Gospel Commentary: A Wake Up Call

By Fr. Paul Scalia
Herald Columnist
(From the issue of  11/27/03)

Lord Bernard invited Francis of Assisi to stay the night at his house. He wanted to test him. He intended to see if Francis’ reputation for holiness was legitimate. What he saw changed his life. As soon as Francis thought Bernard was asleep, he got out of bed. Lifting his hands and looking up to heaven, he prayed, "My God, and my all!" And so he spent the entire night in prayer. Having witnessed this, Lord Bernard gave up his wealth and immediately became St. Francis’ first and most devoted companion.

The night prayers of St. Francis converted Lord Bernard because they revealed the vigilance of his heart. They showed him to be a true Christian, obedient to Christ’s command: "Be vigilant at all times" (Lk 21:36). To be vigilant means to be both awake and watchful. Our Lord gives it as a command, because vigilance takes effort — it must be deliberately chosen and cultivated. And vigilance is constant; it is not an occasional, every now and then activity anymore than following Christ is a part-time job. We must be vigilant "at all times."

In the moral life, this means vigilance against sin and temptation. We know that physical drowsiness can sometimes be life threatening (on highways, for example). But our Lord calls attention to the greater danger of moral drowsiness: "Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy"(Lk 21:34). We fall into serious sin not because we desire to be evil, but because we grow drowsy; we lower our guard and allow sin and temptation to overtake us.

Perhaps we would better appreciate the need for vigilance if we recalled more often that the enemy never sleeps. "Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Pt 5:8). We must constantly watch for the traps he tirelessly sets for our souls.

We can avoid moral drowsiness by simple measures, such as a daily examination of conscience and regular confession. The conscience is like a muscle: it only works well when it is exercised often. On a daily basis we should examine ourselves to see how we have sinned and how we are tempted. Further, the grace of regular (e.g. monthly) confession brings us not only forgiveness for sins but also the ability to see our sins more clearly and struggle against them more nobly.

Ultimately, vigilance is not just guarding against the enemy; it is waiting for the Beloved. Notice that it is our hearts that ought not become drowsy. Love inspires vigilance; we watch for those we love. Moms and dads stay awake at night, waiting and watching for their teenage children to come home because they love them. Even more should we remain awake and watchful out of love for our Lord.

Vigilance therefore demands that we carefully guard and tend our love for Christ. Worldly concerns and our own vanity can swiftly and silently extinguish this love. Our Lord rebukes the Church in Ephesus for precisely this failing: "I hold this against you: you have lost the love you had at first" (Rev 2:4). The ancient Romans believed that if the sacred fire in the temple of Vesta ever died, then Rome would fall. We should view our souls in a similar way: once the fire of love weakens and dies within us, then the soul is set to fall — or has already fallen.

If the world has not been convinced of the truth of Christ, perhaps it is because we have not given a convincing example of vigilance. St. Francis converted Lord Bernard through his vigil of prayer. Especially as we approach Christmas, may our joyful waiting likewise draw souls to Christ.

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