Here’s a real-life example of the type of vigilance Jesus is talking about in this Gospel text from Luke 12:

A married couple from our parish made plans to attend the 5 PM Mass one Saturday night, as was their custom. The husband suggested that they go extra early this particular Saturday, so they’d have the opportunity to go to Confession.

And so they did: they came early, went to Confession, prayed the Rosary afterward (as they always did before Mass), and then received Holy Communion together during the Liturgy. Later that night, the husband went to bed, but sadly he never got up; he died in his sleep.

The most noteworthy element of this true story is the fact that none of these occurrences was unusual—except, of course, for the man’s tragic and unexpected death. Mass and daily prayer were always priorities for this couple, as was frequent Confession. The suggestion the husband made about coming to Church early so that he and his wife could receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation was one he had made many times before. They were committed Catholics, and this is one of the things committed Catholics do: they examine their consciences daily, and go to Confession often—because Jesus their Lord said, "you must be made perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Mt. 5: 48), and committed Catholics take the words of Jesus seriously: they never rationalize the teaching of the Lord away by saying, "I am a Catholic, but . . ."

In today’s Gospel, Jesus makes it clear that this kind of "vigilance" is supposed to be our normal, consistent attitude during our days on this earth. We are to live in vigilance, because we never know when the Lord will choose to call us home. From all external indications, this was the normal attitude of our deceased parishioner—a fact which now gives his widow a great deal of consolation and hope, as she struggles to cope with her husband’s sudden death.

Listen again to the words of Jesus:

"Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival."

Are you at peace with the thought that what happened to our parishioner could happen to you—today?!!!

Are you at peace with the thought that you might have to give an account of your life to Jesus Christ—an account of your life as it now is, with all your unconfessed sins (whatever they might be)?