setting your watch
"So be on the watch." —Luke 21:36
On this last day of the Church's year, the Lord commands us to:
- Watch and "pray constantly for the strength to escape whatever is in prospect, and to stand secure before the Son of Man" (Lk 21:36).
- Watch and abstain lest our "spirits become bloated with indulgence and drunkenness and worldly cares" (Lk 21:34).
- Watch and obey the Lord (Dn 7:27), Who alone "delivers us from the wrath to come" (1 Thes 1:10).
- Watch and thank "God the Father always and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Eph 5:20).
- Watch and rejoice, for the Lord commands us to rejoice in Him always (Phil 4:4).
- Watch and forgive seventy times seven times (Mt 18:22).
- Watch and witness, for we are His witnesses, beginning where we are and then to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
- Watch and love, for without love even the greatest works are of no value (1 Cor 13:1-3).
The Lord repeatedly commands us to watch, for:
- He is always with us (Mt 28:20).
- We are tempted daily and frequently.
- The devil is "like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Pt 5:8).
- Death is at the door.
- The world could end at any time.
- Jesus is coming soon.
"So be on the watch" (Lk 21:36).
Prayer: Father, send the Holy Spirit to help me watch.
Promise: "The holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingship, to possess it forever and ever." —Dn 7:18
Praise: When Thomas decided in prayer to forgive, his blood pressure went down.
Rescript: †Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, March 3, 2017
The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.