Watch Yourselves

Saturday of the Thirty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Luke 21:34-36

“Watch yourselves, or your hearts will be coarsened by debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life, and that day will come upon you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come down on all those living on the face of the earth. Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to hold your ground before the Son of Man.”

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, increase my faith, hope, and love. Help me to live my faith boldly and sagaciously.

Encountering Christ:

1. Warning: The liturgy does not seem to let up on warning us of the end-times and what appears to be impending disaster and destruction. Jesus doesn’t hold back his words and say, “Do not worry. God loves all people. He will save them.” While we see all those three assertions in various parts of Scripture, we do not see them here together. Rather, the focus is on a sincere warning, like the prophets that cried out in the New Testament to warn people of their destruction if they did not mend their ways. How are we to perceive this message? Do we take it as a warning from one who is sincerely concerned with our well-being or do we receive it as a threat? Our concept of Jesus will determine how we receive these words.
2. Watch Yourself: Jesus tells us to watch ourselves. How does his admonition resonate with us? Do we think this admonition is for everyone but ourselves? What does it tell us about the state of our relationship with the Lord? Without the vigilance Jesus recommends, our hearts will be coarsened. He wants to prevent us from falling into this trap. It is one thing to fall and get up again. It is another to have our hearts coarsened because we do not even keep watch over our spiritual well-being. We are called in this Gospel to greater vigilance against the enemy of our souls.
3. Pray: The weapon against the traps of the devil is prayer. Prayer will be the means for strength to stand against the trials to come. Prayer will be the means to hold one’s ground before the Son of Man. The “Son of Man” refers to the prophecy of Daniel 7, in which the “son of man” is seated on the throne of judgment. Thus, prayer will help us to remain grounded in the truth and in God’s saving grace when we come face-to-face with the victor for our souls, Jesus Christ. We will have resisted the enemy who also sought to be victor over our souls.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, help me to keep watch over my heart and soul. Grant me insight to recognize the trap of the enemy and courage to shut the door on  it.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will do an examination of conscience to recognize the areas in my life in which I need to be more watchful and not fall into hardening my heart with sinful behaviors.

For Further Reflection: What Is Sin?

Jennifer Ristine is a consecrated woman of Regnum Christi dedicated to spiritual and faith formation through teaching, conferences, writing, and spiritual direction. While serving in Ancient Magdala she wrote Mary Magdalene: Insights from Ancient Magdala and “Nine Days with Mary Magdalene.”