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Today I wish to encourage us all to be vigilant, keep watch, so that we can avoid falling into temptation, and persevere in the end thereby attaining eternal life in heaven. Be watchful, be awake! In a word, we shall discuss the “readiness” proper of Catholic life.

I will reflect on “readiness” in four steps: first, the purpose of our readiness; second, the nature of this readiness; third, concrete ways we can practice readiness; and fourth, our resolve to in fact always be ready.

What is the purpose of our readiness? We want to be ready for a very simple reason: to stay in grace in this life, and to reach heaven in the next life. We need to be ready, for we do not know when it will be our turn to stand before the judgment seat of God.

Secondly, what is the nature of this readiness? That all depends on what we are being ready for, for every human act is defined by its object. We are being ready for the coming of Christ, which will happen at the end of time, and no one knows when this will happen until it is on us. This is what is meant in the Song of Solomon where the beloved – and here, see yourself saying these words – says, “I slept but my heart was awake.”[1] For we love Jesus; and in this sense, a person in love is always awake. By analogy, we must also be ready for our own death, for the encounter with God at our last judgment. Finally, if our readiness for Jesus is working, which is something positive, we are also ready against the negative, that is, temptation and sin. This is what is meant by our prayer, “Lead us not into temptation.” The Catechism states that Jesus “urges us to vigilance of the heart… [and] the Holy Spirit constantly seeks to awaken us to keep watch.”[2] This is what is meant by readiness: readiness for death, readiness for the second coming, and readiness for the spiritual battle against temptation.

Third, what are some concrete things we can do in order to practice readiness? The second reading today, the famous passage from Hebrews, the panegyric of the faith of the patriarchs,[3] teaches us that, because the great saints had strong faith, they were always prepared for what God asks of them. The scriptures add a second way to be ready, and that is prayer. St. Peter, for example, says in his first epistle, “The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.”[4] Jesus also says, in the book of Revelation, “Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake,”[5] reminding us of his exhortation in Gethsemane to the sleepy apostles. Another thing we can to do stay awake is to build up our fortitude, as St. Paul says, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.”[6] So there are three means to stay ready: have a live faith, have a deep prayer life, and to cultivate fortitude.

The last point of this homily today is this: now that we know why and what and how, let us resolve to always be ready. Imagine if Christ came for the second time, to end history, right when you were committing mortal sin. Sad soul! It will happen so fast, no one will have time to repent. And to be ready then, we need to be ready now. Be ready to pray now, and you’ll be ready then. Pray now, and you’ll be ready then. Be strong and cheerful, instead of complaining and bitter, and do that now, don’t wait for later. Renounce your sins now, and you’ll be ready then. Serve one another now, and you’ll be ready for the final judgment later. Adhere to the doctrine of the faith now, and you’ll see the Truth then, for God is the truth, and our doctrine is his teaching. Be faithful to your marriages now, and you’ll be ready for the definitive union with God then. Resist alcohol and drugs now, and you’ll be free then. Be chaste now, and you’ll love then. Hope now, and you’ll never have to worry about despair then. For how we live is most surely how we will die, and how we will live after death, in either sin or grace.

Let us live in the present, hoping for that which now we know by faith but do not see with our eyes.[7] For the last Passover is coming, and this is known to us beforehand by the mercy of God’s revelation[8] so that we may have courage in temptation, hope in our faith, charity for one another, and the promise of eternal life for those who repent from sin and believe the faith Jesus gave us. May the Blessed Virgin Mary intercede for us, that we may persevere to the end.

[1] Song 5:2.

[2] Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2849.

[3] Heb 11:1-2, 8-12.

[4] 1 Pet 4:7

[5] Rev. 16:15

[6] 1 Cor 16:13.

[7] cf. Heb 11:1.

[8] cf. Wis 18:6-9.