Cycle A - Year II:

1 December 2013: 1st Sunday of Advent

 (Liturgical color: Violet)

Matthew 24:37-44

Let us prepare!

On the first day of December our thoughts are likely on the Christmas holidays. But wait a minute. Today in the Christian world, we greet each other a "Happy New Year!" That's not a joke, because today the Church begins a new liturgical year, a new year's day in our life within the Church, as we welcome the Advent Season. And today is the first Sunday of Advent.

Advent is a period of preparation, extending over 4 Sundays before Christmas. The word "advent" comes from the Latin "advenio", which means "to come to", and it refers to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Church wants us to make use of the Advent Season as a period of spiritual preparation in three ways: the first and most obvious, in celebration of Christ's birth on Christmas day; second, the coming of Christ in our lives through grace and the Sacrament of the Eucharist or Holy Communion; and finally, the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ at the end of time.

Advent Season, therefore, is the start of a new stage in our worldly pilgrimage to the house of our Father in heaven.

The theme of the Gospel reading from Matthew is being ready and prepared. Jesus tells his disciples, "So, too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come." (Mt. 24:44) He says the same thing to each one of us now: be ready and prepared. We call to mind the recent tragedies of the strong earthquake and powerful typhoon that hit the Visayas. Were those who perished in these natural calamities prepared for the unexpected death? We must continue to pray that God be merciful on their souls.

In practical living, the Church exhorts us to make this particular Advent as the beginning of a lifelong Advent in terms of spiritual preparation and readiness. In other words, let us make this Advent Season a lifetime of waiting in Christian hope for the Lord's second coming, whenever that will be, by undergoing conversion from sin to living in God's presence.

As Christians we hope for the Lord's coming, because we are sure that He is coming again; there is no doubt on that. The Season of Advent provides us a good opportunity to deepen our waiting in hope for the realization of God's saving promise in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

So, let us prepare, now and always. Jesus warns us: "Stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come!" (Mt. 24:42)

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!