Pray that your flight will not be in winter, nor on the Sabbath day.
In these words Jesus teaches that, besides being watchful, one must also prepare through prayer. He shows that even when events are predetermined, the believer is called to turn to God to lessen the weight of the trial. “Winter” symbolizes external obstacles and the hard seasons of life, and “the Sabbath day” an inner limitation, when, for example, religious laws could forbid flight. Thus Christ teaches that, despite the coming trial, a person’s heart must be in prayer, because prayer can change the course and make salvation possible, and make the hardship that has come bearable. Indeed, these words show the believer’s responsibility not only to wait, but also to act through prayer, so that on the day of trial he may be ready.