Sunday reflections for liturgical years 2014 (A), 2015 (B), and 2016 (C)
December 1, 2013 (edited for 11/30/2025)
Liturgical readings
Isaiah 2:1-5
Psalm 122
Romans 13:11-14
Matthew 24:37-44
"The Son of Man is coming at the time you least expect."
Advent marks the beginning of the liturgical season in the Church. It is a sign that Christmas, the the remembrance of the time our Lord Jesus Christ was born, is near. It is a time of much preparation, not only for Christmas day, but also to remember and prepare for the return of the Son of Man. If the Advent season calls us to prepare, what can the readings this Sunday reveal about how we are to prepare? From the book of Isaiah, the passage tells us to to prepare by working for peace: 'to turn our swords into plowshares, and not to train for war again'. And this we prepare internally, in our minds, hearts, and souls. In the reading from St. Paul to the letter to the Romans, Paul teaches that to prepare for the Lord's coming, we are to live honorably and not to indulge in vice and excess - especially in matters related to the desires of the flesh. Finally, in the gospel according to Matthew, the gospel reminds us to keep a watchful eye, and not to be unconcerned about what is happening around us.
During Advent, we anticipate both the remembrance of the Lord's birth in a poor Bethlehem stable, and the time of His return at the end of the world. It is at this end that He comes to bring justice in much splendor and glory. When we examine the writings of St. Cyril of Jerusalem (a doctor of the Church in the early Church), he wrote well about this twin remembrance of the birth of Jesus and His second coming:
"We do not preach only one coming of Christ, but a second as well, much more glorious than the first. The first coming was marked by patience; the second will bring the crown of a divine kingdom...At the first coming, He was wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger. At His second coming He will be clothed in light as a garment." (St. Cyril of Jerusalem)
Material preparation for Advent may be easy and brings surface joy, but the spiritual preparation for an inner joy that lasts longer, takes more effort. If spiritual preparation is taken to heart, it can be done in the context of the the Sacrament of Confession and the Eucharist. Preparing ourselves spiritually requires entering into the spirit of the season - through the prayers of the liturgy and our own personal prayer. The color purple expresses well this spirit of the season. One can prepare a lot externally, but the ideal is to prepare ourselves also for Christ - in acts of charity to the poor and the needy. And not only in material things, but in kindness and respect to them as well. By this preparation, we our whole being for the coming of the Lord into our work, our lives, and our homes. It is a call and an opportunity to undertake every year. It is therefore important not to waste the time and opportunity when it is given by God to all the faithful in the Church.
Scripture quotes from the readings:
He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples (Isaiah 2)
To Jerusalem the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord (Psalm 122)
Wake from sleep, for our salvation is closer than when we first accepted the faith (Romans 13)
The coming of the Son of Man will repeat what happened in Noah's time (Matthew 24)
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