First Sunday of Advent

Advent – 1st Sunday
Is 2:1-5; Rom 13:11-14; Mt 24:37- 44
Stay Awake and Be Prepared!
A man once came to Buddha and asked, “Tell me, Buddha, are you a god?” Buddha replied, “No, I am not a god.” “Are you an angel?” the man asked. “No, I am not,” Buddha responded.
“Are you a prophet?” “No, not a prophet either,” said Buddha. Frustrated, the man finally insisted, “What are you then?” Buddha answered, “I am awake.” Most of us are not truly awake. We are often unaware of our thoughts, feelings, and actions. We function like robots—going through the motions of life without deep awareness. On this first Sunday of Advent, we are called to stay awake for the coming of the Lord.
Consistent Warning: The Gospel consistently warns us to be prepared for the Lord’s coming. We do not know the day or the hour when he will return. Jesus gives three vivid examples to remind us of this truth. First, he compares his return to the days of Noah, when the flood came suddenly and caught people unprepared. The flood was a judgment upon those who were stubborn and unrepentant. People were too absorbed in eating, drinking, and worldly pleasures to heed God’s warning, and they perished—while Noah’s faithful family was saved.
This warns us not to give excessive attention to the distractions of daily life. During the holidays especially, many focus more on material preparations and secular celebrations than on the true meaning of Christmas—the coming of the Lord into our hearts and lives.
Constant Watchfulness: Second, Jesus says that when the Son of Man returns, two people will be in the field—one will be taken, and the other left. Neither will know when it will happen, but the one who is prepared will be saved. The one who delays too long may be caught by surprise. We must therefore keep our daily lives centered on Christ, living in a constant state of watchfulness. The evil one continually seeks to distract us and turn our focus away from God. By remaining alert and spiritually awake, we will attain the greatest of all rewards—Christ Himself!

Like a Thief in the Night: Third, Jesus uses the image of a thief. A thief comes unexpectedly, so we take precautions—we lock our doors, install alarms, and leave a light on because we do not know when he might come. In the same way, we must prepare for the coming of the Lord. Whether His coming is at the end of the world or at the hour of our own death, it could happen at any moment. Even amid the busy preparations of the Christmas season, our hearts must remain centered on Christ and ready to welcome him.
A story illustrates this well: After church one Sunday, a mother told her young daughter, “According to the Bible, Jesus will return to earth someday.” “When is he coming back?” the little girl asked. “I don’t know,” replied the mother. “Can’t you look it up on the Internet?” the girl said. The truth is, we do not and cannot know the time. God will come without an appointment. Our task is to be ready at all times.
Living Properly: How, then, do we prepare for the sudden coming of the Son of Man? In the second reading, St. Paul reminds us that the Lord’s coming will be a day of salvation only for those already living rightly. He advises, “Conduct yourselves properly.” Each day calls us to do so. We often wish one another, “Have a nice day” or “Have a blessed day.” Perhaps we should also remind ourselves, “Let me conduct myself well today.”
Human nature tends to procrastinate. Students often fail to prepare for exams even when they know the date. Likewise, many postpone spiritual preparation, thinking there will be more time later. But we must be ready now. St. Paul urges us not to indulge in activities that draw us away from God, but instead to live faithfully and uprightly as servants awaiting their Master’s return. Let us be prompt in preparing for His coming by making good use of the present moment. Let us remain awake, alert, and ready!
Sharpen Your Spiritual Life: A lumberjack once applied for a job with a timber merchant. His boss gave him an axe and showed him where to work. On the first day, the lumberjack cut down 18 trees. “Congratulations,” said the boss. “Keep up the good work.” Encouraged, the lumberjack worked even harder the next day but cut only 15 trees. On the third day, despite trying his best, he managed just 10. Day after day, his output declined. “I must be losing my strength,” he thought. So he went to his boss and apologized. “I don’t understand what’s wrong,” he said.
“When was the last time you sharpened your axe?” the boss asked. “Sharpen? I haven’t had time to sharpen my axe—I’ve been too busy cutting trees!” How often do we fall into the same trap? We stay busy with many things—but are they the right things? Are we neglecting our spiritual lives for tasks that seem urgent but are not truly important?
Like the lumberjack, we must regularly sharpen our tools. Our spiritual lives need constant renewal and strengthening. Advent is a perfect time to sharpen our “spiritual axes”—to renew our hearts through prayer, love, compassion, generosity, forgiveness, and faith. Let us allow ourselves to be spiritually awakened, watchful, and responsive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. In doing so, we will truly be awake when the Lord comes. Advent invites us to prepare not just for a season, but for a Person—Christ Himself.
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