GOSPEL: LK 12:35-38
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JESUS said to His disciples: “Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them. And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants.”
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In the Mediterranean world where Jesus moves about, men wear long flowing robes. They usually tie their robes around their waist to keep them unhampered in working and moving. When Jesus tells His disciples to gird their loins, He is directing them to a mission they need to accomplish; thus, they ought to be prepared and focused at all times.
Jesus also tells them to keep their lamps burning. The lamps are meant to brighten the path of their Master upon his return from the marriage feast. In a civilization without light bulbs and electricity, the lighted lamps are crucial so the Master could find his way back home. To keep our lamps burning entails leading people towards the right path lest they encounter danger or lose their way. To keep our lamps burning is to give a credible witness to our faith.
The second watch of the night is from 9 p.m. to midnight. The third watch extends from midnight to 3 a.m. The disciples are told to be ready at all times but especially on these hours conducive to sleep.
Every day the Master comes at any minute. How can we remain focused on him?
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SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2020,” ST. PAULS Philippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: books@ stpauls.ph; Website: http:// www.stpauls.ph.
