Be Watchful! 1st Sunday of Advent (Cycle A)

 

🕯️ Be Watchful!
1st Sunday of Advent (Cycle A)

With God revealing Himself in the Lord Jesus, Christians believe that there is a future for humanity. Life is not absurdity, nor is death “a transition from being into nothingness,” as some contemporary voices allege. Life has meaning because Christ has come.

In the confusion of daily life, the Lord Jesus saves us from apparent absurdity, from dangerous inertia, and from the numbness that modern distractions can bring. The only prerequisite is that we remain watchful and open to Him and His message found in the Scriptures.

“It is by his gift that already we rejoice at the mystery of his Nativity, so that he may find us watchful in prayer and exultant in his praise.”

— Preface II of Advent

🌄 The Messianic Time (Isaiah 2:1–5)

Inspired by God, the prophet Isaiah sees a bright future in the Messianic era — the time when God will appear in His Messiah, His anointed viceregent on earth. The setting is Zion, the holy mountain of Jerusalem with the temple, God’s dwelling place.

“They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.”

— Isaiah 2:4, NABRE

We Christians see Isaiah’s vision fulfilled in Jesus, God’s anointed one, the Christ. Therefore:

“House of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!”

— Isaiah 2:5, NABRE

With God present in Christ Jesus, we should keep working for this seemingly impossible dream. Start in your family, your school, your workplace — making them places of shalom, peace.

🛡️ Put On the Lord (Romans 13:11–14)

Be watchful! Wake up! Orgies, drunkenness, promiscuity, rivalry, and jealousy are part of the human condition. The deeds of darkness can make us numb and insensitive to the beauty of life.

“It is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.”

— Romans 13:11, NABRE

“Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.”

— Romans 13:14, NABRE

To “put on the Lord Jesus” is to be ever more intimately united to Him and what He stands for. In Him, the bright future of shalom — peace — will be yours.

⏳ Stay Awake! (Matthew 24:37–44)

The coming of the Lord requires a decision. It is “either-or”! Matthew the evangelist is quite serious about this. It should be a decision of conversion to Jesus right now, as you are preparing for His coming on Christmas.

“Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.”

— Matthew 24:42, NABRE

Again, be watchful! The moment you least expect it could be the final coming of the Lord to you. Do not become so engrossed in the daily routine of life that you forget that the Day of the Son of Man may come at any time.

🙏 Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ,
You are the Light in our darkness, the Peace in our chaos, the Hope in our waiting.
Awaken our hearts this Advent.
Make us watchful in prayer, joyful in praise, and ready to welcome You —
now, at Christmas, and at the end of time.
Amen.

✨ Haiku

Candles pierce the dark,
Watchful hearts await the Lord,
Peace begins in us.

Location: Hollywood, FL 33025, USA

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