dark. Now, perhaps, he might go to the ale-house to drink a glass with his companions? But no, for his master can and will still come. If that servant means to do his duty he must be ready every hour during the whole day. Why so? Because the master may come at any moment, and the servant knows not when to expect him.
We know not when the Lord will come to call us from this world. Now, my dear brethren, this is the way in which we must be all ready for the coming of Our Lord at the hour of death. It is infallibly certain that He is already on the way, that we must die, and that the longer we have lived the nearer our death is; but at what time will He come? In what year shall we die? This year, or next? In what month, week, day, hour, moment? No man can tell us that, because no man knows it. Meanwhile we have received a message regarding this matter, delivered by infallible truth itself through the apostle St. Matthew. What is that message? You have often heard it; listen to it again: “Watch ye, therefore, because you know not what hour your Lord will come.”[1] In the following chapter He gives us the same message, concluding the parable of the wise and foolish virgins in these words: “Watch ye, therefore, because you know not the day nor the hour.”[2] In the Gospel of St. Mark He says: “Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.”[3] And again: “Watch ye, therefore (for you know not when the lord of the house cometh: at even, or at midnight, or at the cock crowing, or in the morning)."[4] “Lest coming on a sudden, he find you sleeping.”[5]
He exhorts all without exception to be on the watch for His coming. And lest it should appear that this warning was given only to His apostles and disciples, He adds the expressive words: “And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch.”[6] The warning is given to all men; no one, no matter who he is, knows anything of the day, the hour, or the moment when I will come to call him. “But of that day or hour no man knoweth, neither the angels in heaven.”[7] “Our Creator,” says St. Gregory, “is pleased to conceal our end from us, and to leave the day of our death unknown to us; that as we are ignorant of it, we may al-
- ↑ Vigilate ergo, quia nescitis qua hora Dominus vester venturus est.—Matt. xxiv. 43.
- ↑ Vigilate itaque, quia nescitis diem neque horam.—Ibid. xxv. 13.
- ↑ Videte, vigilate et orate; nescitis enim quando tempus sit.—Mark xiii. 33.
- ↑ Vigilate itaque; nescitis enim quando domiuus domus veniat: sero, an media nocte, an galli cantu, an mane.—Ibid. 35.
- ↑ Ne cum venerit repente, inveniat vos dormientes.—Ibid. 36.
- ↑ Quod autem vobis dico, omnibus dico: Vigilate.—Ibid. 37.
- ↑ De die autem illo vel hora nemo scit, neque angeli in cœlo.—Ibid. 32.
