Stay Awake! Jesus is coming

Matthew 24:42+

Jesus said to his disciples (and to you): “Stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. … you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” As Christians, we are taught that Jesus will come again at the end of time, i.e. the day of final judgment. We prepare for his second coming by living in Faith. This means that we learn to love God and to love our neighbor while avoiding evil by doing penance and other works of mortification. Not only are we to avoid evil, we are also to engage in acts of charity for neighbor that promote justice and peace.

There is  a deeper level of meaning to be found in Jesus’s warning. Jesus prayed that as He is one with his Father, He also wants to be one with each one of us. He also prayed that He and the Father be one with us.  For those who seek this more intimate life with God and in Christ to be enjoyed in this life, we are to stay awake. The divine indwelling is possible when we open our heart to God and Jesus through a life of prayer and works of charity that promote justice and peace. “Be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” The best way to prepare for the future coming of the Lord is to live in the present with open heart that welcomes God.