“Be watchful! Be alert!” Three times in today’s Gospel passage we hear Jesus urge his disciples to be on the watch, alert to the time when he comes. This call to be on the watch, to be alert is meant for us, too, and is a very good call for us as we begin, once again, the sacred season of Advent during these stress-filled times. And, we hear in today’s gospel a short parable that emphasizes this message. It speaks of a householder who has a number of servants. As he prepares to travel abroad, he places his servants in charge of his household, each with his own work. He charges the gatekeeper, in a special way, to be on the watch. And then, Jesus instructs his disciples to be prepared lest the lord of the house find them sleeping on his return.
The Gospel passage ends with a parting warning that rings in our ears: “What I say to you, I say to all: “’Watch!’” Let’s concentrate for a moment on the gatekeeper since he gets the most explicit instruction to be on the watch. Perhaps the greatest danger facing him is not so much that he might be unable to do his job or that he may fall asleep on the job as that he may grow too accustomed to doing it that he pays it little attention. In the beginning, he may be all excited about the task. He feels honored that his boss has placed so much trust in him, protecting his house from any danger. He is conscientious and attentive to his role. It is not so much a job for him as a labor of love.
But then, time goes on and opening and shutting the gate becomes very monotonous. The novelty wears off. The daily routine takes its toll. He loses his initial ardor and love. He finds himself making excuses for not being at the gate. After all, no one has come to threaten their safety. What will the householder find when he returns, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow or in the morning? Advent is a time for us to refocus on being watchful for the coming of the Lord in our lives. Like the gatekeeper, we need to be attentive and alert for when he comes and, in the meantime, to keep our homes and hearts safe from the temptations of the world and the devil.
In today’s first reading, we hear the prophet Isaiah proclaim, “You, Lord, are our father.” More than the lord of the house in today’s Gospel, God is our loving father who has placed us in charge, each with our own work, to build up his kingdom here on earth until his son, who began this work, returns. Isaiah ends his prophecy with: “we are the clay and you the potter,” admonishing us all to acknowledge that God is forming us in his gentle but strong hands. This year, as we begin Advent in the midst of a worldwide pandemic and surrounded by uncertainty about our future in so many other ways, we need to be watchful and alert because God’s work is in the midst of this.
And, we have the occasion to experience a very different Advent, one where the routine of the season is being disturbed and we have to rethink everything from gift-giving to Christmas parties and family gatherings. This is a good year to reconsider the significance of this season of Advent. This is the Advent when we can join with the prophet Isaiah to beg God to rend the heavens and come down so that we might become mindful of God’s ways and renew our awareness of the importance of his coming in the person of his son in history and the ardor to prepare for the return of his son in glory.
We gather around our Lord’s Table here today because we believe in God who came among us to draw us back to eternal life with him in heaven. And, we believe in the final judgment. So, as we begin another liturgical year, we are given the opportunity to reflect on how well we are prepared for our Lord’s return. We hear in today’s first reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah a plaintiff yearning for the return of God. The people of that day believed that God had dwelt in their temple. But, the temple had been destroyed and the people had been exiled to Babylon. When they returned to Jerusalem, they found the temple in ruins and Isaiah is encouraging them to rebuild the temple so that God could come to live in their midst again. He is also calling them to re-establish their relationship with God. After all, they had turned from God, worshipped false gods and relied on their own strength rather than God’s – that’s why Jerusalem and its temple were destroyed in the first place! In today’s second reading, we hear St. Paul exhort the Christians in Corinth to remain firm to the end – until the time when the Lord Jesus, who truly was God in their midst, would return. The early Church experienced a critical transition from expecting the imminent return of Jesus to a more long-haul understanding of God’s plan in history. Today’s Gospel is one of many passages that speak of this delayed return of our Lord. His followers are to be alert but also busy doing their assigned tasks, building God’s kingdom. Jesus will hold everyone accountable, so stay awake and at your posts, for the Lord might come at any moment.
These next few weeks will be very busy for most of us as we prepare for Christmas in these new, uncertain times. It’s tempting to get so caught up in our fears and anxieties that we, like the ancient Israelites, forget to rely on God. But, in less than four weeks, we will celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ – God come into our midst. And, during this season we are also called to reflect on our Lord’s second coming at the end of time, when we will be judged and, if we’re ready, we will be invited to share in our master’s joy for all eternity in heaven.
What makes Advent joyful is that the reason for our watchfulness is good news, a birth announcement, new life and fresh hope for a tired, anxious world. Jesus’ birth 2,000 years ago revealed that God is with us, one of us. We are part of God’s divine plan. We watch and pray so as to be ready at all times to welcome God into our lives, for ourselves and for one another.
As we prepare to celebrate the Christmas story within a fear filled environment we cannot forget the original terror of an out-of-town couple at the 11th hour desperate to find a place to give birth to their firstborn. This story is full of the sound of hoofbeats and the clatter of swords, the murder of children, the flight into Egypt, a life of rejection and misunderstanding. But, it is ultimately a story of trusting in God and taking part in his plan for salvation.
Watch and pray. Don’t fall asleep. Don’t get caught up in fear. God may appear at any time. Blessings flow during the odd hours, the unexpected moments when storms seem to raging around us. Advent signals us to be ready. Something wonderful is about to happen.
Let us join with the Church through the ages in preparing for the coming of our Lord – in history and at the end of time! And, let us be vigilant and joyful, for he comes to bring us through the challenges of this life safely home to the Father!