DECEMBER 01, 2013 : FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT year A

First Sunday of Advent 
Lectionary: 1

Reading 1IS 2:1-5

This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz,
saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In days to come,
the mountain of the LORD’s house
shall be established as the highest mountain
and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it;
many peoples shall come and say:
“Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may instruct us in his ways,
and we may walk in his paths.”
For from Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and impose terms on many peoples.
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.
O house of Jacob, come,
let us walk in the light of the Lord!

Responsorial PsalmPS 122: 1-2, 3-4, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the LORD.”
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
May those who love you prosper!
May peace be within your walls,
prosperity in your buildings.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Because of my brothers and friends
I will say, “Peace be within you!”
Because of the house of the LORD, our God,
I will pray for your good.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Reading 2ROM 13:11-14

Brothers and sisters:
You know the time;
it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep.
For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed;
the night is advanced, the day is at hand.
Let us then throw off the works of darkness
and put on the armor of light;
let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day,
not in orgies and drunkenness,
not in promiscuity and lust,
not in rivalry and jealousy.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.

GospelMT 24:37-44

Jesus said to his disciples:
“As it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
In those days before the flood,
they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage,
up to the day that Noah entered the ark.
They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away.
So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man.
Two men will be out in the field;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Two women will be grinding at the mill;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Therefore, stay awake!
For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.
Be sure of this: if the master of the house
had known the hour of night when the thief was coming,
he would have stayed awake
and not let his house be broken into.
So too, you also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

www.usccb.org

Scripture Study

December 1, 2013 First Sunday of Advent

This Sunday we begin a new liturgical year with the First Sunday of Advent. The Advent Season is a four week preparation for Christmas but not in the usual sense. Advent is a time to reflect with John in the desert and to think about the various advents or comings of Jesus into our lives and our world. Jesus came to us in the historical incarnation that we will celebrate at Christmas. He will come to us as the returning glorious King of Kings at the end of time. But perhaps most visibly He comes to us quietly every day in the interactions we have with each other. Every expression of love and care that passes between two people has Jesus in the middle of it. This is the most common and maybe the most miraculous of the advents of Jesus. Each day He comes to us in and through each other.


First Reading: Isaiah 2:1-5

1 This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

2 In days to come,
The mountain of the LORD'S house
shall be established as the highest mountain
and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it;

3 many peoples shall come and say:
"Come, let us climb the LORD'S mountain,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
That he may instruct us in his ways,
and we may walk in his paths."
For from Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

4 He shall judge between the nations,
and impose terms on many peoples.
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.

5 O house of Jacob, come,
let us walk in the light of the LORD!



NOTES on First Reading:

* 2:1 This verse is an editorial addition introducing Isaiah 2-5 which was added by a redactor (editor) sometime after the original recording of the statements themselves.

* 2:2-4 This prophecy presents an idealized view of the Messianic destiny which ensures Judah's later restoration. While the prophets generally see the Lord's house as the seat of authority and the source of clear and certain doctrine in the Messianic kingdom, they express the vision in different ways. Isaiah's imagery is among the most familiar. The rule of the Kingdom is usually depicted as being willingly accepted by all and being maintained by spiritual power and sanctions. The result of the world's acceptance of the Messianic Kingdom is presented as universal peace.
While essentially the same passage is found in Micah 4:1-3, most scholars think that it was written by Isaiah although this is far from certain. These same themes are found in the "Zion Psalms" (Psalms 46;48;76;87;34:62) as well as some other locations in the Old Testament and express a faith and hope that predated Isaiah.

* 2:3 Here Zion and Jerusalem are types of or symbols for the earthly center of the Messianic kingdom.

* 2:5 This exhortation which acts as a conclusion to the passage was probably added later by an editor. It differs markedly from the conclusion in Micah 4:4 but it resembles Micah 4:5.


Second Reading: Romans 13:11-14

11 And do this because you know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; 12 the night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works of darkness (and) put on the armor of light; 13 let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and licentiousness, not in rivalry and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.

