Watch, wait, be alert, keep awake, are the main message of today’s short Gospel reading. Saint Mark’s Gospel recalled these last words of Jesus before presenting accounts of the Last Supper and His Passion. In the next chapter, we read that Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane in agony as His death loomed near. He had asked His disciples Peter, James and John who accompanied him to keep watch but they fell asleep and Jesus had to wake them from their sleep, twice. It is not easy to stay in a constant state of focus and alertness yet it is what Jesus instructs us to do.
Waiting takes on different forms. For example, if you’re waiting for a train or a bus to arrive, you simply pass the time checking your phone, listening to music, reading a book or just looking around. What else is there to do? That is a passive form of waiting and not what Jesus is asking us to do. There is a different kind. Think of Thanksgiving holiday and the time leading up to it. We are busy food shopping, checking recipes, checking in with loved ones and getting our homes ready. On Thanksgiving Day, the waiting is over and we joyously celebrate because we waited and prepared.
“Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down.” (Isaiah 63:19), was the prayer of the Prophet Isaiah’s and on this First Sunday of Advent, it is also our prayer. With Jesus being born and taking human form, God answered the prayer. He came down from heaven 2,000 years ago and dwelt among us. That was not the last time God dwelt among us. If we are observant, we will recognize that God is always coming to us. God comes to us when we read the Holy Scriptures. He comes to us when we listen to His messages. And as we read last week, God comes to us in the form of the poor, the hungry, the thirsty, the persecuted, the imprisoned, and the sick. Brothers and sisters we encounter every day. God comes and dwells within us every time we receive Him in the Holy Eucharist. If we are watchful, we can recognize that God is always nearby. We also know that God will come again because He told us so. But we don’t know when. He asks us to stay watchful and to wait.
As we commence the Advent season, let us mindfully and purposefully watch and wait for the feast of our Lord Jesus Christ becoming flesh and also for his promise to come again. Remember taking the sacrament of communion for the first time? Let us look for it today with the same level of anticipation. How is being in a constant state of awareness of God’s presence with you and His calling for your life change the way you interact with people you know and those you don’t know?
Watch, Jesus is on His way. Prepare for Him and always keep Him at the center of your life.
Happy Advent!
Go in Peace to Love and Serve the Lord.
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