Stay Awake

by David Lins  |  11/12/2023  |  (Being) Catholic Matters

I remember being a wee bit afraid of Santa Claus as a child. Not the breaking and entering, mind you. That was more than okay. (As a kid, anyone is welcome if they bring me Baba Fett’s ship and some GI Joes.) It was that I’d heard he had a list of all the good kids—and all the bad ones—and no one ever told me precisely where he drew the line.

I think we, as Catholics, sometimes struggle with the same ambiguity. Will we find ourselves on the eternal good list or the eternal bad list?

We understand and embrace the Book of James that states plainly, “Faith without works is dead.” We also understand we must recommit ourselves to the Lord with each rising. (Those of us who are in any kind of meaningful relationship understand this concept quite well.)

Here’s the thing: we never quite fully know where God’s mercy slams into God’s justice. This is because that line isn’t really a one size fits all. God alone knows of our trials, addictions, mental illness, lack of knowledge, etc.

So instead of being filled with dread when you read the end of this Sunday’s Gospel (“Therefor, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”), take some advice from my dad. He used to say something to this effect: “You let God worry about how merciful he is. You focus on doing your best— every single day—to show God exactly how much you love and trust him. If you do that, you’ll be okay.”

— I just wanted to take a moment and direct your attention to an event we have coming up at Our Lady of Joy. I need to highlight it because it might otherwise get lost in the busy season approaching so quickly.

In the midst of Fr. Jess’ Silver Jubilee, Tue, Nov 21 and Thanksgiving, Thu, Nov 23, we have an amazing Advent Parish Mission lined up for you! (I hope you’ve noticed the ad running in the bulletin, but I’d like to add my two cents.)

Tim Staples is one of the most knowledgeable and charismatic speakers in the Church. He’s been on EWTN, Catholic Answers, and every other worthwhile Catholic media outlet available. Join him in our church at 6:30PM, Mon & Tue, Nov 27 & 28, for some insightful talks on Mary and the Eucharist!