NOTES on Second Reading:

* 13:11-14 These verses provide the motivation for the love to which the readers have been encouraged in the last three verses

* 13:11 Light and darkness are often used in early Christian writing to express the contrast between life without Jesus and life with Jesus, the source of light.
The word for "time", kairos, which is used here means a definite or limited portion of time and implies suitability. It came to mean time in a Christian context of the end-time (eschaton) - a time to manifest the kingdom of God.

* 13:12 Christians can not afford to remain in the unprotected state of scantily clothed sleepers when the time calls for the armor of light which is described in 1 Thes 5:8 as faith, love, and hope. See also Eph 6:15-17.

* 13:13 The behavior described in Romans 1:29-30 is now to be reversed. Nonchristian moralists of the time were fond of making references to people who could not wait for nightfall to do their carousing. Paul makes use of that common symbolism to say that Christians who claim to be people of the new day which will dawn with the return of Christ will concentrate on conduct that is in keeping with their avowed interest in the Lord's return rather than plan for nighttime behavior.

* 3:14 Here Paul shifts the image slightly to say that Christ Himself is to be the clothing or the armor of the Christian. Through Baptism the believer has already "put on Christ" (Gal 3:27) but the identification of the Christian with Christ must bear fruit in one's life as the Christian draws more and more away from sin and becomes more and more aware of his/her Christian identity.



Gospel Reading: Matthew 24: 37-44

37 For as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 In (those) days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark. 39 They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. So will it be (also) at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left. 42 Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. 43 Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. 44 So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.


NOTES on Gospel:

* 24:37-39 The Old Testament account of the flood lays emphasis on the wickedness of the people while what is central for Matthew is the unexpected coming of the flood upon those who were unprepared for it. See a parallel text in Luke 17:26-27. The story of Noah is related in Genesis beginning with Gen 6:11-13.

* 24:37 The expression, "Son of Man," was Jesus' favorite method of referring to Himself. It was in common usage as a term meaning simply a man but it also was a mysterious character in the Book of Daniel 7:13. This little understood figure was a symbol for the coming Messianic King and it was to this image that Jesus refers in using this term. Daniel 7:13-14 reads: "I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a Son of Man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed." The Church began to apply this passage to Jesus very soon after the resurrection.

* 24:40-41 Matthew continues his pattern of twinning parables of men and women. The emphasis is on the surprise nature of the coming end.
While the exact meanings are not certain the former expression probably means taken into the kingdom while the latter one means left for destruction. People in the same situation will be dealt with in opposite ways. In this context, the discrimination between them will be based on their readiness for the coming of the Son of Man. The difference between the two can not be discerned by the observer. Only God knows.

* 24:42-44 The theme of vigilance and readiness is continued with the bold comparison of the Son of Man to a thief who comes to break into a house. A parallel is found in Luke 12:39-40.

* 24:42 Watchfulness or alertness is the point of this section. It means eschatological alertness to the will of God.

* 24:44 This verse uses the term, "be ready," to express the conclusion of the section. It adds to the terminology of vigilance. Matthew places a context of alertness and preparation around the end time rather than surrounding it with speculation and fear by placing this section immediately following the "Little Apocalypse" (24:1-36) where Jesus describes the end of the world. This too should be our response to the end. Rather than fear or wild speculation we should spend the time we have in preparation and vigilance.

 www.st-raymond-dublin.org

Meditation: "You must be ready - the Son of Man is coming"

Do you know what it feels like when you expect a friend to come whom you haven't seen for some time, and he or she delays? Or when you get excited because you are anticipating some important event to take place, and you wake up in the morning with that thought on your mind? The Lord Jesus expects us to watch in great anticipation for the most important event of all – his return in glory at the end of time! The prophets foretold the coming of the Lord when he shall judge between the nations and decide for many peoples (Isaiah 2:5). The Advent season reminds us that we are living in the end times. The end times begins with the first coming of Christ (his Incarnation which we celebrate at Christmas) and culminates in his final return on the Day of Judgment. Jesus spoke of his return in glory at the end of time as a for certain fact. Jesus' audience understood the title, Son of Man, as referring to theMessianic prophecy of the Annointed King who comes to establish an everlasting kingdom over the earth (see Daniel 7:13). While the second coming is for certain, the time is unknown. The Lord's judgment comes swiftly and often unexpectedly. Jesus warns his listeners to not be caught off guard when that day arrives. It will surely come in God's good time! Do you earnestly pray for God's kingdom to come – here and now!

