Another Year, A Different Me
Imagine receiving a traffic ticket in the mail for a violation you didn’t commit! That’s what happened to a relative of mine after an overnight hotel stay for a work-related seminar. When the valet at the hotel’s parking garage appropriated her vehicle at 4 am, he unwittingly sped through a traffic-enforcement camera en route to conduct his affairs. My relative’s bureaucratic nightmare in challenging the municipality for the ticket, and the hotel for its accountability, now makes her an ardent fan of webinars from home instead.
To paraphrase Jesus’ parable of the thief in the night (Matthew 24:42–44), had the owner of this SUV known when its borrower was coming, she would have remained alert and not allowed the valet to take liberties with the car key she had entrusted to the hotel. Moreover, had not a traffic camera captured the valet running a red light, he may have smugly assured himself that his activities went by unnoticed. After all, he still had plenty of time to return the vehicle to the garage before its owner checked out.
Jesus’ cautionary parable to stay spiritually alert—lest there be a rude awakening, like a victim who’s caught off guard by a thief in the night—is an opportune lesson for beginning a new year. Are we too easily lulled into a false sense of security year after year? Do we smugly assure ourselves that there’s plenty of time to get our affairs in order before the final hour? What could be more urgent than a resolution to further awaken our intimate yearning for Jesus Christ?
A spiritual awakening isn’t as difficult as it may seem—at least in theory—because God sent his Son to show us explicitly how to live according to the Father’s will. Therefore, the life of Jesus is the perfect model of what it’s like to live fully in the image of our Creator. “This is the way we may know that we are in union with [God]: whoever claims to abide in him ought to live [just] as he lived” (1 John 2:5-6).
Thus, a spiritual awakening requires a deliberate effort to care about what mattered most to Jesus—namely, to emulate his compassion, inclusivity, and justice. In other words, we’re fully awake when our Lord’s passion becomes our passion, when we give importance to the people, practices, and preoccupations that were primary to him.
Throughout the coming year, then, consider this reflection at the beginning of each day: What can I do or say today that will make me more like Christ? Be specific. Finally, at the end of each day, rejoice prayerfully in your transformation, recognize areas where you may have fallen short, and ask yourself: What can I do even better tomorrow?
Imagine what our world could be if more people conducted their lives in a Godly manner! Unlike other worthwhile resolutions that are often abandoned, such as commitments to work out at a health club or quit smoking, to be like Christ—thanks to the graces received in the sacraments—is an easier resolve to keep.
Imagine…then take action! Because Jesus understood human nature so well, the parable of the thief in the night is his way of telling us: Stop procrastinating! Your check-out time at the hotel may be sooner than you think.
