DECEMBER
2000
"Be vigilant at all times
and pray."
(Lk 21:36)
This
invitation extended by Jesus is found in the passage containing Luke’s announcement
of Jesus’ second coming, which will take place when we least expect it. He will come
for the created universe, but also for us, when we die, that is, when each one of us comes
face to face with the Lord.
Jesus repeats the words, "Be vigilant and pray," in the
Garden of Olives, in order to prepare his disciples for the scandal of his passion. These
few words, therefore, offer the key needed when facing life’s most dramatic events,
and also its inevitable everyday trials.
Vigilance and prayer are mutually indispensable: we cannot be vigilant
without prayer, nor can we pray without being spiritually alert. From the time of the
first hermits who lived in the desert, people sought all possible ways to combine these
two virtues so that no temptation would take them by surprise. And many means were devised
so as to remain in an attitude of vigilance and prayer.
How can those of us who are immersed in the frenetic, sweeping pace of
modern life, however, possibly hope not to be allured by the many attractions we are
exposed to? And yet these words of the Gospel are meant for us too.
"Be
vigilant at all times and pray."
Today, too, Jesus cannot ask us to do something that is beyond our capability. Along with
this exhortation, he surely shows us how to live according to his word.
So then, how can we perhaps stay awake and be on guard? How can we
remain always in a prayerful attitude? We might have tried to isolate ourselves as a
defense against everything and everyone. But this is not the way, and it doesn’t take
long to realize that sooner or later something has to give.
The approach to take is another and it can be found in the Gospel and
in human experience itself. When you love someone, your heart is vigilant, always waiting
for that person; every minute that passes is spent for that person’s sake. Those who
love are vigilant. Vigilance goes with love. It’s a characteristic
of love.
We learn this also from the parable of the wise and foolish virgins.
Those who are waiting for the one they love stay awake. It’s not an effort for them
because their love is stronger than anything else and it keeps them alert, ready for the
moment they will meet the one they love.
Likewise, when family members are apart, they look forward to being
together again. Their happy exchange of greetings when they are re-united tells of the joy
that went into their day.
Think of a mother or father assisting a child who is ill. They may take
a few moments to rest, but they are still on the alert.
This is the attitude of those who love Jesus. They do everything for
his sake. They encounter him every moment in the simple expressions of his will and they
will encounter him solemnly when he comes. Moreover, the liturgy this month prepares us
for a heartfelt prayer, rich in expectation, in gifts, in the Gift: the birth of Jesus on
earth, as we celebrate his coming at the beginning of the third millennium.
"Be vigilant at all times and pray."
Also
constant prayer is a matter of love, because aside from the moments devoted to prayer, the
whole of our daily life can become prayer, offering, a silent conversation with God.
That smile to give, that task to carry out, that car to drive, that
meal to prepare, that activity to organize, those tears to shed for a brother or sister
who is suffering, that instrument to play, that article or letter to write, that happy
event to share cheerfully. If we do everything, everything out of love, everything can
become a prayer.
In order to be vigilant, to pray always, it is necessary to be anchored
in love: that is, to love God’s will and every neighbor he sends our way.
I really want to try to love today. By doing so, I will be vigilant and
every moment will be a prayer.
Chiara
Lubich
The commentary to the Word of Life is translated
in 90 different languages and dialects, and reaches more than 14 million people worldwide,
through the press, and radio and TV programs. If you would like to read experiences of
life related to this or to past "Words of Life," they can be
found in Living City magazine, the monthly publication of the Focolare
Movement. For information, or to subscribe, write to: Living City, P.O. Box 837, Bronx, NY
10465. To order the magazine, call: 1-800-462-5980. E-mail: livingcity2000@att.net or
info@newcitypress.com or visit
the website: https://www.newcitypress.com/livingcity.htm
© 2000 - Living City of Focolare Movement - P.O. Box 837, Bronx,
New York 10465
Presented here with permission of the publishers
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