What does Jesus mean when he says that one will be taken and another left? Having the right friends, even those who are very close to God, will not guarantee our entry into heaven. We can live and work with godly Christians, but no matter how close they may be to God, they cannot win a place for us in heaven. God offers each of us a personal invitation to accept his kingdom or to reject it. There is really no middle ground. We are either for God or against him, for his kingdom of righteousness or against it. The choice is ours. And God's grace is available to those who are willing to believe in God and obey his word.

God knows our struggles and challenges well, and he gives grace and help wherever we need it. But there is one excuse that God will not accept from us – that is trying to pass off personal responsibility for our lives and for our decisions to someone else. God's judges each of us individually according to how we have responded to his gracious invitation to live for his kingdom. No one can discharge his or her duty by proxy or association. The good news is that God is merciful and he gives grace to turn away from sin and he gives us the help we need to follow in his way of holiness. God's judgment is good news for those who are ready to meet the Lord when he returns in his glory. He gives us fresh hope each day so we can keep our eyes on the eternal reward waiting for us. What is that reward we long for? It is God himself, who is the source of all truth, beauty, and goodness, and the fullness of undying love and abundant life that never ends.

In every age God issues his warning as a sign of mercy to those who will heed it. The people in Noah's time ignored the Lord's warning of judgment. They missed the boat, literally! Whose boat are you taking – the world's boat to false success, empty promises, and fleeting happiness or God's boat to unending peace, joy, and union with him? Those whose hope is firmly anchored in heaven will not be disappointed when God's judgment comes. They rejoice even now that they will see the Lord in his glory! Is your hope firmly placed in God and in his kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy?

Jesus concludes his warning with a parable about a robbery that could have been prevented. If you knew that a thief wanted to steal your prized possession and your inheritance, wouldn't you guard it with your life? How foolish to leave our treasure unguarded where the thief can easily steal. God promises each of us an inheritance and an eternal reward which he calls a "treasure beyond measure" (see the parable of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price in Matthew 13:44-46). What is this treasure of immeasurable value? It is the Lord himself who is our treasure, and the kingdom he offers us is a kingdom of true and lasting peace, joy, and righteousness. The Lord offers us a personal relationship with him as his sons and daughters and the promise of eternal life as well. This imperishable treasure will outlast any earthly treasure. But it is possible that we could lose this treasure of supreme value if we allow sin or Satan to rob us of our faith and hope in God. Do you keep your sight on the heavenly treasure which awaits you?

"Lord Jesus Christ, you are my hope and salvation. Help me to never lose sight of the goal of heaven and give me fresh joy and zeal to live each day for your kingdom."

