Stay Awake

This week’s Stay Awake

This week’s Gospel is from Mark, 13:33-37.  Jesus compares being watchful for the Lord to a gatekeeper being watchful for the return of “the master of the house”.  Jesus tells us to be watchful because we don’t know when the Lord will return, and we don’t want to be asleep when He comes. 

It’s interesting, isn’t it, that Jesus says we don’t want to be caught asleep.  He doesn’t say that we don’t want to be caught doing something wrong, but rather that we don’t want to be caught asleep. 

Sleep is a funny thing.  It creeps up on you, often without us being fully conscious that it’s happening.  And sleep is a powerful force. 

So, this Advent, let’s encourage each other not to fall asleep to God’s message.  Especially in these days of literal isolation and darkness, staying awake can be really difficult.  At least it is for me.  Do whatever you can to stay awake.  Read God’s word.  Pray.  Go to church when you can.  Share love with those around you.  It may feel dark now, but I truly believe the daylight is coming.        The Older Brother. 

 Gospel is from Mark, 13:33-37.  Jesus compares being watchful for the Lord to a gatekeeper being watchful for the return of “the master of the house”.  Jesus tells us to be watchful because we don’t know when the Lord will return, and we don’t want to be asleep when He comes. 

It’s interesting, isn’t it, that Jesus says we don’t want to be caught asleep.  He doesn’t say that we don’t want to be caught doing something wrong, but rather that we don’t want to be caught asleep. 

Sleep is a funny thing.  It creeps up on you, often without us being fully conscious that it’s happening.  And sleep is a powerful force. 

So, this Advent, let’s encourage each other not to fall asleep to God’s message.  Especially in these days of literal isolation and darkness, staying awake can be really difficult.  At least it is for me.  Do whatever you can to stay awake.  Read God’s word.  Pray.  Go to church when you can.  Share love with those around you.  It may feel dark now, but I truly believe the daylight is coming.        The Older Brother. 

 

That was Jesus; did you recognize Him?

I can't help but try to see how I measure up to what Jesus is saying when I read the Gospels. There's a part of me that has a "checklist" mentality about things. Take for example the beatitudes; "Blessed are the poor in spirit" Sure, I try to keep humble, (that's one of the things that make me such a great person....) Check. "Blessed are they who mourn." I have known my fair share of sorrow. Check. I think it's clear that it's easy to fool myself so that I believe that I'm comfortably on my way on the straight and narrow path when, after all - it is a struggle.

This Sunday's Gospel gives us a glimpse into how the reckoning at the end of time is going to go; you know, the sheep on the right and the goats on the left. It begs the question: am I a sheep or a goat? I donate to various charities that provide food and drink to the poor. Check. I'm a nice guy; I smile at strangers and hold the door for people I don't know. I generally try to make people comfortable in my presence. Check. I donate my old clothes to St. Vincent De Paul.... Check. I don't know anyone in prison, but three out of four aint bad, right?

OK. I have a feeling that I'm really missing the point when I look at it this way. It's clear that Jesus identifies with the poor and marginalized; He always speaks in terms of relationship. I don't know how many homeless people that I walked passed on the way to work this morning. If He identifies with each one of them, then I don't know how many times I walked passed Jesus this morning and didn't do anything for Him. That's something I need to think about........

                                                        Diversification of Grace

Matthew 25:14-30

   11.15.20

Reading and understanding scripture can be challenging, to say the least. Sometimes a message jumps right at me. Other times, it confuses me to no end.  After reading this week’s upcoming Gospel, I found myself thinking about finances, investments and returns on financial risks.  We all have invested in something.  Maybe playing the stock market, buying  new home, investing in our child’s education, or perhaps playing it safer by investing in a diversified, moderate risk retirement portfolio for your retirement?

So here it goes.  The King gave three of his servants, gold pieces to hold while he was on a journey. After returning, he was greeted by the first guy who was given five coins and proudly presented the King with ten coins.  Not a bad return, eh?  The King smiled and congratulated his servant for being so financially savvy.  The second guy greets the master and is equally excited to show the King that the two gold coins he was entrusted with had doubled in their worth.  The King applauds the second servant for taking a risk and doubling his investment.  Now the last guy timidly approaches the King with the one coin he was given, saying he was afraid to lose the coin, so he simply buried it.  He did not want to upset the King with a total loss. The King’s demeanor changes into anger and he admonishes this servant for his lack of courage and insight.  He sends him away because there was no profit made and this because the servant lacked the courage to risk taking a chance.

Most are familiar with the multitude of saints God has given us throughout history.  Not all were holy form the onset of their lives.  God picked prostitutes, whore mongers, tax collectors and spoiled brats before turning them into incredible models of the faith for us. Much of their past was filled with lives that only returned a selfish profit, lives rooted in burying their “coins of grace” and never considering the consequences of the actions (or inactions).  Rather than diversifying God’s grace, they hoarded it for themselves.  This kind of plan is stagnant, and the King was aware of this.  Perhaps, these outcasts that God chose, turned away from fear and took the risk to diversify His grace; thereby experiencing a magnificent return on this investment of faith?

The result of a profitable, spiritual investment that multiples itself is rooted in what I call “exponential grace.” As with the first servants, it begins by taking some degree of risk for a profit to be returned.  The saints that preceded us and who walk among us today know the importance of the diversification of grace. They regularly exercise it to renew the face of the earth.  What spiritual investments have you made in today’s renewal project and do you bury your coins of grace or are you willing to share them among those most in need?  Hope to see you on the road to renewal! Pax.

The Pilgrim.  

The Heavenly Wedding Feast

New Year’s Eve is supposed to be one of the most anticipated nights of the year. Whether you're out on the town, or enjoying an intimate New Year’s party at home, people all around the world will be trying to ring in the New Year. However, you can’t have the perfect New Year’s if you can’t manage to stay awake long enough to make it to midnight. Stay awake and be ready! For you do not know on what day your Lord will come.

The Gospel is from St. Matthew 25:1-13. Our Lord described an incident that happened at a wedding festival in order to bring home to his listeners the need for being ever vigilant and ready in his service. The main lesson of the parable has to do with the need to be alert: in practice, this meaning living out our faith. The vigilance should be continuous and be persistent, because the devil is forever after us, prowling around “like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

Are you ready? How are you preparing yourself for the heavenly wedding feast? Are you fully aware of what is happening? These questions should be on our minds, in our hearts and on our lips. As Catholics the road to heaven starts on receiving the sacrament of baptism, and will end on our deathbed. For our souls will thirst for you O Lord.

You don’t have to wait for the New Year to change. Change must start now while we are alive, living our faith, our life and not fall asleep to sin” “Behold the bridegroom! Come to meet him.” The moment will be, first, at the hour of our death for each of us when each fate will be decided, and again on the last day of judgement of the human race. During our lifetime we are continuously invited to the heavenly wedding, and are blessed to have God’s grace in our lives. But like the foolish man waiting for the new year, many will not stay awake or make use of God’s gift, and will realize their mistakes when its too late. Sad, but true.

If we are to be followers of Jesus, we need to let him lead, accepting that he will not lead us away from suffering, pain, or difficulty. Instead of seeking our own benefit and gain, we allow every experience-even in moments of distress-to draw us closer to our heavenly banquet with Jesus who invites us to lay our burdens on his shoulders. I pray that I may never fall asleep while waiting for the Bridegroom to come.

Mary, Queen of Heaven, pray for us!

St. Bernard of Clairvaux