Advent, being a time of penance, calls us to be ever ready for the coming of the Lord. In today's second reading, we heard, "Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light." Jesus admonishes us in the Gospel, "Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come."
How does one stay on gaurd against sin, if he is in habitual sin, how does he throw off the work of darkness so that he can put on the armor of light? It is by staying awake, staying prayerful at all times. One of the effects of constant prayer is that it keeps us focused on the present moment. When we are focused on the present, we find that we are not seduced by the promises of future pleasures brought about by sin. Keeping our minds and our hearts on the present through perpetual prayer should be our goal this season. In light of the year of the Eucharist, we must remember that Christ's presence is constantly here on Earth, not only through the Holy Spirit, but also through the sacrament of the Eucharist. Each hour of the day is consecrated to him through the Holy Mass. In times of strong temptation, let us call upon Christ's holy presence to strengthen us against sin that we may become great saints.