www.dailyscripture.net

Spiritually Shipshape

First Sunday of Advent

Father Edward McIlmail, LC Matthew 24:37-44 Jesus said to his disciples: “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. In those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark. They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left. Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of the night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you must also be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” Introductory Prayer: Lord, I know by faith that you are here and listening to me.  I count on your goodness and friendship to sustain me now throughout this meditation and this preparation time of Advent for your arrival at Christmas. I love you for coming among us as a man, to show us the way to heaven. Petition: Lord Jesus, grant that I learn to make the most of my time on earth. 1. Before the Flood: God had seen widespread corruption in the world and decided to sweep away much of humanity. Noah, however, found favor with God and received divine warning of an impending disaster. He thus set about to build the ark, a project that must have struck his neighboring desert-dwellers as strange. The flood caught the people by surprise; only Noah and his family were prepared. So it is with the world. The unexpected can take us by surprise. But for those who stay close to God and listen to him, even the most unexpected events can be accepted with serenity. Can I say the same about events in my life? Do I truly trust in God’s providence day by day? 2. One Taken, One Left: Death can come like a thief in the night. On an unexpected day, a man in the field is taken away; his companion remains. Death can snatch away any one of us in a blink of an eye. Christ told his listeners that he came into the world "so that they might have life and have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). But he never told us how long our lives would be. This thought however, shouldn’t depress us. Rather, it should prompt us to be ever alert. There is no time like the present to convert and turn our lives to God. More than a few souls have thought to put off conversion "until tomorrow" — a day that never arrived. Our Lord wants us to live the present well, and to do good in the here-and-now. Our life is but a collection of "nows"; each "now" is a piece of a bigger picture, like a mosaic. How am I living the present? Am I waiting "until tomorrow" to change my ways? Do I understand how risky that delay could be? 3. Stay Awake!Our Lord doesn’t sugarcoat his advice. He knows that death awaits each of us and that we tend to want to ignore that reality. "Whistling past the graveyard" is a not uncommon attitude among those who live as if their lives were endless. But, alas, we are all pilgrims passing through this world on the way to eternity. The best way to live each day is to live it as if it were our last day. That means having a serious prayer life and acting with a deep spirit of charity. If we knew that today was our last day, how would we live it? Conversation with Christ:Lord Jesus, your birth in Bethlehem changed the course of the world — and the course of my life. I want to prepare myself well this Advent for your arrival at Christmas, so that I can offer you a fitting birthday gift. Help me to live each day to the full in order to grow in holiness and to keep my gaze fixed on eternity. Resolution: I will make a program that will help me to live Advent better. This could include more prayer or even one or two weekday Masses.

www.regnumchristi.org

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, MATTHEW 24:37-44
(Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13:11-14)

KEY VERSE: "Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come" (v 42).
READING: The early Christians suffered persecution and they longed for the immediate return of their Lord. But Jesus told his disciples that it was futile to speculate regarding his Second Coming, for the hour of that event was known to God alone. Jesus warned them that his coming would be similar to Noah's day. Noah was a righteous man who "walked with God" (Gn 6:9). He listened to God's warning, and he and his family were saved from destruction. The sinful and lawless people had no concern about the future until the flood came and swept them all away. So too, at the time of Christ’s coming, men and women will be preoccupied with their ordinary activities. The picture of the two men in the field and the two women grinding meal (v. 40- 41) emphasize the sudden separation that Christ's coming would bring. Those prepared for Christ's arrival would be taken into God's kingdom; however, those who were unready would be left behind in their own sinfulness. Jesus' followers must prepare themselves and be vigilant for his coming whenever it might occur.
REFLECTING: Am I awake to the daily comings of the Lord in my life?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to prepare myself for your arrival at the end of the ages, and every day of my life.

THE SEASON OF ADVENT

Advent comes from the Latin word, Adventus, which means “coming,” yet it also means “arrival.” Christ is always coming and at the same time, is already here. Advent celebrates the special comings of Christ throughout the ages. 
1) The First Advent: Jesus' birth, the fulfillment of the yearnings of God's people for a Messiah.
2) The Ongoing Advent: the continual re-birth of Christ in the hearts of believers.
3) The Final Advent: the triumphal return of Christ at the end of time to reign in glory forever.

www.togetherwithgodsword.com

 Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord

‘Stand ready, for the Son of Man is coming ...’
Advent today is often defined by end of year shopping, holiday planning and end of year work parties. For many it is a time of great stress as the financial burden of the season hits. For others Christmas is an ominous spectre on the horizon, a reminder of broken families and relationships, a reminder of loneliness. The readings today remind us that Advent is about preparing ourselves for a deeper spiritual reality that meets us in the reality of our daily lives, be it our joys or our sufferings. Like an expectant mother awaiting the first pangs of labour, we must be prepared for the first signs of the Incarnate Word touching our lives. 

