“Be Alert! Meet God Doing Right” by Beth DeCristofaro
No ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen, any God but you doing such deeds for those who wait for him. Would that you might meet us doing right, that we were mindful of you in our ways! (Isaiah 64:3)
He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, and by him, you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:18-19)
Jesus said to his disciples: "Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come. It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his own work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch…May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. (Mark 13:33-34, 36-37)
Piety
O God, may you meet us doing right. Guide us to be mindful of your ways, aware of your presence in our present. Help us be Christlike to the guests who knock on our door and ever ready for our master who returns.
Study
Isaiah’s almost triumphal words are in contrast to the apocalyptic messages we have been reading in Daniel, Revelations and now Jesus’ message to his followers. Be ready! The end is coming. Isaiah reminds us that even in the end times, those who God meets doing what is right will find that she/he is always journeying with a God who does not abandon his wandering flock.
In Jesus day, the Roman occupation gave a cultural overtone to all Palestine. Large estates frequently were owned by absentee landowners who left servants in charge to protect, keep them up and as we have seen in other parables, perhaps even enhance the landowners’ holdings. Thus, Matthew uses Jesus’ image of a gatekeeper who must remain vigilant and not be found derelict in duties to remind the early Christians that although the second coming seemed far off, God’s coming is real and they must live as if it is imminent.
Our God of life and creation has also set us up as gatekeepers, overseers of the little slice of His creation we call the world. God asks us to keep it safe, to enhance it and to use it wisely in His name. This tall order – safeguarding nature, people and ourselves is possible with Jesus. With his words of love within our hearts and consciousness, we can live with alertness to the present and coming presence of God. We can be both gatekeeper and sister/brother, faithfully doing what is right.
Action
Pope Francis said, “May the commitment to journeying in faith and behaving in a manner consistent with the Gospel accompany you this Advent Season.”[i] Be mindful and alert today, as if expecting a treasured guest at any moment. Be alert for God to show you who is the guest(s). Offer God’s attention, love, mercy, and forgiveness.
[i] Homily, First Sunday of Advent, 1913, quoted in Advent and Christmas Wisdom From Pope Francis, John Cleary, Liguori Publications, 2015.
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