Saturday of Week 34 in Ordinary Time
Dan 7:15-27
Lk 21:34-36
“Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.”
Yesterday, we read about the lesson of the fig tree, and that Heaven and earth will pass away but our Lord’s words will never pass away. It was both encouraging and a fair warning at the same time.
The message is encouraging because God didn’t just throw us in the dark, nor throw us in the deep end, and said, “sink or swim”. In fact, like any good teacher, He clearly provided us with the rules, the objective of the game and even provided ‘coaches’ — namely the saints — to show us the way.
The message is also a warning, because within His teachings, there are mentions of the end of time, of judgement, and our eternal abode of our own choosing by how we live our lives.
This brings us to today’s Gospel reading. It is Jesus’ warning and urging us to keep watch. Keep watch on what you may ask. Great question! Let’s read the passage again, since it is a short one.
“Watch yourselves, or your hearts will be coarsened with debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life, and that day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap. For it will come down on every living man on the face of the earth. Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.”
In the final day of the liturgical year, Jesus clearly tells us that there will be a day of final judgement. So, like the wise bridesmaids, stay awake, be prepared and don’t get distracted; so that we will not be caught unawares, and thus can enter into the wedding banquet, unlike the foolish bridesmaids who are left out in the cold.
What are we supposed to watch out for? Simply put, we need to guard our hearts, our minds and our souls. In the current climate of societal pressures, a lot of the Catholic beliefs are unpopular and even ridiculed. We cannot waver under pressure nor change our course. We cannot succumb to everyday life difficulties and seek to conform to the rest of the world. We are called to a higher order.
Our hearts and our minds guide our words and actions, which affect our souls. In everything, we need to pray and put our trust in God. He only wants what is best for us and will not leave us without help. We need to trust and pray with confidence so we that ‘survive’ what will certainly be tests before us, so that we can enter into the Kingdom of God for good!
(Today’s OXYGEN by Winnie Kung)
Prayer: My most loving Lord, You gave us advice and fair warning about judgement day. May we take Your words to heart and heed Your warning; and guard our hearts, our minds and our souls, so that we can enter into Your presence on the last day.
Thanksgiving: Heavenly Father, we praise You for Your eternal glory. Thank you for giving us time to repent and correct our ways, so that we may enter into Your Kingdom.
OXYGEN 
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