Saturday,LUKE 21:34-36

First reading from Daniel expresses God's victory over those attacking His people. The fourth beast mentioned is said, to be the Greek king Antiochus. Here he rails against the God of the Israelites, pressuring them to change their laws and cease celebrating feast days. This same king and his army were earlier shown to have suffered a massive defeat from the people of the "Most High," the Israelites, who won their freedom from this oppressor and established self-rule.
Today's gospel, taken in fuller context, appears to combine two widely scattered events. Jesus predicts that the Jerusalem temple will be destroyed by the Romans, an event that did take place in 70AD after Christ's death. He also speaks of the wars and massive tribulations in the cosmos that will precede His second coming at the end-times. Christ's theme is our need to always be prepared, for we know not the day or the hour of the assaults coming our way.
Being vigilant is far more than being prepared by making material preparations to protect our homes and sustain our lives. Our spiritual condition, our not growing "drowsy," will determine our ability to deal with any extreme situations. Prayer gives us insights, makes us watchful, yet quiets our anxieties and provides the strength to continue living in God's Word. In the end our faithfulness will enable us to stand with Christ and be presented to the Father as His children.
Work as if everything depends on us, but pray as everything depends on God."( St. Ignatius).Prayer and vigilance lead to each other. If we do not make prayer a habit,like the air that we breathe, we will suffocate in a polluted world. How much importance are we giving to our habits and life of prayer?
If there is any lethargy and spiritual carelessness in our lives, let us wake up from it. Let us keep focus on the real meaning of our life and the limited time that we have to conquer and grow in love. Let us react promptly and firmly to all the inspirations that God sends us.