www.pray.com.au

Bl. Charles de Foucauld

Feastday: December 1

Died: 1916
Beatified By: November 13, 2005 by Pope Benedict XVI

Blessed Charles de Foucauld Little Brother Charles of JesusCharles Eugene, (Vicomte de) Foucauld 1858 - 1916 Died Age 58 Charles was left an orphan by the age of six, and he and his sister were brought up by their grandfather. By the time he was fifteen, less than a year after his First Communion, Charles had ceased to be a Christian and was an agnostic. In 1878, his grandfather died. Love for the old man had prevented Charles from indulging in the worst excesses, but at his death, Charles began to "live." On receiving his inheritance, he set about spending it in riotous living.  For atime he lived in Paris, where he took an apartment near a cousin, Marie de Bondy. Marie, who had first entered his lifewhen he was about eleven, was a deeply spiritual young woman. Gradually, through her example, the gay and reckless young man began to change. His religion, when he rediscovered God, was a highly personal discipleship and love of the Person of Jesus Christ. Regarding his conversion, Charles said, "The moment I realized that God existed, I knew I could not do otherwise than to live for him alone." For atime after his return to the sacraments, Charles lived as a Trappist monk. Although he is remembered as an exemplary religious, the conviction grew that this was not his vocation. After being released from his temporary vows, Charles went to the Holy Land where he became a servant for the Poor Clare nuns.  Mother Elizabeth, the Superior of these Clarist sisters, was a woman of uncommon wisdom. She helped Charles to the realization that he should become a priest in order to serve God better. Charles finished his studies for the priesthood and was ordained in 1901. Later that year, he left for Algeria to take up thelife of a hermit in the desert. Little Brother Charles of Jesus, as he called himself, thought up and wrote down a plan for two religious orders. The members of these orders would live a life patterned on the lifeof Jesus at Nazareth.  At the time of Brother Charles' death, neither his missionary contacts  nor his designs for new religious orders had borne visible fruit.  In 1916, living among the fierce Tuaregs of Tamanrasset, Charles de Foucauld was murdered in an attempt to warn two Arab soldiers of danger from a group of Senussi rebels.  The life of Charles de Foucauld was like the biblical seed which had to die before it sprouted into a healthy plant. Within twenty years after his death, there appeared three congregations which derived their inspiration, purpose, and Rules from Charles de Foucauld. These Little Brothers of Jesus, Little Sisters of the Sacred Heart, and Little Sisters of Jesus live in small groups all over the world, preaching by the lives they lead. Two other Orders, founded later, trace their heritage to Little Brother Charles of Jesus. Each of these groups bases its apostolate on the ideas of the Orders which the martyr of the desert had planned, but did not live to see. Knowledge of the life of Charles de Foucauld has spread throughout the Church. After preliminary investigations, all proved positive, and he was declared Venerable on April 13, 1978.

De Foucauld was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI on November 13, 2005, and is listed as a martyr in the liturgy of the Catholic Church.

www.catholic.org

LECTIO DIVINA: 1ST SUNDAY OF ADVENT (A)

Lectio: 

 Sunday, December 1, 2013  

Always be ready
God can come to us at any moment
Matthew 24, 37-44

1. Opening prayer

 Lord Jesus, send your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures with the same mind that you read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the Bible, you helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection.
Create in us silence so that we may listen to your voice in Creation and in the Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples from Emmaus, may experience the force of your resurrection and witness to others that you are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of you, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed to us the Father and sent us your Spirit. Amen.

2. Reading

a) Key for reading:

In the Liturgy of the first Sunday of Advent, the Church places us before an extract of the discourse of Jesus on the end of the world. Advent means Coming. It is the time of preparation for the coming of the Son of Man into our life. Jesus exhorts us to be vigilant. He asks us to be attentive to the events in order to discover in them the hour of the coming of the Son of Man.
At the beginning of Advent, it is important to purify our look and to learn anew how to read the events in the light of the Word of God. And this in order not to be surprised, because God comes without telling us, when we less expect him. To show how we should be attentive to the events, Jesus goes back to the episode of the deluge in the time of Noah.
During the reading of the text, let us pay attention to the comparisons which Jesus uses to transmit his message.

b) A division of the text to help in the reading:

Matthew 24, 37-39: The coming of the Son of Man will arrive as in the days of Noah
Matthew 24, 40-41: Jesus applies the comparison to those who listen
Matthew 24, 42: The conclusion: “Stay awake”; be “Vigilant”.
Matthew 24, 43-44: A comparison to recommend vigilance.

c) The text:

37 'As it was in Noah's day, so will it be when the Son of man comes. 38 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, 39 and they suspected nothing till the Flood came and swept them all away. This is what it will be like when the Son of man comes. 40 Then of two men in the fields, one is taken, one left; 41 of two women grinding at the mill, one is taken, one left.
42 'So stay awake, because you do not know the day when your master is coming. 43 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. 44 Therefore, you too must stand ready because the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

3. A moment of prayerful silence

so that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life.

