Vigilance is the awareness of what is happening or about to happen

Dan. 7:2-14, Lk. 21:29-33. Today's first reading describes the four succession of kingdoms between the Babylonian Exile and the time of destruction of the Temple by Antiochus Epiphanes until God established an everlasting kingdom. The first beast is a winged lion and symbolises the Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar. The bear is the second beast and alludes to the Median kingdom. The quick moving leopard refers to the kingdom of Cyrus and the Persians. The fourth beast, the most terrible of the four, is the Greek kingdom under the ten Seleucid kings of which Antiochus IV Epiphanes was the worst since he destroyed the Temple and killed many of the faithful Jews until the Maccabean Revolt. The reading is meant to inspire and encourage the faithful with the promise of a new and everlasting kingdom established by God in which the people of God would experience the joy of the coming of the Son of Man as the one sent by the Ancient One.

In today's Gospel, Jesus uses the imagery of being able to ascertain the season by looking at the signs manifested by the change in nature and being able to realise that the final Reign of God is at hand. The fig tree is in full bloom and the harvest is near, so, in our everyday lives we have to be realists. A strange advice: to be sober amid the weird symbols of the apocalyptic seers. Realists in digging beneath the surface and perceptively listening for the hidden message. This message will not go away, for it is the word of God, prophesying about the new Heavens and the new earth. Weird as the vision may seem to us, our world will blossom into the beautiful Jerusalem, like a lovely bride meeting her husband. Hence, a two-fold response of vigilance and exaltation is demanded of us. Vigilance is the awareness of what is happening or about to happen. It demands preparation and sensitivity. We must be ready for whatever happens, even if it means to suffer for the sake of the Reign of God coming among us. It also means we must be concerned, not only for ourselves but also for those who have not accepted the coming Reign of God. It is a challenge for us to bear witness to the “already, but not yet” coming of God’s presence in the world. The second part of the call to action is that of exaltation. We are called to praise God and joyfully acknowledge the mighty deeds of God to establish the Reign of God among us.

May the Lord God grant us the grace to live in conscious preparedness and vigilant expectation of the coming of the Son of God! Amen!! Good morning and have a glorious day!!!