Nineteenth Sunday of the Year

Why are we waiting?

Waiting can have a number of implications

It can increase excitement and anticipation at the prospect of someone’s arrival, like a bride at a wedding

It can heighten nervous tension such as waiting a dental surgery or waiting in a doctor’s surgery or increase trepidation while anticipating the results of treatment or an examination

It can increase impatience

It can lead to boredom, idleness, frustration and vexation

It can lead to laziness

It can lead to squandering the time given and confers a false sense of security

It gives time to perform duties, tasks and acts of service

When the wait is over there is relief, emotion, and release, and accountability for the time spent waiting

Life is like one long wait – think of the longest wait you ever had at an airport –– a 5-hour wait on the tarmac for example, or a long traffic crawl due to an accident on the road  - in such situations things are out of your control.

We do not like to be kept waiting due to an inexplicable delay.

What the Lord wants of us is vigilance, not to be caught out, to be always at the ready to give an account of ourselves, no to fall asleep on the job. How different a shop floor is when the manager/owner is around!

Waiting is not wallowing carelessly, indifferently, lazily– it is like being a ‘waiter’ at a restaurant – being attentive, watchful, helpful, attending – serving! Using the talents we have been given.

The Lord is saying ‘I will see you soon!’ but the time moves on and nothing seems to be happening, what’s keeping Him?!

Being vigilant means keeping watch over our own actions!

In the school where I taught there was always a lookout who would cry out ‘sketch!’ at the appearance of the teacher down the corridor – all would return to their seats and stop the messing and the noise would stop abruptly. There was nothing worse than to be caught ‘red-handed’ when the teacher came unexpectedly!

Being vigilant means

-driving below or at the speed limit when the speed van is there and when it isn’t; is when the boss is around and when he isn’t; is always being ready for inspection, but more importantly being ready for action

Being vigilant means being aware of and wary when temptation comes our way, it means knowing out proneness to temptation, be it anger, impatience, gluttony, gossip, lying, laziness. It means being ahead of ourselves – of being prepared, pf pre-empting the power of the Evil One when he might strike – he is the burglar, the one who wants to steal our joy. It means fortifying ourselves with prayer, penance, and works of mercy.

Be ready for the Master’s return for you know neither the day nor the hour!