Friday November 15th: A plea for vigilance

We must live in this world and engage in its life and activities, but we must be mindful of our life in God first.

Luke 17: 26 – 37

Today’s gospel uses vivid images from the days of Noah and Lot to present an important message about readiness and vigilance. The people in those times were going about their daily lives — eating, drinking, marrying, buying, and selling — until suddenly, tragedy struck leaving the unprepared with no time to react.

Eating, drinking, marrying, or buying and selling are all normal activities of human life. But the danger comes when these ordinary activities become all-consuming, when we are so engrossed in our everyday routines that we forget God’s presence and our relationship with Him.

How often do we get caught up in our daily routines and forget God? Jesus pleads for vigilance. We must live in this world and engage in its life and activities, but we must be mindful of our life in God first.

The key is to reorder our priorities, putting God at the center of everything we do. This means living with the awareness that this life is temporary, and that our ultimate destination is eternity with God.