1st Sunday of Advent (A)

Mark 13:33-37
Jesus said to his disciples: 'Be on your guard, stay awake, because you never know when the time will come. It is like a man travelling abroad: he has gone from home, and left his servants in charge, each with his own task; and he has told the doorkeeper to stay awake. So stay awake, because you do not know when the master of the house is coming, evening, midnight, cockcrow, dawn; if he comes unexpectedly, he must not find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake!'

So the wait has begun again. Year after year the journey to the 25^th of December kicks off with the first Sunday of Advent. Churches and chapels all over the place don the purple, the wreath is decorated and lit and some of the most beautiful liturgical music echoes throughout the world. Advent is a beautiful season. The Gospel is however hard hitting “Be on your guard, stay awake, because you never know when the time will come…so stay awake”

Advent prepares us for Christmas, true. Despite the activity that has become a hall mark of this time of the year, the Church invites us all to stop and think. Christ will indeed come at the end of time, but he breaks into our lives in many many ways. What are we waiting for? Christ will of course come at the end of time to judge the living and the dead and ‘all eyes will see Him.’ He comes, however, day after day in the mystery of our lives and our relationships. He comes to us in the face of friend and stranger.

A few weeks ago we celebrated the feast of St Martin of Tours – his conversion story is very well known. When he was a soldier in the Roman army, during the depth of winter he met a beggar. Feeling sorry for him he divided his great cloak, gave it to the poor man and went on his way. That night he dreamed of Christ. He saw the Lord in the face of person he helped. Christ had broken into his life and he was changed forever.

The Liturgy reminds the Church at the beginning of the season of the urgency of the Gospel. It gives us a reminder that a response to the call of the Lord cannot be put off for some future date. It is easy to say to ourselves “there is time, I will change tomorrow”. Every moment of every day gives us opportunities to meet and experience Christ. The end will come and we will see the Lord face to face; before we do, however, we will have plenty of practice. We will have our lines of greetings well learned of; for we will have met him already. If we do not recognize Him now, will we when he returns in glory?