Catching 40 Winks

Gospel
Luke 21:25-28,34-36

That day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars; on earth nations in agony, bewildered by the clamor of the ocean and its waves; men dying of fear as they await what menaces the world, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand erect, hold your heads high because your liberation is near at hand.

  ‘Watch yourselves, or your hearts will be coarsened with debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life, and that day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap. For it will come down on every living man on the face of the earth. Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.’

This year has been a doozie for me.  My diabetes has worsened over the past twelve months and some of the medications I have been taking are beginning to lose their effectiveness. My doctor put me on another pill and boom, within two weeks, without changing my diet, I put on thirty pounds!  This made my insulin resistance greater and eventually, I was put on Lantus, a long-insulin which has brought my blood glucose down at the expense of (you guessed it) the addition of some more weight. You may be asking at this point, "Michael the Lesser, why the organ recital?"  Well, hang on for a just a moment because it gets better.  I began getting drowsy and actually falling asleep at work - one time while I was actually speaking to a customer on the phone!  This was noticed by some co-workers who made sure that management was made aware that Michael was sleeping on the job.  Now in the company rulebook or as we call it "10,000  ways to get fired" sleeping on the job is one of the many reasons they will gleefully set you free to find employment elsewhere.  Fortunately, I had a boss who cared for her team and she had my back.  I visited my doctor who arranged for a sleep test (don't get me started on that test) and I was diagnosed with sleep apnea.  I was experiencing 111 episodes of stopping breathing an hour.  Five incidents are considered normal and harmless.  Two weeks after the study, I found myself the proud owner of a CPAP machine. Long story short, I now am getting actual sleep when I close my eyes at night and not only am I no longer drowsy at work, I have much more energy and feel alive again.  OK, I hear you saying, "Fascinating, Michael the Lesser, simply fascinating, but what in the blue nubs of Hades does this have to do with the first Sunday of Advent?"

Our Lord, in the Gospel reading, once again warns us to stay awake because the end may come on us and catch us off-guard and surprised.  We spend so much time and effort preparing for the Christmas holiday that we sometimes do not take the time to enjoy it.  The cares of this life invade our serenity and in our attempt to do good we exhaust ourselves and become drowsy and we miss what is important in life.  These four weeks of advent are gifts that the Church gives us to take time to consider what the birth of the Savior really means to us and those we love.  Don't waste the time between now and then.  Oh, it is okay to prepare for the feast day but do not become so wrapped up in it that you lose your awareness and become drowsy and the season will become a burden.  The birth of our Lord is to be a time of great joy for a savior has been born for us, He is Christ the Lord.  Wait for Him with your eyes open and your mind awake and ready. 

Give a listen to a most beautiful Advent Hymn.