The word “advent” means “coming.” It is a time to prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and to get ready for the second coming of Jesus at the end of time.

First Reading: Isaiah 2:1-5

The similarity between these verses and Micah 4:1-3 has been noted by exegetes. It suggests that there was a foundational prophecy, which led to these two formulations. It comes as a prophetic vision, not just a fortune telling. There is a symbolic significance in proclaiming a future time of peace, which is instituted by the Lord. The peace is established when people recognize honor and listen to the Word of the Lord. This is not just a statement about what Jerusalem will become. It is a challenge as to what it should be… but has not yet become!

Some scholars also suggest that this vision represented the reforms of Hezekiah, King of Judah, in centralizing worship in Jerusalem and the Temple. It may have been the historic action that inspired the insight into God’s reign over all nations and the central role of worship in the city of His presence.

When Isaiah exercised his role as a prophet of the Lord in Jerusalem, the northern Kingdom of Israel had already been overrun and led into exile by the Assyrians. The country was experiencing devastation. There was an impending sense of doom. Isaiah reminded the people that the power of the Lord extended beyond the boundaries of the Temple or even of the country. The raising of the Temple mount, which was not the highest hill in the surrounding Jerusalem countryside, indicated that it would be visible as a sign of God’s presence. The “light of the Lord” was a statement of God’s work of salvation in the midst of His people.

The adage, “swords into plowshares … spears into pruning hooks,” also appears in the Book of Micah 4:2. Its reverse, “plowshares into swords — pruning hooks into speaks,” is found in the Book of Joel 4:10. Isaiah portrays a future time when the death and destruction of warfare will be transformed into a time of planting and sufficiency for everyone. It will be a time when no hostilities will exist, because there would be no cause for them. Everyone will recognize and live under the reign of God, which will bring about peace.

When I was a student in the college seminary, I joined one of the other seminarians to go skiing in Canada. We drove north through Montreal and into the Laurentian Mountains. I noticed silver roofs, which glittered in the sun. They were the churches of the town, which was named for them — Ste. Therese, St. Jerome, Ste. Anne-Des-Lacs, and many more. The churches stood on hills with the rest of the town at their base. You could see them for miles! It was visible sign that we were in God’s country.

Second Reading: Romans 13:11-14

Paul acknowledges that the listeners are already well aware of what was asked of them. He was exhorting them to live out a life, that is open to receive the gift that is offered by God — “our salvation.” The reference to the “day is at hand” alludes to a new creation, like the work of God in Genesis 1.

Paul urges his listeners to continue their lives, transformed by faith. They were not to revert to an old way of life that ignored the coming day of the Lord. This is not the first group of people that Paul has exhorted about their practices (see 1 Corinthians 5-6). Their direction comes from Jesus Christ, not from the practices of non-believers.

It is an eschatological statement, one that affirms the goal of creation. Although it has not come yet, the certainty of its arrival should affect the daily behavior of those who wait for it. To “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” means that their behavior should not be secret. Rather, their activities before all should demonstrate their preparation and readiness for what faith promises.

Gospel: Matthew 24:37-44

The evangelist records the call of Jesus to His disciples that they are to “stay awake,” the theme for the season of Advent. This passage begins with a comment about the past. Sudden and unforeseen events can disrupt and erase the accomplishments of daily life. Jesus does not say that all the people before the Great Flood were doing something wrong. They were living out their existence. But would they have done something differently, if they knew what was coming? There is no comment about what is deserved or not deserved by the individuals.

The examples of separation, two men and two women, indicate that no one can exclude themselves from the event. Everyone will experience the separation and loss, which will occur in the ordinary course of life. The focus is on the uncertainty of the exact time. But there is something that can be done to be prepared for the coming Son of Man, Jesus Christ.

In this season of Advent, as we prepare for the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, we look at the lasting value of all the other celebrations of Christmas in our past and personal history. What is the lesson that we have already learned about Return of Christ, as we recall His first appearance among us?

Fr. Richard C. Macey is pastor of Our Lady of the Woods Parish, Woodhaven.