4. Some questions

to help us in our personal reflection.

i) Which part of the text struck you most? Why?
ii) Where, when and why did Jesus pronounce this discourse?
iii) In what exactly does this vigilance consist, to which Jesus exhorts us?
iv) “One is taken, one left”. What does Jesus want to teach with this affirmation?
v) At the time of Matthew, the Christian community, in a certain sense, expected the coming of the Son of Man. And today, which is our way of waiting for the coming of Jesus?
vi) According to you, which is the centre or origin of this teaching of Jesus?

5. For those who desire to go deeper into the theme

a) Context of the discourse of Jesus:

The Gospel of Matthew -

 In the Gospel of Matthew there are five great discourses, as if it were a new edition of the five books of the Law of Moses. The text on which we are meditating this Sunday forms part of the fifth Discourse of this New Law, Each one of the preceding four discourses enlightens a determinate aspect of the Kingdom of God announced by Jesus. The first one: the justice of the Kingdom and the conditions to enter into the Kingdom (Mt from 5 to 7). The second one: the mission of the citizens of the Kingdom (Mt 10). The third one: the mysterious presence of the Kingdom in the life of the people (Mt 13). The fourth one: to live the Kingdom in community (Mt 18). The fifth Sermon speaks of vigilance in view of the definitive coming of the Kingdom. In this last discourse, Matthew continues the outline of Mark (cf. Mk 13, 5-37), but adds some parables which speak about the need of vigilance and of service, of solidarity and of fraternity.

Waiting for the coming of the Son of Man -

At the end of the first century, the communities lived expecting the immediate coming of Jesus (I Th 5, 1-11). Basing themselves on some words of Paul (I Th 4, 15-18), there were some persons who had ceased to work thinking that Jesus was about to arrive (2 Th 2, 1-2; 3, 11-12). They asked themselves: When Jesus comes, will we be taken up to Heaven as he was? (cfr. I Th 4, 17). Will we be taken or left behind? (cfr. Mt 24, 40-41). There was an atmosphere similar to that of today, in which many ask themselves: “Is this terrorism a sign that the end of the world is close at hand?” What should we do in order not to be surprised?” An answer to this question and concern comes to us from the words of Jesus which Matthew transmits to us in the Gospel of this Sunday.

b) Comment on the text:

Matthew 24, 37-39: Jesus compares the coming of the Son of Man to the days of the deluge
“As it was in Noah’s day, so it will be when the Son of Man comes”. Here, in order to clarify his call to vigilance, Jesus refers to two episodes of the Old Testament: Noah and the Son of Man. The “days of Noah” refer to the description of the deluge (Gen 6,5 to 8,14).
The image of the “Son of Man” comes from a vision of the prophet Daniel (Dan 7, 13). In the days of Noah the majority of persons lived without any concern, without being aware that in the events the hour of God was getting near. Life continued “and they were not aware of anything until the deluge came and drowned them all”. And Jesus concludes: “Thus it will be when the Son of Man comes”. In the vision of Daniel, the Son of Man will come on the clouds unexpectedly and his coming will decree the end of the oppressing empires, which will have no future.

Matthew 24, 40-41: Jesus applies the comparison to those who listen to him.
“Two men will be in the fields: one is taken, one left”. These phrases should not be taken literally. It is a way to indicate the diverse destiny that persons will receive according to the justice of the works they did. Some will be taken, that is, will receive salvation, and others will not receive it. This is what happened in the deluge: “You alone of your contemporaries do I see before me as an upright man” (Gen 7, 1). And Noah and his family were saved.

