Be Vigilant | (Rev. Dr. Erasmus Okere)

Be Vigilant | (Rev. Dr. Erasmus Okere)

The book of Wisdom recalls the great liberation of the Israelites from their land of slavery in Egypt. This event is of remarkable importance for them and more so to us today, the Chosen People of the new dispensation. The Exodus event foreshadows the real liberation of mankind and the elevation of man to the citizenship of heaven. We are therefore drawn to the appreciation of whom we have become in Christ Jesus Our Lord. Through the sacrifice of Jesus, the true Passover lamb, we have been freed from the slavery of sin and been made sons and daughters of God and heirs of heaven through baptism. Looking with optimism, the people of Israel recall their history and courageously hope for a joyful future. You are drawn to the conscious awareness that you should live a life of the redeemed, in all spheres of life in Christ Jesus.
The second reading projects Abraham and Sarah as heroes of faith. They were loyal to God’s command by unwaveringly maintaining a knowledge within their hearts beyond the reach of proof, and never were they disappointed. The Christian faith involves the belief in God against the world, the belief in the spirit against the senses and the belief in the future against the present.
Abraham’s faith was the faith ready for adventure, the faith which had patience and the faith looking beyond this world. Reversing the direction of our lives is not easy, but by stepping up our own efforts and with God’s grace, we can do it as many have done before us. You can do it if you will it. Take a bold step, say no today to the life of yesterday and put up a good fight against those components of your life that weakens you to the world that enslaves you to sin and Satan. Call upon Jesus today and you shall be saved.
The gospel invites us to be vigilant, to be found ready for the Lord when he comes to bring liberation. Jesus makes a strong statement to the disciples about the use of time, and about priorities. Some of it must have been puzzling for the disciples, who at that stage did not know about the events which would later unfold in Jerusalem.
But the point Jesus was making about being ready and about priorities was unmistakable. Time is a gift, with each of us having that gift in an unknown measure. Procrastination is like a thief who erodes that gift, wasting it by leading us to do nothing, or to do what is easy rather than what should be a priority. Why wait for tomorrow, what you can accomplish today? The last minute achiever is not the most balanced approach to life. It leaves us little choice with probabilities. It is difficult to use time wisely if there are no clear priorities. Our Lord Jesus is very clear that what matters most is being ready for the day when we will meet him in death. As a prioritizing principle, the knowledge that we will die one day and that we don’t know when is a powerful organizing force. Procrastination is not an option in the context of discipleship. It conjures up ideas of idleness, but it can actually be hidden by vigorous activity. Being in a state of permanent activity does not mean that we are doing what really matters. If we allow activity to push the harder spiritual stuff off our agenda then we are procrastinating on what should be a priority. Taking the opportunity each day to ask what matters most at a personal level and in relation to the demands being made on us is a powerful tool for being ready. It can bring order to chaos and reduce procrastination on the things that really matter. It can provide a calm and friendly assertiveness in the face of overwhelming demand. Most importantly, it gets the question of being ready, as Jesus asked it, back on the table. Don’t wait for the last minute to settle quarrels with your neighbor. Jesus is ever willing, ready and capable of meeting all our needs. Let us hurry to meet him. May your encounter with the Lord today bring you healing and blessings; peace and love to your neighbors.

Article by Ustyne

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