Stay Awake

“Be Watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come” (Mark 13:33).

As a mother of 4, I’ve grown accustomed to being woken up in the middle of the night.  At times, it seems like a coordinated effort between my 4-year-old and 8-month-old. How many times can they go back and forth to wake up Mommy on any given night? These challenges seem to come in phases, sometimes happening a few times throughout the week, followed by times of uninterrupted rest. In my experience, being woken up never really gets easier. Especially when I must climb the stairs half asleep to tuck my 4-year-old back in bed; being a parent isn’t easy, and our children don’t come with handbooks! However, I intuitively know that after a nightmare, my son needs his mother. I want to respond in love and care for him. Although my son waking up with a nightmare is ultimately beyond my control, I do have control over my response to him. I must admit that there are times when I am much less prepared.  For example, the nights when my husband and I watched one too many episodes of our newest series on Netflix and went to bed later than we normally do. Those are inevitably the nights when I will be woken up to fulfill my 24/7 calling as a mother! This reminds me of the passage in Mark’s gospel. “Be Watchful!  Be alert!  You do not know when the time will come” (Mark 13:33).

What does it mean to be watchful and alert? In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus tells the disciples once again, “Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41).  

What does it mean to stay awake? Am I expected to literally stay up all night just in case the Lord calls?  This concept of staying awake seems to imply a preparedness and an inner disposition of the heart. Aligned with the Lord through prayer, I am ready to recognize the Lord’s call and to respond.

Preparing Our Hearts

December 1st marks the beginning of Advent.  This time of year is a time of preparation as we wait for the Lord and prepare to welcome him into our hearts and homes this Christmas. Waiting and longing are part of the human experience, but as Christians, we are called to wait in Hope. What does it mean to Hope?

“Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit” (CCC 1817).

Lying in bed in the middle of the night, after just being awakened by my boys for the 2nd or 3rd time, I do not feel strong. At times, I have aches and pains and can barely peel myself out of bed. I may try to pass the job off to my husband, shaking him awake and telling him, “It’s your turn!”  This causes me to reflect on my disposition with the Lord.  When he calls, do I respond, “I’m tired, Lord, can you ask someone else?” or do I stay asleep and ignore the call? I recognize that when I rely on my own strength and how I feel to make decisions, I am easily exhausted, confused and overwhelmed.  However, when I surrender to God and rely on Him to provide the strength for the journey, I can do much more than I thought possible.  

“I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord…to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). 

The Lord has good plans for us and wants to fulfill the desires of our hearts. The Lord wants us to trust Him and rely upon Him.  I want to be the kind of mother who jumps out of bed when Love calls, but I cannot do this on my own.  This is grace. 

Let us be Patient in our Waiting

“Hope is a virtue against which we often sin: in our bad nostalgia, in our melancholy, when we think that the happiness of the past is buried forever. We sin against hope when we become despondent over our sins, forgetting that God is merciful and greater than our heart. And let us not forget this, brothers and sisters: God forgives everything. God forgives always. We are the ones who tire of asking for forgiveness. We sin against hope when we become despondent over our sins; we sin against hope when the autumn in us cancels out the spring; when God’s love ceases to be an eternal fire, and we do not have the courage to make decisions that commit us for a lifetime.

The world today is in great need of this Christian virtue! The world needs hope, just as it greatly needs patience, a virtue that journeys hand-in-hand with hope. Patient men are weavers of goodness. They stubbornly desire peace, and even if some of them are hasty and would like everything straight away, patience is capable of waiting. Even when around us, many have succumbed to disillusionment, those who are inspired by hope and are patient are able to get through the darkest of nights…(Pope Francis 8 May 2024).

Hope is something that is desperately needed in our world today. What do you hope for during this Advent season? Do you long for a spouse or a child, a loved one’s conversation, a new job, or to reconcile with a family member?

Advent reminds us that our Hope is in the Lord, the Savior of the World, who never tires in his Love for us. His Love is what our hearts are longing for. Let us prepare to welcome Him when He calls.

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love.

Amen.