First reading Isaiah 2:1-5
The Lord gathers all nations together into the eternal peace of God’s kingdom
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.
Responsorial Psalm 121(122):1-2,4-5,6-9
I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’
I rejoiced when I heard them say:
‘Let us go to God’s house.’
And now our feet are standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
It is there that the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord.
For Israel’s law it is,
there to praise the Lord’s name.
There were set the thrones of judgement
of the house of David.
For the peace of Jerusalem pray:
‘Peace be to your homes!
May peace reign in your walls,
in your palaces, peace!’
For love of my brethren and friends
I say: ‘Peace upon you!’
For love of the house of the Lord
I will ask for your good.
Second reading Romans 13:11-14
Our salvation is near
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
The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect
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.’
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Stay awake
Advent is a season for drawing closer to Jesus and allowing Him to lead us into a deeper relationship with Him. We listen to Prophet Isaiah in the 1st reading as he tells us, “Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord”. Jesus is our light that shines in our darkness, and He is why we can walk on with hope amid uncertainty and troubles.
In today’s gospel, Jesus calls us to stay awake by living in the present so that we can recognise His presence with us. He comes to us through the Scripture, the Eucharist, good and bad events we experience, the people around us, and nature. However, like the people in Noah’s day, we can be so caught up with the busyness and worries of life that we fail to see His presence. Jesus comes to us everyday. He always brings us to deeper faith, hope and peace. As we start this Advent season, let us be Advent people who are watchful of God’s presence and live each day as He wants it to be.
Reflective question:
How can I welcome Jesus into my life this Advent season?
How can I welcome Jesus into my life this Advent season?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year C” by Sr Sandra Seow FMVD.
