Stay Awake, Be Ready

1st Sunday of Advent
28 November 2010


Come, let us worship the Lord, the King who is to come.

First reading Isaiah 2:1-5

The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In the days to come
the mountain of the Temple of the Lord
shall tower above the mountains
and be lifted higher than the hills.
All the nations will stream to it,
peoples without number will come to it; and they will say:
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the Temple of the God of Jacob
that he may teach us his ways
so that we may walk in his paths;
since the Law will go out from Zion,
and the oracle of the Lord from Jerusalem.’
He will wield authority over the nations
and adjudicate between many peoples;
these will hammer their swords into ploughshares,
their spears into sickles.
Nation will not lift sword against nation,
there will be no more training for war.
O House of Jacob, come,
let us walk in the light of the Lord.

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 121:1-2,4-5,6-9

Second reading Romans 13:11-14

You know ‘the time’ has come: you must wake up now: our salvation is even nearer than it was when we were converted. The night is almost over, it will be daylight soon – let us give up all the things we prefer to do under cover of the dark; let us arm ourselves and appear in the light. Let us live decently as people do in the daytime: no drunken orgies, no promiscuity or licentiousness, and no wrangling or jealousy. Let your armour be the Lord Jesus Christ.

Gospel Matthew 24:37-44

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘As it was in Noah’s day, so will it be when the Son of Man comes. For in those days before the Flood people were eating, drinking, taking wives, taking husbands, right up to the day Noah went into the ark, and they suspected nothing till the Flood came and swept all away. It will be like this when the Son of Man comes. Then of two men in the fields one is taken, one left; of two women at the millstone grinding, one is taken, one left.
‘So stay awake, because you do not know the day when your master is coming. You may be quite sure of this that if the householder had known at what time of the night the burglar would come, he would have stayed awake and would not have allowed anyone to break through the wall of his house. Therefore, you too must stand ready because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’

Reflection
By Jeanne Therese Hilario-Andres

As the new liturgical year begins, temperatures have started falling in the Philippines and, more so, in the northern hemisphere. And everybody knows that the colder it is, the harder it is to wake up in the mornings, or to stay awake when it’s freezing cold outside. Hibernation seems to be the most natural thing to do. And yet, in today’s Gospel, we are told to stay awake!

Advent is a particularly grace-filled season where we anticipate the coming of our Saviour, and we prepare our hearts to receive Him. But the onset of Advent and Christmas and all the other liturgical seasons are known and “calendared,” occurring with reassuring, steady regularity.

Many people plan for Christmas, for instance, months in advance. We anticipate the coming of Jesus in both practical and spiritual ways. We plan our Noche Buena menu, our shopping list for ingredients and gifts, our office parties, our reunions, our holiday travels, activities to keep the children busy during the school break, when to set up the Christmas tree, decor and lights. We may organise our charity work, our Advent retreats, our Simbang Gabi schedule, when to go to confession.

But in today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us that we really do not know when He comes again, and therefore we need to be ready, prepared, good to go. All the time.

This need to be in a constant state of readiness is especially highlighted in Advent, but when we think about it, it is a call which applies throughout the year, no matter what the season, in all circumstances and periods of our lives. Advent gives us the chance to start anew, to commit to remaining in this state of attention, not just until Christmas, but throughout the year.

Jesus’ call to stay awake and be ready is a long-term instruction. We have to be ready for the long haul.

How do we stay spiritually awake when our souls are sluggish and tired? How can our hearts remain alert and ready when they are bruised and broken? How can tired hands keep on serving while burdened with heavy loads? How can weary feet continue to run and spread the Good News? How, as mentioned in Heb 12:12, may we then “strengthen our drooping hands and our weak knees?” How can we sustain this level of being on high alert, of being ready for the final days, without burning out?

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus. Spend more time in prayer this Advent. Jesus is the source of our strength and our hope. He renews us when we come to Him with our tired hearts. “They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength, they will soar as with eagles' wings; They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.” (Is 40:31)

Let us stand ready with others. Let us inspire one another, encourage one another, cheer each other on. We are part of one body, and we can and should depend on each other for strength, and for gentle reminders whenever we slacken or become spiritually unprepared. If you have not yet found this support, join a community of Christians who will accompany you and help you to stay ready.

Let us ask the Holy Spirit for power and grace to persevere. Let us be open to the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit, our Advocate, our Comforter, our Counselor, who forms our character and helps us in our weakness, whom Jesus has sent to strengthen us until His return. Let the Holy Spirit fill us this Advent, and let us open our hearts to whatever changes God asks of us.

In what other ways can you keep your heart awake and ready for the coming of Christ?

Lord, awaken my sluggish spirit with a fresh desire to be ready, on call, on guard, at all times. Give me your strength and renew me. Let me encourage others and inspire them towards readiness with my actions and with my words. Fill me with eager longing for Your Spirit, that at the beginning of Advent, I may submit my whole self to Your transforming power. Jesus, I await Your coming. Help me to prepare my heart as your dwelling place, that I may abide in You throughout the year, throughout my life. Amen.

Next on God-speak
Sealed With Hope