St John Henry Newman soberly reminds us, 'Life is short; death is certain, and the world to come is everlasting.' In the Gospel text, Jesus assures us that the Father has already gifted the kingdom, and we need not be anxious or fearful. Instead, He provides us with the ABCs of the 'beattitudes' by which we can respond to His call to build up an everlasting treasure in heaven.

Alertness is a state of watchful preparedness as we wait for the arrival of the Master. Every deed and every decision of ours must be rooted in Christ; otherwise, we will end up abusing our stewardship of God's creation. We can nurture this root of inner disposition and stability through silence, spiritual readings, meditating on the Word of God, and frequent reception of the sacrament of Confession and Holy Eucharist.

Benevolence is the promotion of the welfare and happiness of those in need through donations and other tangible means. In divesting our material possessions through such acts of charity, we obey Christ's injunction of loving and caring for the poor and the marginalised.

Conviction and faith are two sides of the same coin; our faith rests in God becoming man in Jesus Christ to save us from sin and be reconciled to the Father. Our Christian vocation is a commitment to use our God-given talents generously, wisely and unselfishly for the greater glory of God.