Matthew 24, 42: Jesus draws the conclusion: “So stay awake”, be vigilant.
God is the one who determines the hour of the coming of the Son. But God’s time is not measured by our clock or calendar. For God one day can be equal to a thousand years, and a thousand years equal to one day (Ps 90; 2 Pt 3, 8). God’s time (kairos) is independent from our time (cronos). We cannot interfere in God’s time, but we should be prepared for the moment in which God’s hour becomes present in our time. It can be today, it can be from now in one thousand years.

Matthew 24, 43-44: comparison: the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
God comes when we less expect him. It can also happen that He comes and people are not aware of the hour of his arrival. Jesus asks for two things: an always attentive vigilance and at the same time, a peaceful dedication of the one who is in peace. This attitude is a sign of much maturity, in which are mixed the vigilant concern and the serene tranquillity. The maturity which succeeds to combine the seriousness of the moment with the awareness that everything is relative.

c) Broadening the information in order to better understand the text:

How should we be vigilant to prepare ourselves? - Our text is preceded by the parable of the fig tree (Mt 24, 32-33). The fig tree was a symbol of the people of Israel (Os 9, 10; Mt 21, 18). In asking to look at the fig tree, Jesus asks to look and to analyze the facts that are taking place. It is as if Jesus would say to us: “You should learn from the fig tree to read the signs of the times, and in this way you would discover where and when God breaks into our history!”

The certainty communicated to us by Jesus - Jesus leaves us a twofold certainty to orientate our journey in life: (1) surely the end will come; (2) certainly, nobody knows anything about the day or hour of the end of the world. “But as for that day and hour, nobody knows it, neither the angels in Heaven nor the Son, no one but the Father alone!” (Mt 24, 36). In spite of all the estimates or calculations that men can do on the date of the end of the world, nobody can calculate with certainty. What gives security is not the knowledge of the hour of the end, but the Word of Jesus present in life. the world will pass but his Word will never pass. (cfr. Is 40, 7-8).

When will the end of the world come? - When the bible speaks about the “end of the World”, it refers not to the end of the world, but to the end of a world. It refers to the end of this world, where injustice and the power of evil reign; these which embitter life. This world of injustice will come to an end and in its place there will be “a new heavens and a new earth”, announced by Isaiah (Is 65, 15–17) and foreseen in the Apocalypse (Ap 21, 1). Nobody knows when nor how the end of this world will be (Mt 24, 36), because nobody can imagine what God has prepared for those who love him (I Co 2, 9). The new world of life without death exceeds everything, just like the tree exceeds the seed (I Co 15, 35-38). The first Christians were anxious to be present in this end (2 Th 2,2). They continued to look up at heaven, waiting for the coming of Christ (Acts 1, 11). Some no longer worked (2 Th 3, 11). But “It is not for you to know times or dates that the Father has decided by his own authority” (Acts 1, 7). The only way to contribute to the coming of the end “in order that the Lord may send the time of comfort” (Acts 3, 20), and give witness of the Gospel everywhere, to the earth’s remotest end (Acts 1, 8).

6. Prayer: Psalm 46 (45)

“God is our refuge! We shall not be afraid!”

God is both refuge and strength for us,
a help always ready in trouble;
so we shall not be afraid though the earth be in turmoil,
though mountains tumble into the depths of the sea,
and its waters roar and seethe,
and the mountains totter as it heaves.

There is a river whose streams bring joy to God's city,
it sanctifies the dwelling of the Most High.
God is in the city, it cannot fall;
at break of day God comes to its rescue.
Nations are in uproar, kingdoms are tumbling,
when he raises his voice the earth crumbles away.
Yahweh Sabaoth is with us, our citadel,
the God of Jacob.

Come, consider the wonders of Yahweh,
the astounding deeds he has done on the earth;
he puts an end to wars over the whole wide world,
he breaks the bow,
he snaps the spear,
shields he burns in the fire.
'Be still and acknowledge that I am God,
supreme over nations, supreme over the world.'

Yahweh Sabaoth is with us, our citadel, the God of Jacob.

7. Final Prayer

Lord Jesus, we thank for the word that has enabled us to understand better the will of the Father. May your Spirit enlighten our actions and grant us the strength to practice that which your Word has revealed to us. May we, like Mary, your mother, not only listen to but also practise the Word. You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

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