TUESDAY OCTOBER 24, 2023
TUESDAY OF THE TWENTY NINTH WEEK OF THE ORDINARY TIME A
Romans 5:12.15.17-19.20-21
Luke 12:35-38
KEEPING FAITHFUL VIGILANCE
In very graphic ways, Jesus calls for faithful vigilance among those who trust in him and hold such faith as his disciples.
He instruct us saying, “Let your loin be girded and your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the marriage feast..” Such admonition addressed to his disciples is a call to be on duty at all times of their life. Vigilance is necessary for pilgrims and disciples of Jesus because of the antics and cunning schemes of the devil and their agents. The level of temptation against disciples of Jesus is very high. Temptations from possession, lure of the eyes, beauty of acquisition, enticement of power and authority, and the pleasures of life. These can beset man heavily and sniff off the life of grace from man. That is why the call for vigilance is important and urgent.
Jesus demands not just mere vigilance but rather faithful vigilance. Being faithful and committed to the course of our lives will inevitably engage us against the unruly tendencies in our world. Faithfulness to good moral life, keeping to the tenets of our belief, practicing the virtues that enhances life and attending to the requirements, sufferings as well as blessings that comes with the Christian faith.
Saint Paul reminds us that as much as sin reigns in the world, so much so that grace reigns also in the same world. For through one man, sin entered the world so also through one man grace and really abundance of grace has entered into the world too. We must therefore depend on grace, live in grace and abide in grace.
Such grace will endear us to keep faithful vigilance as we navigate through life and gain the blessings that awaits those that follow faithfully the gospel message of Christ our Lord.
In practical terms, the way of vigilance can be practiced when we learn to attend to our prayer life, keeping a routine of periodic prayer during the day and night, attending to liturgical celebrations, having quiet times for meditation and reflections with reading from the scriptures and spiritual books that enhances our spiritual life, maintaining good relationships with people and never imitating any one but modeling our lives on that of Christ alone. Above all, we must keep focus and value our lives that our lives means a lot and is irreplaceable. Our lives owes its origin from God alone and must equally return to God at a time never known. So keeping faithful vigilance, means offering oneself back to God in a sacrificial manner and doing all that is necessary to please the owner of our lives.
God our Father, we owe our being to you alone. Help us to live responsibly, giving you due honour, respecting your laws and ordinances and being ever vigilant never to offend your majesty. Keep us faithful to your commands and wills and never allow us stray from your ways. Guide our lives and bless all our undertakings today and always through Christ our Lord.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
