Saturday of the 34th week in ordinary time year A
Daniel 7: 15-27 Luke 21: 34-36
Theme: Be vigilant
In the gospel reading of today, Jesus is admonishing his disciples to be watchful and prayerful, so that the cares and worries of this life will not distract us from the things that truly matter in our lives. In his assertion, he is preparing his followers for what is to happen in the future. It is not for us to be worried about what is going to happen at the end, nor to continue to live a carefree life, but rather to be watchful and prayerful, so that we will be ready for whatever comes at the end. The admonition of Jesus to his disciples, is what any good father or mother will do, to equip his or her children for what awaits them in the future. With all these admonition from Jesus, he has continued to play his role as a loving father that he is to us his followers. What is left is for us as the children of God to put into practice all the admonitions we have received from the word of God, to prepare us for the future.
It is interesting how Jesus continues to make use of any given opportunity to remind us of the importance of prayer in our lives, he also mentioned it in the gospel reading of today. That goes to show us that as children of God we cannot do without prayer in our lives, because Jesus who is our saviour has already pointed out the fact that it is a necessity in our lives as his followers. As we reflect on the admonition of Jesus today, it is also an opportunity for us to evaluate our prayer life in this liturgical year that is coming to an end today. We need God’s guidance and direction in our lives, especially taking into consideration all that is happening today in our world. We can make this possible by connecting to God in prayer and making honest and sincere effort to live a life that is good and pleasing to God. With the guidance and direction of God, we can never get it wrong, and that is the desire of most Christians, if not all.
There is no better time for us to accept the invitation of Christ than now. Especially as we begin another liturgical year, let us strive to relate to God in prayer. Better than it was in the year that is ending today. Let us continue to strive to be better today than we were yesterday. May almighty God bless you in this new year, in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit. Amen. Peace be with you.