The 20th Step on John’s Ladder (don’t despair we only have 10 more steps to go) is ALERTNESS. From the passion of sleep (Step 19) we move on to its positive counterpart: the virtue of ALERTNESS. It is a virtue because it is a state of being in which we are always prepared to meet our Maker. (As I always say, I have my bags packed and only wait for my ticket to be punched). We hear this wonderful line during Great and Holy Week: Behold the Bridegroom comes at midnight, and blessed is the servant whom He shall find watching.

If the purpose of alertness, or vigilance, is always to be prepared to meet the Lord and not to waste the time we have been given for repentance, then prayer or spiritual study, especially reading of the Scriptures, should be the activities that fill those waking hours otherwise wasted on sleep. But the reality is that the majority do not waste too much time sleeping, but on the contrary, don’t get enough of it.

This brings us back to the issue of priorities. Do we see it as a necessity to wake up on a Saturday or Sunday morning, when we, perhaps, do not need to go to work, in order to go to church or say our prayers? Of course, we should be careful not to push ourselves too far. We all get tired. We all need rest. But the truly fundamental spiritual question remains: Why do we not have that same sense of urgency and alertness when it comes to our spiritual life? We feel there is no practical consequence to skipping Morning Prayer or not going to church. There is no penalty. We are not going to lose our job or be reprimanded. So there is no sense of “I have to” about such things.

We must remember that God always gives us opportunities to return His love but He never insists, because He wants our response to be free!