1st Sun Advent, 27th November, 2022

Gospel: Matthew 24:37-44  

Jesus said to his disciples:
‘As it was in Noah’s day, so will it be when the Son of Man comes. For in those days before the Flood people were eating, drinking, taking wives, taking husbands, right up to the day Noah went into the ark, and they suspected nothing till the Flood came and swept all away. It will be like this when the Son of Man comes. Then of two men in the fields one is taken, one left; of two women at the millstone grinding, one is taken, one left.

‘So stay awake, because you do not know the day when your master is coming. You may be quite sure of this that if the householder had known at what time of the night the burglar would come, he would have stayed awake and would not have allowed anyone to break through the wall of his house.
Therefore, you too must stand ready because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’

The Gospel of the Lord    Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Donal Neary S.J.
Gospel Reflections for Sundays of Year A:  Matthew
www.messenger.ie/bookshop/

Light for the journey

In faith and in hope we begin Advent this week with its first candle. With Mary and Joseph we wait for Christ. The candles are lighting the way for them - and for us! The coming light of Jesus lights both our waiting and our journey in life. May it shine the light of Christ into the darknesses of the year since last Christmas - bereavement, illness, depression, disappointments?

We prepare best for Christmas by spreading this light. The way to celebrate Christmas is rooted in our following of the gospel. Among our ways are care for the poor, some daily prayer, and the wish to forgive and be forgiven.

All the different images of Christmas prepare us for this birth
- the carols we hear and sing,
- the lights in the streets,
- the star over the church and the ways we pray with anticipation and remem­ber other Christmas days with joy.

Everything of this month can remind us of God. The Christ­mas trees, lights, cards, carols, parties, Santa hats, the houses lit up with reindeer and all the things we see about Christmas, all remind us that God is near.

We welcome this light in the spirit of Pope Francis:
'Those who have opened their hearts to God's love, heard his voice and re­ceived his light, cannot keep this gift to themselves.
Since faith is hearing and seeing, it is also handed on as word and light' (The Light of Faith, 37).

Spend a little time this Advent to remember some people or family memories that make you grateful for Christmas. Thank God for these in your own world.

Come, Lord Jesus.
Come into our world of gold and grey,
which needs you badly.

Gospel and Gosple Reflection are taken from  Mass Readings and Sunday Homily - Catholicireland.net