Reflecting on the Word

By Rev. James A. Wallace, C.Ss.R.

Are you a watcher? Some are people watchers. I remember a former teacher  of mine saying how he liked to sit by the window in a restaurant or, if the day  was nice, on a park bench, and just watch people go by. It served as a reminder  of God’s infinite imagination in creating us. Or, perhaps you are a clock-watcher,  checking your watch frequently, even searching to find a clock whenever you  enter an unfamiliar place. Clock-watchers tend to be on time and are especially  appreciated when running meetings. 

Advent calls us to be watchers, but neither of clocks nor of people merely  passing by. We are called to be watchers for the Lord’s return. Now this might not  seem as interesting as watching people, or as practical as watching the clock, or  even as likely to get results, but its importance is on a deeper level. We are called  to take seriously Jesus’ promise that he will return and that we are to live now in  light of that return, that is, to live in the light this promise offers us for our lives. 

As we watch for the Lord’s return in glory, we might catch glimpses of him  more frequently here and now because he returns more often than we might  suspect, but we miss it because we are not watching for it. So when we hear Jesus  commanding his disciples, “Be watchful! Be alert!” this holds for us today—and  tomorrow. 

Consider/Discuss

  • Are you a watcher? Of what? 
  • In your watching, have you had any experiences of kairos time, those  moments of grace when you felt the presence of God, of Christ, of  the Holy Spirit? 
  • Can you become more watchful and grow into a deeper confidence  that the Lord will return? 

Responding to the Word

Make us a watchful people, Lord, living in such a way that we keep one eye  watching for your return, while we meet the challenges of the present. Let us not  grow discouraged or fearful that you will not return. Help us recognize how you  come even now in your word and in the sacraments. Amen.

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