are generally very conscientious of taking care of their physical belongings.  We lock our homes and our cars; we buy insurance on almost everything and we buy and install all types of protective and preventive devices such as fire extinguishers and burglar alarms.  We teach our children from the day they’re born what to fear and what will hurt them.  Like the master of the house in the parable, if we knew when something bad was going to happen, we’d be smart enough to be there to prevent it.

But people aren't the same when it comes to the non-physical things in their lives.  When we forget that Jesus Christ is present within us, we tend to engage in things that are damaging to our souls and our relationship with God.  We sin in a variety of ways with no regard for the consequences. We abandon the protection of our souls and become like the wicked servant in Jesus’ scenario.  In order to ‘stay awake’, we need to wake up first!

We need to be concerned with those things that truly impact us: our attitudes, our compassion, our trust and faith in God.  What other people think of us is irrelevant.  We shouldn’t concern ourselves with why someone looked at us cross eyed; rather, we  should be aware of the goodness of God and all His gifts, and all the talents He’s shared, and all of the mercy He has shown.  In other words, we need to wake up!

We must take care always and remain awake prepared for His return.  We must secure our souls against the dangers of the world, we must "buy the proper insurance" and make sure our "fire extinguishers are charged and ready."  We do this through daily prayer, reading the Scriptures and through frequent reception of Holy Communion and the sacrament of reconciliation. 

It’s tough in this time of global upheaval due to COVID, social injustices and unrest, and natural disasters, but we still need to stay awake and remain faithful and prudent.  We must take care to be in constant prayer with God, read His word, share His messages – there are so very many!  To stay awake and be prepared, living our life in a way that’s pleasing to God.  And if we aren’t, the world situation we’re in today should be a “wake-up call”.  It’s never too late to reconnect with our loving Savior and live as He wants us to live.