Memorial of Saint Monica
“…[W]e have been reassured about you, brothers, in our every distress and affliction, through your faith. For we now live, if you stand firm in the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 3:7-8
Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come. Matthew 24:42-44
Piety
Meditate on these names (and they are only the beginning) that Jesus answers.
Alpha and Omega (Rev. 1:8; 22:13)
Bread of Life (John 6:35; 6:48)
Bridegroom (Mt. 9:15)
Good Shepherd (John 10:11,14)
I Am (John 8:58)
Immanuel (Mt. 1:23)
King of the Jews (Mt. 27:11)
King of kings (1 Tim 6:15; Rev. 19:16)
Lamb (Rev. 13:8)
Light of the World (John 8:12)
Living Stone (1 Pet. 2:4)
Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16)
Morning Star (Rev. 22:16)
Rabbi (Mt. 26:25)
Resurrection and Life (John 11:25)
Rock (1 Cor. 10:4)
Savior (Eph. 5:23; Titus 1:4; 3:6; 2 Pet. 2:20)
Son of Man (Mt. 8:20)
True Bread (John 6:32)
True Light (John 1:9)
True Vine (John 15:1)
Truth (John 1:14; 14:6)
Way (John 14:6)
Word (John 1:1)
Study
Jesus goes by many names…now we can add thief in the night to this list. Usually, we would hold our “name calling” to only the main protagonistas. However, in this context, Jesus trades symbolic places with the evil one. What does Jesus have in common with a thief? First, when we suspect that there is a thief in the area, we are more vigilant…locking our cars at night and making sure we do not leave valuables unattended.
Jesus wants us to be on guard against sin like McGruff the Crime Dog. We try to be ready for anything. Be Prepared is the advice of the Boy Scouts. Usually this preparedness entails being on our toes when we are away from home. However, thieves also can break into our homes and cars.
Second, Jesus would end up being executed hanging on the cross between two thieves. One he would bring with him to glory and the other he would turn over to the forces of evil. One of those men was ready to confess his sins. That man accompanied Jesus to the right hand of the Father. The “good thief” had the joy of being the last person to see Jesus and look into the Lord’s eyes before he died.
Third, the image of the execution and criminals surrounding the crucifixion remind us about the unconditional love and forgiveness that Jesus offered through the examples of life.
Action
Stay awake. Be aware of what is happening around you. Don’t cocoon yourself in to your house. Get out in the world and volunteer to help others. If Jesus is planning on coming anytime soon, he will leave his work for you.
