PREPAREDNESS FOR THE COMING OF JESUS

First Sunday of Advent

Cycle A

Gospel according to Matthew:

“The Necessity for Preparedness” (Mt. 24: 37-44)

Introduction

Flashlight has been part of necessity in the house. We know that flashlight is essential in our life especially in moments of emergency at night. We often put flashlights beside our bed, on our head- board or even sometimes under we put our pillow so that when power- off comes we could easily check what is happening around.

Our Gospel for this First Sunday of Advent reminds us that we must be prepared for the coming of our Lord Jesus. Flashlights speaks preparedness for we do not know when power off comes. However, our Gospel reminds us that we should be prepared always not only with our flashlights but with our very own self. For the Lord reminds us “Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.” (Mt. 24:42)

As we prepare ourselves this season of advent, allow me to share with you three points of reflection especially on the three- fold coming of Jesus.
          First, we must be prepared for the commemoration of the first coming of Jesus on Christmas. In our first reading, Isaiah reminds us, “Many peoples shall come and say, “let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go forth instruction and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 2:3)  These words of the prophet Isaiah were fulfilled in the coming of Jesus. Jesus himself is the gift of his first coming. He is the greatest gift of love. Preparing for Christmas is learning his ways and walking in the path – the path of love. I remember a striking song of Mimo Perez entitled “Kulay ng Pasko”, and the song strikingly says,

“Mga Parol at Krismas tri

Bagong sapatos at damit

Kulay nila’y kay ganda, subalit kulang pa

At kahit na punung- puno ang medyas ni Santa Klaus Hindi pa rin ganap ang nadaramang galak

Mga batang nagkakaroling, awit nila ay iyong dinggin Nagsasabing kulay ay di sapat kung puso sa pag- ibig ay salat.”

The fullness of preparing for Christmas is not found external preparation but in loving, starting with ourselves, in our family and of our community.

As we prepare for the Christmas, we are to prepare also for the moment we often take for granted, the middle coming of Christ. For our second point, we must be prepared for the Middle Coming of Jesus. In our Gospel, the Lord reminds us, “Therefore you must be ready also, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.” (Mt. 24: 44) Jesus comes to us here and now. He comes to us in our needy brothers and sisters. He comes to us also in our liturgical celebration and in the celebration of the sacraments. I could not forget an experience with a beggar who came to me for help. I was too busy at that time. And I neglected the beggar. I found that experience regretful for Jesus visited me but I was not ready to receive Him. I feel pity to myself for neglecting to receive Jesus in my needy brother who came to me. Jesus comes to us here and now unexpectedly, so, we must be prepared.

And ultimately, we must be prepared for last day of judgment bringing us the prize of victory. And for our last point, we must be prepared for the Second Coming of Christ. Our Gospel does not cease on reminding us, “Keep awake therefore, for you do not on what day your Lord is coming.” (Mt. 24:42) The coming of the Lord is like the unpredictable coming of the Super Typhoon Yolanda that struck many lives. The people were not ready that much for the forecast was expecting that the super typhoon would hit Mindoro. But many lives and livelihood were destructed by the typhoon especially in Tacloban City. Many did not expect that the typhoon would hit them. The second coming of Jesus is unpredictable, so we must be ready always. We must prepare ourselves worthy in every moment.

Conclusion

This season of Advent calls for preparation of ourselves, of our family and of our community. Again, let us remember, first, we be prepared for the commemoration of the coming of Jesus on the first Christmas. Second, we must be prepared for His Middle coming, He comes to us here and now. And ultimately, we must be prepared for His Second Coming bringing us judgement and the prize of Victory. We really do not know when our Lord Jesus will come us. So we must be prepared always. He may be coming to us as soon as we have left this church waiting for us in the streets. He may come to us as a stranger looking for help. And even in our Eucharistic Celebration, surely he comes to us. So, we must be prepared always, let us dispose ourselves before the Holy Mass for He comes to us in the proclamation of the Word and in the breaking of the bread in the Eucharist, He comes to us. Or we might be spending too much for the external preparation for Christmas but we become too insensitive to the needs of our least brothers and sisters in our community.

As I end my sharing let me post these questions. If Jesus would come to us right now, are we prepared? Will he find a special place for him in our hearts? Jesus has come to us on the first Christmas and He was received in a manger. So, we must be prepared always, for we do not know when the Lord will come to us. So that the next time he comes and visits us, we will not receive Him anymore in a manger but in our hearts.