“It is time for us to wake up and rise up!” (St. Benedict).
St. Benedict certainly did not direct these words of admonition solely to his monks. If that were the case, then we gladly take them with us on our journey as a general guide for the Lord’s disciples.
The concept of vigilance appears in many forms throughout Sacred Scripture. The underlying message is not to overlook what is essential in life—and thus not to overlook God. Scripture also speaks of the “sleep of sin”. Indeed, sin—especially the sins to which we have become accustomed—always results in drowsiness or a lack of vigilance toward the Lord’s instructions. We become separated from true life.
Yet it is not only sin that makes us sluggish. Our excessive attachment to the things of this world and our disproportionate focus on lesser matters also consume us and dull our spiritual awareness.
We may also glean another dimension from the words above. We may understand them as a message from our Father, reminding us of our calling as Christians and of the dignity of being children of God—dignity to which we are to awaken fully. At a time when the Christian faith is under attack in many places and is even being relativized and diminished within the Church itself, this may serve as a reminder for us to rise up and bear witness to “the one thing that is necessary.”
We must become aware of what has been entrusted to us through the holy faith—a faith to be lived not only within the Church, but also offered to all people as salvation in Christ. Perhaps we must rise up and continually remember that we act on behalf of the risen Lord, seeking out the lost sons and daughters together with our heavenly Father.