She is not afraid of snow for her household, 
        For all her household is clothed with scarlet.

Were you a Girl Guide, or Scout? If so, then you will know the motto is “Be Prepared”, which just about sums up this verse from Proverbs 31. The Proverbs 31 woman is prepared for anything! For those of us who have families and children how often have we been tested in this area? Who is it who remembers to take a little first aid bag, spare change, wet-wipes, sunblock and spare pants on a trip out t the beach? Yes, Mum of course! How many of you, when going through your handbags will find a similar collection of items? We learn, as wives and Mothers, that being prepared is not an option, but a necessity, and the rest of the family come to rely on us being so!

If we are prepared for most eventualities (because admittedly, we cannot be prepared for all, and need to be wary of becoming obsessively prepared…sometimes it’s great to just go with the flow and hope for the best!) then we won’t be caught out freezing on a day out because the weather turned and we didn’t bring a cardigan, just in case. “Justin Case” is a very useful person to have around!

But being prepared is also something we can apply to our spiritual lives. It is all too easy to become complacent when things are going well, and we are swimming nicely along with the current. Then when the going gets tough, we find we are not prepared, and don’t have the resources we need to work harder and swim against the tide. Then we become discouraged, or may even give up. This is why I believe God sends us periodic trials, to enable us to be prepared for every spiritual eventuality. It is like having some money put away in a savings account, for the lean days, just as Joseph advised Pharaoh to save the grain of the fat years in preparation for the lean.

So how can we become spiritually prepared, so that we and our loved ones are clothed in Spiritual Scarlet” in readiness for snowy weather? By prayer, meditation on Scripture and regularly receiving the Sacraments. All these things build us up in faith and trust, and make listening to God and leaning on Him a natural part of our daily lives. If we are familiar with meeting with God on a daily basis, then it will be all the easier to rely on Him when we are struggling with life’s inevitable penances. It is a good idea to have a daily practise, setting aside time to pray the Offices; to meditate on God and His goodness through reading His Word; to regularly go to confession so that the effects of our unforgiven sins don’t build up and stop us from being all we are called to be in God; to receive Holy Communion as often as we possibly can, so that we are continually fed with the Body and Blood of Christ. Then, when the weather turns, we will be clothed in the scarlet robes of the Holy Spirit, and kept warm and alive!

Be prepared! Even if you were never a Girl Guide!