First Reading - Isaiah 2:1-5
Second Reading - Romans 13:11-14
Gospel - Matthew 24:37-44
Isaiah begins with a vision that lifts our eyes: a world journeying toward God. People from every nation streaming to the mountain of the Lord, seeking His wisdom, longing for His peace. It’s a picture of humanity at its best—choosing light over darkness, choosing unity over division, choosing God’s ways over destructive paths. Isaiah is reminding us that God’s dream for the world is not chaos but peace, not confusion but clarity, not violence but transformation. And that vision is not just for the distant future—it is a direction for how we are meant to live today.
Paul builds on this by sounding an alarm of hope: “It is time to wake from sleep.” He isn’t talking about waking from physical sleep, but from spiritual drowsiness—the kind that settles in when faith becomes routine or when worries weigh us down. Paul urges us to shake off the habits, attitudes, and distractions that dim our love for God. Instead, he invites us to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ,” meaning: let Christ’s way of living shape our own choices, our relationships, and our daily priorities. Paul is calling us to a renewed intentionality—a fresh start.
Then Jesus completes the message. He speaks of His coming with the example of people in Noah’s time. They were busy with the ordinary things of life—eating, drinking, planning their days. None of these were wrong. But they lived without awareness, without reflection, without considering where their lives were heading. Jesus is inviting us to live differently—not anxiously, but consciously; not distracted, but intentional. “Stay awake,” He says. Be attentive. Live with purpose. Don’t let life simply happen to you—walk through it with a heart aligned to God.
Dear friends, the readings tell us: Lift your eyes. Wake up. Stay mindful.
God is moving. His kingdom is near. And you are meant to live your life with purpose and hope.
Practically, this means noticing God in the small spaces of our day—in how we speak, how we listen, how we forgive, how we choose patience over frustration, generosity over self-focus, prayer over worry. It means being honest with ourselves about what dulls our spirit and taking steps to reconnect with what truly matters. It means letting God’s vision shape our vision—our choices, our attitudes, our relationships.
Spiritually awake people live differently. They see opportunities to serve where others see inconveniences. They bring peace where others bring tension. They encourage, uplift, and notice the needs around them. They carry hope—not because life is easy, but because they are rooted in something deeper.
As Advent begins, God invites us to this awakening. Not out of fear of missing something, but because He wants our lives to be full, meaningful, and aligned with His grace.
So today, we ask for the courage to wake up where we’ve grown numb, to walk in the light where we’ve settled for shadows, and to stay alert not out of fear, but out of love.
May this season open our eyes, deepen our hearts, and renew our desire to walk in the light of the Lord.
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