advent Archives - Page 3 of 6 - Shepherd of Faith

The unknown day and hour is the title of today’s Gospel.

Matthew 24: 37-44

For 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 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.

stay awake

THE SECOND COMING! STAY AWAKE! The unknown day and hour! We’ve all heard it before and as faithful as we are, it’s a bit scary to hear, is it not? Today, as I read this, I thought: could it be that this “second coming” is our realization that He is always present, that He resides in our hearts? Maybe THAT’S how He is released into the world?

Could “stay awake” mean be mindful, aware and present in order to recognize that He is not “out there” somewhere but “in here” in our hearts? By staying awake we get to witness day in and day out how He is working in our lives through the good and bad.

taken/left?

“One will be taken” – could taken mean converted or awakened to the true Source of joy. “One will be left” – could left mean unmoved, unaware of God’s action and presence in their life?

I feel like this Gospel is telling us not to seek Him out there. Remain present and mindful, remain open to His promptings, trust in His timing. I recently read words from Fr. Thomas Keating that have stayed with me and help me trust more: “Let what’s happening, happen.” His plans are way better than our plans. We’ll get it eventually but we have to remain open to His life and love. Surrender and trust.

When will we arrive?

The truth is we never “arrive” in this spiritual journey. Jesus tells us so when He says: “but of that day and hour no one knows.” Two steps forward, one step back – we make some progress but it’s almost as if we’re always beginning. We “arrive” when we pass from this life and of that day and hour no one knows.

God bless you!

Please pray that I can follow through! I’ve spent the past week trying to figure out what I can do differently this Advent. I know how important preparation is to the success of one’s Advent journey. Of course, there’s the Jesse tree, which I do every year, the Advent wreath and Rejoice, my spiritual reading of choice for the season – all powerful stuff. Personally, I like change – so I’ve decided to commit to writing a daily reflection based on each day’s Gospel reading.

I can foresee how difficult this is going to be given my schedule and commitments but I firmly believe that by putting it “out there” (or here I should say) I will have no choice but to follow through on just one more commitment. It’s the accountability factor I often talk about. So wish me luck. No, better yet, pray for me and stay tuned!

But before I go, I have some last minute Advent suggestions for you:

RC Spirituality: Finding God in Unexpected Places (daily emailed reflection video, check it out here and subscribe)

World Community for Christian Contemplation – WCCM – subscribe for Advent reflections among other things

–Rejoice – Advent Meditations with Joseph (published by Ascension Press) – click here to order your copy asap. Last year I did the Advent Meditations with Mary – it did not require too much time but that didn’t make it any less powerful. This series helps get you thinking outside the box and pondering the humility and simplicity of the Holy Family.

–Parish activities – step outside your comfort zone, step away from the hustle and bustle and give yourself some time to recharge. Participate in some of the activities your parish offers for the season, I can guarantee you won’t regret it.

–Charity – Commit to at least one charitable act: purchase a toy for a child in need, donate food to a local food pantry, visit a shut in who may be lonely and craving community.

Enjoy and God bless you this Advent season and always!