Matthew 24:36-44
36 “But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, 39 and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left.
42 Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.
Be Vigilant and Alert at All Times
This first Sunday of Advent, the Gospel invites us to close our liturgical year and open a new one. It's time to check on the quality of how far we walked with Jesus throughout the ending liturgical year.
How real was our growth in faith expressed through our acts?
How faithful were we in following the examples of Jesus?
How aware are we that we live between the first coming, "The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us" John 1:14, and the second coming, "Amen, come, Lord Jesus" Revelation 22:20?
Advent invites us to prepare for the imminent event to come, where we try our best to keep growing in faith, hope and charity as members of the sacred body of Christ. Waiting for the arrival of the great and beloved one, we prepare ourselves and our home in the best ways to welcome Him. As we prepare to celebrate a new journey with Christ, let's prepare our inner selves before and more than we pay attention to appearances, however important they may be.
Am I ready to welcome the divine incarnated Christ as my Redeemer and Savior?
Am I ready to celebrate His birth with my personal being, with my family, friends and my church?
After receiving Him, am I ready to witness for His presence and His model of life?
Am I ready to proclaim His teaching about God's Love, Mercy, Justice, Peace and Joy that our world needs most today?
May our Advent be adorned not only with herbal crowns, wreaths and candles, but even more with these graces.
Advent season blessings!