Be vigilant at all times. One of the constant themes in the preaching of Jesus is to “watch.” As the liturgical year ends we are to watch for the signs of God’s coming triumph. All of the forces of the world that Daniel saw are passing and only God endures. As we are entering the new liturgical year tomorrow with the First Sunday of Advent we are to watch for the signs of God’s presence in the stuff of human existence. While the feast of Christmas is too easily romanticized its underlying meaning is as relevant as ever. God chose to become a child, to grow up in a hostile world, to provide us guidance through his words and actions, to give his life so that we might live, to triumph over death as the first fruits of eternal life. Be vigilant then to recognize the face of Christ in every child, to see how precious every human life is, to care for those are immigrants as he was, to reach out to those who share his poverty. “What I say to you I say to all, WATCH” (Mark 13:37).
