STAY ALERT

     The entrance antiphon for the liturgy for this Monday of the First Week of Advent is this:

     "Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, declare it to the distant lands: Behold, our Savior will come; you need no longer fear."

     Our Advent time is one of listening, of being even more attentive to the word of the Lord.  This Advent finds us continuing on the trend of not listening, of losing our focus and lessening our attention to what is most important, and of floundering in our mediocrity, our homelessness, our fear.  Generations have strayed from the way and come to count as insignificant the call to conversion and the path that leads to the Lord.  We have become complacent.  And much worse, we are okay with simply getting by.

     But that is not enough ... it will not suffice ... if we are to prosper.

    The Collect Prayer of the Church today prays: "Keep us alert, we pray, O Lord our God, as we await the advent of Christ your Son, so that, when he comes and knocks, he may find us watchful in prayer and exultant in his praise."

     Take time every day during this great season of Advent to stay alert and to be ready.  Paul yesterday in Romans 13 told us that "it is the hour now for you to awaken from sleep."  May we heed his words.