Scripture Reflection, November 30, 2025, First Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 2:1-5 Romans 13:11-14 Matthew 24:37-44

And so it begins again. The First Sunday of Advent begins the Church’s liturgical year. We remember the coming of Jesus in time as we walk with him from his birth through his ministerial life, his death, resurrection, ascension and his life now in the community he left behind.

But our gospel reminds us that he will come again, "the coming of the Son of Man, “ at the end of time. Because we have no idea when this future event may occur, our scriptures tell us to stay awake, to be prepared. Both Paul, in our second reading, and Matthew, in the gospel, write about this end time with a sense of urgency. And it makes sense. If you don't know when something’s coming, it's best to live in a state of preparedness.

But most of us believe that this coming of the Lord at the end of time is a long way off. What gets our attention, particularly as we age, is the coming of the Lord at the end of our own life. Not at the end of time, but at the end of our time. What does preparedness look like then for us? What should we be doing while we wait for this coming?

Paul says we are to …”Put on the Lord Jesus Christ. “ This is no passive waiting. Jesus didn't spend his three years of active ministry minding his own business! If he had, he might have lived to a ripe old age as a successful carpenter. Nope, he was awake and aware of what was going on ! He took notice of the way the state and the temple hurt people, kept them poor, powerless, marginalized. Later in his gospel Matthew paints a vivid picture of Jesus’ second coming. And the chief question on Jesus’ lips then is “How did you treat your brothers and sisters?”

If then we are to ”… Put on the Lord Jesus,” how shall we spend this time we have been given?

Let us, his faithful followers, make a pact. Let us agree to not mind our own business! Let us live like we know that what happens to the veteran, the immigrant, the teenage mother and her unborn child, the homeless or disabled person… that it is all our business.

Then, when we meet Jesus again, whenever it is, we will be prepared

by: Pat Schnee, OPA