Let Us Arise, Then, at Last
The sermon calls us to arise from spiritual slumber and heed God's voice, lest we harden our hearts and miss our opportunity to follow Him.
St. Benedict of Nursia urges believers to awaken from spiritual slumber and heed the divine call to rise up and listen to God's voice. He emphasizes the importance of not hardening our hearts but being attentive to the teachings of the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit. The message is to embrace the fear of the Lord, run towards the light of life found in Jesus Christ, and avoid being overtaken by the darkness of death.
Text
Let us arise, then, at last, for the Scripture stirs us up, saying, "Now is the hour for us to rise from sleep" (Rom. 13:11). Let us open our eyes to the deifying light, let us hear with attentive ears the warning which the divine voice cries daily to us, "Today if you hear His voice, harden not your hearts" (Ps. 94[95]:8). And again, "Whoever has ears to hear, hear what the Spirit says to the churches" (Matt. 11-15; Apoc. 2:7). And what does He say? "Come, My children, listen to Me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord" (Ps. 33[34]:12). "Run while you have the light of life, lest the darkness of death overtake you" (John 12:35).
Sermon Outline
- The Call to Arise
- The Scripture's Warning
- The Deifying Light
- The Warning to Harden Not Our Hearts
Key Quotes
“Now is the hour for us to rise from sleep” — St. Benedict of Nursia
“Today if you hear His voice, harden not your hearts” — St. Benedict of Nursia
“Come, My children, listen to Me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord” — St. Benedict of Nursia
Application Points
- We must be attentive to God's voice and heed His warnings, lest we harden our hearts.
- We should seize the opportunity to follow God while we have the light of life, lest the darkness of death overtake us.
- We must listen to God's teachings and learn to fear Him, that we may walk in His ways.