Deacon Dominic Thien

BE PREPARED

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

As we end another liturgical calendar year, let us wish each other a “Happy New Year”. The Church year begins with the season of Advent, and for this year, we also mark the 60th anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Council on December 8. One of the significant works of the Vatican II Council is Lumen Gentium, and it relates to the theme of today’s gospel according to Matthew.

Matthew offers a unique perspective on Christ. He begins with a lengthy genealogy of Jesus, reminding us of his lineage to the House of David. As such, we find the Christological title, “the Son of Man”, being used 30 times. The gospel ends with the great commissioning: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit” (Mt 28:19).

There is a lot between the genealogy of Jesus and the great commissioning. On the 1st Sunday of Advent Year A, the readings highlight a theme that, while waiting for the coming of the Son of Man, the soul must be awakened from the sleepiness caused by complacency, because when the soul’s guard is down, that is when Jesus comes.

In the Gospel, Jesus warns his disciples about the dangers of complacency and letting their guard down by retelling the story of Noah and the Flood. The people in Noah’s time did not read the sign of the coming of the great flood. As such, they carried on with life’s activities in a very careless manner. God does not condemn getting married, nor eating and drinking. What Jesus emphasized is the recklessness and vices that lead to sin.

We often hear the phrase, “you only live once” or YOLO from society. It started with a rapper in 2011. Although there is a positive implication to this phrase, it is nonetheless morally misguided. It encourages people to live in the present moment without regard for any consequences. This is similar to letting down the defense of the soul, and this is why Jesus loves his disciples so much that He must warn them to be prepared.

In using the image of the master of the house and the unexpected coming of the thief, Christ did not refer to His coming as a thief to steal things that are not His. According to Origen, the thief is the Devil himself, and the house is the soul. The thief comes at an unexpected hour of the night, because the night symbolizes the darkness -- in contrast with the light produced by the Sun of righteousness or Christ. The devil wants to attack a Christian by sneaking into the soul with ideas, thoughts, and desires of the flesh. It is in times of temptation that the thief is most likely to break through the house of the soul.

St. Paul suggests to the Roman Church that the devil wants people to embrace the works of darkness, such as drunkenness, lust, and jealousy (Rom 13:12, 13), etc. Hence, the warning of Jesus to his followers is very relevant.

The relevance of Christ’s words in today’s gospel emphasizes the Advent theme of the season. The word advent (or adventum) means the coming, more specifically, the coming of the Lord. From the first reading and the gospel, this word is mentioned 7 times. It is meant to promote a spiritual advent and to promote hope and joy for the second coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of Man.

The coming of the Son of Man is twofold. According to St. Cyril of Jerusalem, “At the first coming, he was wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger. At his second coming, he will be clothed in light as in a garment.” He further explains that “The Savior will not come to be judged again, but to judge those by whom he was judged. At his own judgment, he was silent; then he would address those who committed the outrages against him when they crucified him and would remind them: You did these things, and I was silent.”

Jesus was incarnated as the Word of God made flesh. The Son of Man title reflects God and man through the hypostatic union. Christ is the Son of Man by lineage to the House of David, but He is also the Judge. Prophet Isaiah foretold this in the First reading by saying, “He shall judge between the nations, and set terms for many peoples” (Is 2:4). Thus, the certainty of His coming is definitive, but the hour is not known; only the Father knows.

Friends, every Sunday we confess our faith using the Nicene Creed. In saying “I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ” and “He will come in glory to judge the living and the dead” (Nicene Creed), we are acknowledging the second coming with hope and joy. We trust that those who “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 13:14) and who “walk in his paths” (Is 2:3) will be saved and will be part of the New Jerusalem. In this city of God, there will be no suffering, no rivalry, but only eternal peace, love, unity, and joy.

In Lumen Gentium, the dogmatic constitution of Vatican II, the Council Fathers wrote, “we are urged to live more for Him, who died for us and rose again. We strive therefore to please God in all things, and we put on the armor of God, that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil and resist in the evil day” (LG 48). Mother Church takes this stand because Christ instructs Her with “you also must be prepared” (Mt 22:44).

You prepare by being awakened, by longing for peace and joy. This is possible when you meet Christ in the sacrament of Penance to ensure the soul is the Temple of the Holy Spirit. You meet Him in the Eucharist, the sacrament of love, so that you may forgive others. The word forgive also means for the sake of Christ, I give you some of me – my heart, my prayers, my compassion, and God’s gift of resources.

As we await in Advent with hope to be in the heavenly Kingdom, may God grant us the grace to do the works of mercy, so that we will be worthy to meet Christ at His coming. Amen.