Be Watchful!

“Be watchful!" Mark 13:33

Finally, Advent begins, and the Gospel starts with the words, "Be watchful! Be alert!" We will continue to have readings about waiting, preparation, the light in the darkness, and the coming of the promised Messiah.

In our gift business, we begin preparing for Christmas in June or even earlier. Our designs for the planners, calendars, Christmas cards and collections have to be readied for printing. We start prototypes for new items, for nativity sets, etc. We have been in business since 1967. That's 56 years! But I still have to say with a moan, that we have never been fully ready for Christmas. There's still, "Why didn't we do this?" "Why isn't this ready?" "We forgot to do this again?!!!" “We don’t have enough of these in stock!”

And how about my heart? There's a constant struggle to balance the side of me that has to prepare for the commercial side of Christmas, with the inner preparations of my heart. There's that constant effort to remind our customers to buy their gifts early. We spruce up our stores way before the real Christmas season begins, ignoring the significance of Advent.

How do I stay watchful in the way Jesus meant in Mark 13:33? I need to be alert to what the Lord wants to give me, to be ready and eager to receive His gifts! The gifts of hope, peace, love and joy are wonderful, wonderful gifts, much more precious than anything we can find under the most marvelous of trees! I need to keep a listening ear, to hear what He wants to say to me. I need to create a space for God to show up. I must not fail to recognize Him in the least of my brethren so I can welcome Him in his tattered garments, in His most distressing disguises, and feed Him and help Him with whatever He needs. 

Just in today's readings, in Isaiah 63, Psalm 80, 1 Corinthians 1, and Mark 13, there was just sooo sooo much to ponder and get excited about, and to keep in my heart. All God wants is for us to be fully alive, to thrive, to have a life brimming with joy, not exhausted with the buying and wrapping of gifts, not frustrated or even lonely in the midst of a jostling crowd! But joyful and eager, generous to the poor, and yes, grateful!

Maranatha! Lord Jesus come!