Mindful and ready

 

Lectio Divina:*

Isaiah 2:1-5

Psalm 122

Romans 13:11-14

Matthew 24:37-44**

 

Meditatio:

“…Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour” (Matthew 24:44)

 

Commentary (1,082 words):

Stop.

Breathe.

Rest.

Six years ago, I wrote a blog here on the same readings for the first Sunday of Advent. Then, I reflected:

The best way to prepare for death is to live life to the full now and to live it well so that we leave a good memory and example and find our well-being in this thought.

I could not have imagined that within weeks I would be fighting for my life in a hospital emergency ward with sepsis. Thanks to the skill and speed of health professionals, I survived.

From my hospital bed, I wrote:

Rebirth at Christmas

I stared into your face, Sister Death

(My Mam and Dad were there)

You smiled back at me and said to me in that room:

“not today, Tom, your time has not yet come”.

Enveloped in love here on earth I lived to see a new dawn and continued gently on my way

carried on.

Only weeks later, the world was about to be turned upside down because of the Covid 19 epidemic. Could anyone, in December 2019, could have foreseen how it would change our lives forever? On that Advent Sunday, the gospel words could have passed us by:

Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. (Matthew 24:42)

Stop.

Breathe.

Rest.

We endured that trial for nearly two years. Many did not. Many lost loved ones. The pandemic also deepened divisions and political extremism. I believe it was not unrelated to the decision of Russia’s dictator to invade Ukraine—a war whose consequences continue today.

And now, here we are: the first day of a new Church year. A time for resolutions.

Stop.

Breathe.

Rest.

Advent is often drowned out by Yuletide lights, shopping, and parties. Yet the purpose of Advent is clear: preparation.

• The first Sunday points to Christ’s second coming.
• The second Sunday recalls John the Baptist preparing the way.
• The third Sunday—Gaudete, the Sunday of joy—continues the theme of readiness.
• The fourth Sunday brings us to the events before Jesus’ birth.

Today’s readings remind us:

• Paul writes: “…you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers (Romans 13:11).  
• Isaiah cries: “O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!” (Isaiah 2:5).  

We are in the darkest season of the year. Yet soon, days will lengthen, and green shoots will return.

Over 2,000 years ago, a light shone into the world. That light still shines today through countless witnesses to God’s love. Advent invites us to wait in prayer, repentance, and hope. Christ has come, Christ is here, and Christ will come again. Matthew’s Gospel places us at the threshold of Jesus’ final trial, where he will be revealed as Messiah. Early Christians lived with urgency, expecting the destruction of the Temple and the Second Coming within their lifetime.

Two thousand years later, we may spiritualise these words, but they remain urgent. In our own age, facing environmental crisis and geo-political upheaval, the call to vigilance and readiness is as relevant as ever.

Of course, many look forward to Christmas as a holiday: time off work, reunions, indulgence. Spiritually, though, Advent calls us to something deeper—prayer, self-denial, compassion. It is a chance to pause and notice life.

Patrick Kavanagh’s poem Advent captures this beautifully:

We have tested and tasted too much, lover-
Through a chink too wide there comes in no wonder.
But here in the Advent-darkened room
Where the dry black bread and the sugarless tea
Of penance will charm back the luxury
Of a child's soul, we'll return to Doom
The knowledge we stole but could not use.

Stop.

Breathe.

Rest.

Notice:

• your breathing
• your body
• your thoughts
• your feelings
• nature around you
• the person beside you
• the unseen, held in heart and mind

The gospel asks: Are we ready?

We can be easily distracted—by addictions, social media, endless projects. Yet Jesus reminds us:

“When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:28)

In times of uncertainty, we do well to:

• Stay grounded in the present.
• Remain steadfast in love—it is what matters most.
• Keep moving forward, even when the path seems dim.

So let this be our call across the world:

• A time for the Earth.
• A time for freedom.
• A time for forgiveness.

And if you have not yet done so:

Stop.

Breathe.

Rest.

 

Oratio

Collect of the Word for this Sunday (Church of Ireland)

Eternal God, you have taught us that the night is far spent and the day is at hand:
keep us awake and alert, watching for your kingdom, and make us strong in faith,
so that when Christ comes in glory to judge the earth, we may go out joyfully to greet him; and with all your saints, may worship you for ever; through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

 

Footnotes

*  These readings are taken from the Sunday lectionary used in most Catholic churches. The source is BibleGateway.com: A searchable online Bible in over 150 versions and 50 languages (using the New Revised Standard Version - anglicised catholic edition). Psalms in this Blog are numbered according to the Hebrew (Masoretic) text with the Greek Septuagint/Vulgate numbering in parenthesis where applicable.

**  *  A parallel Gospel reading to this passage from Matthew may be found in Mark 13:32-37  and in  Luke 17:26-37.

This Sunday marks the beginning of new ‘Church year’. The first Sunday of Advent triggers a new cycle of Sunday Gospel Readings and since this ‘year’ of 2025/26 is Year A we are back to the gospel of Matthew.