ISAIAH 2: 1-15
PSALM 121: 1-2, 4-9
ROMANS 13: 11-14
MATTHEW 24: 37-44
Today, as Advent marks our time of preparation for Christmas, when Christ came to be amongst us, it is also a time reminding us that this is also a time of waiting for Christ’s return. But it is not that Christ is far away. The Messiah has already come and today, he is with us.
What does Jesus mean by calling us to stay awake? The first two readings give us some answers. In the first reading, the Prophet Isaiah has a vision of the kingdom of the Messiah that we wait for. And when Jesus came, he proclaimed that the kingdom of God is close at hand; he fulfills that prophecy.
And so the kingdom we wait for is in some way being offered to us already. To stay awake is to be aware of how that is being offered to us today and to accept and live in it.
God is offering His kingdom to us today. It is when we are willing to accept the way of God, the way of the cross that the kingdom of God is already breaking through.
Our very support of the poor and suffering is a sign of our desire for God’s kingdom today. Our very desire to seek reconciliation and justice with each other is a sign of our desire for God’s kingdom today. Our very desire to seek God in prayer and worship is a sign of our desire for God’s kingdom today.
Why wait for something when we are not willing to recognize and live in the Kingdom of God today by being brothers and sisters loving and supporting each other always.
St Paul calls us to choose for the light: all that is good, seeking the good of others always.
Christmas generally helps us to become more giving and forgiving of others. The Advent message calls us to make everyday a Christmas.
A holy man once asked his disciples how can you tell that the night has passed? One said when you can see and distinguish the fig tree from a peach tree in the distance. Others gave many answers. Finally, the holy man said, “It is when you can look at the face of any human being and see there in the face of your brother or sister, Jesus himself, because if you cannot do this, then no matter what time it is, for you it is still the night.
To be awake is to trust in God in following the Way of Christ. And if we are awake we will know and be prepared for Christ’s return because we would have already journeyed with him in this life.
Merredin Catholic Parish 