1st Sunday Advent A 2025

Are we ready?

It’s the first Sunday of Advent and we have been advised and even warned by Paul in Romans to wake from sleep, and by Jesus in Matthew to stay awake.

What does that mean really? Certainly we are not actually spending too much time in bed, actually sleeping. As someone getting on in age I know I am not sleeping too much for I don’t remember that last time I woke up after 5:30…with most my mornings starting closer to 4:30. And I think most of us need more sleep.

So that’s not it.

But there is a state of living where we aren’t really paying attention to what is happening in the big picture of life. We aren’t recognizing what is unfolding in the world and in our lives. In the world, because we can easily see the chasm that is growing between those who believe and those who do not. It seems more than ever in my life, I see divisions among folks that use to be able to talk about politics and religion. Your friends were your family and neighbors and who you worked with. Some shared your faith. Others might not have believed. Others were a different faith. It didn’t seem to matter before.

But today it does. And hopefully as children of God following the commandment to love others as we love ourselves we strive to reach out and find common ground. If we lived with or work with those that do not share our beliefs how better to influence them by just living and loving as Jesus taught us.

But there is also those things that are a danger to our own journey to God. There are dangers we face daily and sometimes don’t see them until we see the result. The reality is every decision we make, every step we take, every word from our mouth is either serving our mission to grow in relationship and closer to God, or it is taking us away from God.

But it isn’t always obvious. For example, I can decide to work late because there are things to be done in my business, or I can decide to make sure I spend time with my wife who I may not have seen all day. But after God she is my primary concern in life. While I may say, and it’s not untrue, that I am working longer for her, most of the time more money is not really what she needs but more of her husband. As a man in a sacramental marriage it is part of my faith to always put her ahead of mine own needs. And if I decide to work I have chosen not to follow through with promises made. But it’s easy to talk ourselves into the wrong choice.

And we are now in danger

Maybe it’s a fun evening with friends who meet to have a beer or drink. Nothing wrong with that for most people. But then maybe, we seem to regularly  drink too much. Maybe it’s just one drink. But I risk driving when I shouldn’t and that could end lives. Maybe night after night that doesn’t happen but I am Just not feeling like getting up the next day to go to mass. It’s just one Sunday, right?

Being asleep is living as if you have all the time in the world. Living like your actions don’t matter. Really, living as if you don’t matter to the kingdom of God. When we all were created to be a specific part of his kingdom..each of us were supposed to bring a light for others.

We work and play and make decisions like we have all the time in the world… time for other things. When actually time could be over for us today.

Most people today live as secular members of society who also attend Mass once a week.when we should be living as children of God, citizens of Heaven who are temporarily visiting a world we have a mission to accomplish. So everything we do and say is gauged by how it helps us live as disciples of Christ and how it helps us love God and others.Being asleep is thinking this world is the center of our universe when we heard just last week that Jesus is the king of the Universe and should be the king of our lives.

The holiday season has started and people will be enjoying the season and focusing on Jesus as he broke into our world as a babe in the manger. A warm and wonderful time. But he is still the God and man who suffered for us and died for us. Each of our sins is another lash in his scourging. Another nail in his body. Our sins are directly the reason for his wounds. He has called us to put God first in our life and to love others as we love ourselves. To love as Christ loved.

We wake up when we finally realize what this life is suppose to be about. It’s suppose to be about remembering his sacrifice for us and his love, so we strive to never sin again. That we remember who we are and the love God has for us personally.

Paul says the goal of this life isn’t about partying hard. The goal isn’t to see how many dollars we can put in our pocket, but how many people we can show what the love of God looks like.

Jesus tells us today, do not think you will have time to make changes in your life, your actions, your heart before he comes again. You and I are called to live and love for Jesus Christ every day so we know we will be ready when it’s time. This first Advent week is a good time to ask ourselves who does our life and lifestyle reflect that we worship? And then it’s time to wake up and change what needs to be changed before it’s too late.

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