Isaiah 2:1-5
Psalm 122:1-9
Romans 13:11-14
Matthew 24:37-44
As we begin this new liturgical year on this First Sunday of Advent, we are struck once again with this concept of the imminent coming of the Lord. The reading from Matthew's gospel comes from the end of the gospel, when Christ is speaking to the disciples about the things that will happen at the end of time. We hear about how the time is unknown when the Lord shall come and we shall indeed be ready at every moment. As we reflect on that in light of the Advent season, we begin to understand that we are not simply preparing for the coming of the Lord Jesus in the form of a little child born in a manger. There is a sort of triple waiting that each of us should be aware of during this time. The most obvious is of course the waiting that we are most notably aware of - the coming celebration of the birth of Christ at Christmas. But in addition to this we are also awaiting the coming of the Lord in our lives each day, when He again reaches out to us to continue His work in and through us. And finally, we await that final, glorious coming at the Last Day, which the Lord speaks about in our gospel today. And as we ponder in our hearts and await this triple return of the Lord, remember that it is not just a time to wait. Rather, it is a time to prepare; for as St Peter said: "consider the patience of our Lord as salvation." If we are not yet ready, this is the time to prepare.
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