Jesus was born as a humble baby at Christmas at an inhospitable time in history. He will come again in glory, unexpectedly. Nevertheless, there will be signs of His second coming that will be discernable for the attentive person.
GOSPEL PASSAGE: Matthew 24:37-44
“For as the days of Noah were, so will be the Son of man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the Son of Man. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day the Lord is coming.
But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore, you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”
REFLECTIONS
The words of today’s Gospel start with a stern warning and reminder of the time of Noah and the flood. The image is intimidating because it talks about the end times, destruction of the old and the beginning of something new.
The paragraphs confront us with the end and with death coming at an unexpected hour. That death belongs to life is obvious, but death also is the door to a new life. People who know suffering and death know this as well: the sacrifices that we make in love never die.
In today’s Gospel Jesus evokes the anticipation of the second coming of the Messiah, which will mark the beginning of a new world. The old with its imperfection, vulnerabilities, and finiteness will pass away. The Messiah who conquered death will rule over a kingdom of everlasting peace, harmony, comfort, and joy.
We prepare for the coming of the Messiah by recognizing our littleness. We examine our ways and remove anything that distances us from experiencing God’s love.
We think of Jesus, who came into the world as a vulnerable child, to partake in our humanness in every way except sin. Jesus came into this world to show us the face of the Father, and to open a direct path to Him. In a few weeks, we will adore the baby in the manger on Christmas Eve, when we celebrate the birth of the Christ child.
What better way to prepare ourselves for this sacred time than to draw near him and wholeheartedly give him everything we have: our cares, worries, or pains, or sufferings, and trust that he will bless us with an inner joy and peace that is but a small sign of the everlasting life that is ours through Him.