November 27, 2022: First Sunday of Advent
Matthew 24:36-44
Jesus said to the disciples, “But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 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, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 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. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”
Sunday is the beginning of Advent, the time of year when we ready our hearts for the coming of Jesus. In our gospel from Matthew, Jesus tells us to be ready always for his coming. Perhaps a way to look at his admonition is to try to live our lives knowing how precious and short they truly are. Who among us hasn’t wasted time engaged in some mindless activity, only to regret it later? This is not to promote activity over stillness, or to say that doing is better than being. But it is to suggest the importance of spending our days in ways that really matter to us.
Sometimes it takes a cataclysmic event in our lives to shock us into realizing that we need to make every moment count. People who have recovered from serious illness, or have lost a loved one to an untimely death, or who have ended a loveless marriage only to later find the love of their lives, or who have struggled with drug or alcohol abuse for years and can finally celebrate sobriety, are sometimes people who come to recognize that life is a gift and shouldn’t be taken for granted. Suffering often has a way of exposing what is real and true in our lives, and can lead us to embark on journeys that are more authentic and life-giving.
Love can do the same thing. Love changes us, softens us, helps us engage in new ways of being and gives us the strength to withstand life’s difficulties. Readying ourselves for the coming of Jesus means to take stock of that which is most important in our lives, and open our hearts to Love.