(Ws.18:6-9; Ps.33:1,12.18-20,22; Heb.11:1-2,8-19; Lk.12:32-48) "You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come." "Our soul waits for the Lord." Though we do not know the day or the hour of His return, we must always be ready for His coming. As the ancients, the Hebrew fathers and especially Abraham the father of faith himself, we must ever be seeking our heavenly homeland. By faith the ancients, who saw the promise only from afar, "awaited the salvation of the just"; by faith Abraham "sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country." As he dwelled in tents, nonetheless, "he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and maker is God." With the incarnation of Christ, and in His death and resurrection, what greater assurance have we of that which we hope for. We now have Jesus speaking to our hearts: "Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom." How much more are we called to follow His way in faith; how much more we should now be prepared for the coming of the Son of Man. "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." If the Lord finds us "vigilant on His arrival," how blessed will we be. If we have distributed well the food He has put in our charge here, if His work we have accomplished according to His word, we shall ourselves sup at the table the Lord prepares for us in the heavenly homeland. But all we are given here, all the graces and blessings which are ours through Jesus and through His Church, we are responsible for; by them we must bear fruit in patience and in faith, Peter first, as the first of servants, and all of us beneath his charge in proportion to "the food allowance" placed in our hands for distribution at the proper time. (This refers primarily to our priests, but we all do share in the priesthood of Christ, and all are graced with a measure of the flesh of Christ to share with the world.) "Exult, you just, in the Lord," for what was held "in secret" by "the holy children" of times past has now come to light in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now we await the second coming of Christ with a "sure knowledge" far surpassing the one granted our fathers. We are "the people He has chosen for His own inheritance," and a promise so sure should spur us on to a readiness that is meet to such a wonderful gift. The Lord is coming to sit us at table at the place He now prepares; let us "make preparations" of our own, remaining ever the servants of Christ, that we shall not be taken unawares when it is time to fold up our tents in this world and join the Lord in glory. Hear Him knocking even now at the door of your hearts. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "The Readiness Is All" from Bearing the Birth Pangs, tenth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, our hope is in you; may we patiently await the coming of your kingdom. YHWH, how we hope for your kindness to deliver us from death, to save us from our adversaries, even from our very selves. We place all our trust in you – O may our faith soon be rewarded! If we but had the faith of Abraham, dear LORD, blessed as he would we be, with no fear for the impending darkness, with hearts set solely on your coming light. The salvation of the just let us await with steadfast hearts, knowing well that you are faithful to all your promises and that you have promised a heavenly dwelling to all who seek their place with you. To this earth let us not be attached; all of this world let us offer freely to you. You are our only treasure, dear God – you are all that is worthy of our concern. And so, let us await your Son's return with loins girded and lamps burning. Let us be ever vigilant for His coming, serving well your holy will all our days, and our inheritance we shall find in you.