The Unexpected Hour
First Sunday of Advent
Is 2:1-5; Ps 121; Rum 13:11-14; Mt 24:37-44
The Gospel of Matthew is based on five main discourses of Jesus. The last of these speeches deals with the ‘last days’ and the ‘parousia’ of the Son of Man – i.e. the second coming of Christ at the end of time. In the Matthean text which the Church proclaims on the First Advent Sunday, the term ‘parousia’ is mentioned twice (v. 37, v. 39).
Perhaps, it seems strange that on the First Advent Sunday, the Church presents such a Gospel text for our reflection, given that Advent is a time of joyful waiting for Christmas. But the first era of ‘waiting’ (that of the Jews) is over: Jesus came 2000 years ago. Now, we – the pilgrim people of God on earth – are waiting for the ‘parousia’ as we confess in the Chrisitan Creed which we recite every Sunday during Holy Mass. In other words, we are waiting for the fulfilment of the prayer which is found in the last verse of the Bible: “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev 22:20).
Jesus speaks of the ‘parousia’ by the use of two analogies linked with Noah and the flood. The words “as … so” (in Greek: “hos … houtos”) are important key terms here. “For ‘as’ the days of Noah were, ‘so’ will be the coming of the Son of Man. For ‘as’ in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking … ‘so’ will be the coming of the Son of Man”. The point of these analogies is to drive the point home that the state of alienation of the people in Noah’s time deprived them from being aware of the tragedy that was just round the corner. The expression “they did not realize what was happening” says it all.
The Evangelist compares this situation with what will happen at the end of time, thereby switching on the red light for those to whom these words are adressed: “so too will be the coming of the Son of Man” (v.39). This will be a coming which – like the flood – will take many people by surprise! The ‘parousia’ – like the flood – will find many who “will not realize … until …” This last statement “until” is worth considering, since it reveals that they come to their senses only when it is too late!
Hence, Jesus exhorts us to “keep awake” (v.42) and “be ready” (v.44). The necessity for watchfulness endows Christians with a calling to constantly wait upon God throughout their earthly journey. For him who recognizes and accepts God’s love and loves him back in return, this advent of waiting for the parousia is not one imbued with fear, but is rather a joyful living out of a relationship of love between creature and Creator, one that is buttressed by an ardent longing for the divine Beloved, a longing which intensifies and deepens with the passage of time. In this light, the “unexpected hour” of the coming of the Son of Man would be the coronation of a life lived in intimate communion with Him whose name is Love (1 Jn 4:16).
Interpreting the theme of the “unexpected hour” on a smaller scale, induces the worthy reflection that very often, the Lord visits us at a time when we least expect him – perhaps in difficult moments or during work or while reading a book or conversing with a friend. It seems a worthy suggestion not to expect God to visit us simply during our prayer time or at sagramental celebrations, for in this way we would be limiting the Lord who can reach out to us not only through the ordinary means which he himself established (Church, sacraments, Scripture) but also through other means.
So let us “keep awake” and learn to discern the interventions of God in our personal experience … let us be watchful for his subtle loving voice hidden in the circumstances of our life history … let us “wake up from [our] sleep” (Rom 13:11) and throw ourselves lovingly on Jesus’ breast in periods of silent prayer, allowing him to “teach us his his ways [so] that we may walk in his path” (Isa 2:3).
Is 2:1-5; Ps 121; Rum 13:11-14; Mt 24:37-44
The Gospel of Matthew is based on five main discourses of Jesus. The last of these speeches deals with the ‘last days’ and the ‘parousia’ of the Son of Man – i.e. the second coming of Christ at the end of time. In the Matthean text which the Church proclaims on the First Advent Sunday, the term ‘parousia’ is mentioned twice (v. 37, v. 39).
Perhaps, it seems strange that on the First Advent Sunday, the Church presents such a Gospel text for our reflection, given that Advent is a time of joyful waiting for Christmas. But the first era of ‘waiting’ (that of the Jews) is over: Jesus came 2000 years ago. Now, we – the pilgrim people of God on earth – are waiting for the ‘parousia’ as we confess in the Chrisitan Creed which we recite every Sunday during Holy Mass. In other words, we are waiting for the fulfilment of the prayer which is found in the last verse of the Bible: “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev 22:20).
Jesus speaks of the ‘parousia’ by the use of two analogies linked with Noah and the flood. The words “as … so” (in Greek: “hos … houtos”) are important key terms here. “For ‘as’ the days of Noah were, ‘so’ will be the coming of the Son of Man. For ‘as’ in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking … ‘so’ will be the coming of the Son of Man”. The point of these analogies is to drive the point home that the state of alienation of the people in Noah’s time deprived them from being aware of the tragedy that was just round the corner. The expression “they did not realize what was happening” says it all.
The Evangelist compares this situation with what will happen at the end of time, thereby switching on the red light for those to whom these words are adressed: “so too will be the coming of the Son of Man” (v.39). This will be a coming which – like the flood – will take many people by surprise! The ‘parousia’ – like the flood – will find many who “will not realize … until …” This last statement “until” is worth considering, since it reveals that they come to their senses only when it is too late!
Hence, Jesus exhorts us to “keep awake” (v.42) and “be ready” (v.44). The necessity for watchfulness endows Christians with a calling to constantly wait upon God throughout their earthly journey. For him who recognizes and accepts God’s love and loves him back in return, this advent of waiting for the parousia is not one imbued with fear, but is rather a joyful living out of a relationship of love between creature and Creator, one that is buttressed by an ardent longing for the divine Beloved, a longing which intensifies and deepens with the passage of time. In this light, the “unexpected hour” of the coming of the Son of Man would be the coronation of a life lived in intimate communion with Him whose name is Love (1 Jn 4:16).
Interpreting the theme of the “unexpected hour” on a smaller scale, induces the worthy reflection that very often, the Lord visits us at a time when we least expect him – perhaps in difficult moments or during work or while reading a book or conversing with a friend. It seems a worthy suggestion not to expect God to visit us simply during our prayer time or at sagramental celebrations, for in this way we would be limiting the Lord who can reach out to us not only through the ordinary means which he himself established (Church, sacraments, Scripture) but also through other means.
So let us “keep awake” and learn to discern the interventions of God in our personal experience … let us be watchful for his subtle loving voice hidden in the circumstances of our life history … let us “wake up from [our] sleep” (Rom 13:11) and throw ourselves lovingly on Jesus’ breast in periods of silent prayer, allowing him to “teach us his his ways [so] that we may walk in his path” (Isa 2:3).
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