Once again, Jesus has to remind us to stay awake. This happens every year about this time. Why don't we get it the first time? Perhaps the reason is simple -- it's hard to stay awake. Our Lord knows this, and needs to encourage and warn us more than once that it is
dangerous to be sleeping when we should be awake.

Perhaps you have heard a story similar to this one. A husband comes home after work. He walks through the front door, and, as usual, he calls out to see where his wife is. No reply. He wanders through the house,
looking for her and calling her name. Still nothing.
As he walks into the kitchen, he spots a note on the table. It's from his wife.

She writes that their marriage is over. She has tried and tried but can't bear the emptiness any longer. She sees no other choice than to leave him. The husband stands there, disbelieving. He has just experienced what could be the most shocking moment of his life. He had no idea how his wife felt.

Her decision seems to have come from nowhere. He was completely unaware of what was going on inside of his marriage partner. 

The key to becoming more aware is to take responsibility for our own awareness or lack of it. We can't be
putting the blame on others. If the husband in our story started complaining that it was his wife's fault that he didn't know what was happening, we could be fairly
certain that he was just shifting the blame for his blindness. He needed to give his wife the attention that she deserved as his life partner.

There can be no better preparation for Christmas then to welcome Christ every day into our lives. As we welcome and care for one another in many small ways, we will find that Jesus truly becomes flesh in our daily lives.

Peace, Fr. John