Jesus said to his disciples; ‘Be on guard, stay awake, because you never know when the time will come. It is like a man travelling abroad: he has gone from home and left his servants in charge, each with his own task; and he has told the doorkeeper to stay awake. So stay awake because you do not know when the master of the house is coming, evening, midnight, cockcrow, dawn; if he comes unexpectedly, he must not find you asleep. And what I say to you, I say to all: Stay awake!’ (Mark 13:33-37)

Our Advent journey begins today. “The Advent readings form a rich tapestry of images centered on the truth that God has come among us. In Advent we do not pretend that we are waiting for Jesus to be born in a stable. That happened once in history and it will not happen again. We remember that birth as we remember our own birthdays. The God who came among us is still among us. Advent’s invitation is to become aware of the all-pervading presence of the risen Jesus as Emmanuel – God among us.” (Break Open the Word. The Liturgical Commission, Brisbane.)

This week’s Gospel calls us to ‘Stay awake’, to be vigilant and attentive so that we do not miss the moment when God breaks into human history once again. The God who came among us is still among us. In Advent we train our eyes to see the reign of God more clearly so that we may be totally caught up in God’s action in the world.

We live in the ‘in between’ time – between the first and final comings of Jesus. This excerpt from the Gospel urges us to stay awake, alert, watchful and ready not only for the ‘day of the Lord’s coming’ at the end of time, but also for when the presence of God breaks in our lives and our world.

Join us in celebrating at home this Sunday using the links below.

Celebrating At Home 1st Sunday of Advent 29 November PDF
Celebrating At Home 1st Sunday of Advent 29 November EPUB

Lectio Divina for 1st Sunday of Advent 29 November PDF      
Lectio Divina for 1st Sunday of Advent 29 November Epub