First Sunday of Advent

November 30, 2025

We do not know the time of Jesus’ return, we must be prepared, and we must continue to HOPE.

Matthew 24:37-44

As it was in Noah’s day, so will it be when the Son of man comes. For in those days before the Flood people were eating, drinking, taking wives, taking husbands, right up to the day Noah went into the ark, and they suspected nothing till the Flood came and swept them all away. This is what it will be like when the Son of man comes. Then of two men in the fields, one is taken, one left; of two women grinding at the mill, one is taken, one left. So stay awake, because you do not know the day when your master is coming. You may be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what time of the night the burglar would come, he would have stayed awake and would not have allowed anyone to break through the wall of his house. Therefore, you too must stand ready because the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

REFLECTIONS ON THE GOSPEL

First Impressions — 1st Sunday of Advent, Year A by Jude Siciliano

Isaiah 2: 1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13: 11-14; Matthew 24: 37-44

The passage from Isaiah today is beautiful – filled with love and hope. It sets the right tone for us as we enter the Advent season. In these days of struggle and division, Isaiah presents a vision that lifts our hearts in hope, despite our personal and worldly challenges. In his prophetic vision, Isaiah invites us to look beyond conflict to a world where peace and unity reign: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another.” This is what happens when God’s word takes root in our hearts – we turn from fear, anger, and prejudice toward compassion, reconciliation, and service. Though the fullness of God’s kingdom is not yet realized, Isaiah urges us to begin walking that path now: “Let us climb the Lord’s mountain to the house of the God of Jacob.” He invites us to live today in the light of the peace God promises. Each small act of understanding, each gesture of forgiveness, is already a step into that divine light: “O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!” Isaiah’s words are fitting for this first Sunday of Advent. He reminds us that Advent is a time of waiting and expectation – not a passive waiting, but an active and hopeful one. God desires that our lives be united, peaceful, and rooted in divine wisdom. Hearing Isaiah’s message, we long for – and begin even now to live – his vision. “In days to come, the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills.” Isaiah points to the coming of God’s kingdom – a kingdom that began with Christ’s first coming and will be fulfilled when he returns. During Advent, we renew our commitment to live the kingdom life Jesus taught us and to wait for his peace to reign fully. The prophet calls us to “beat swords into plowshares.” Advent challenges us to prepare for Christ’s coming not merely through external observances, but through inner conversion – transforming whatever is harmful or divisive into something that nurtures life. Christ came to bring long-promised peace and calls us to become signs of that peace now. Each week we will light another candle on our Advent wreath – a small sign of Christ’s light growing stronger as his coming draws near. Though we wait in darkness, we are not without light. We can name the darkness in our world and in our hearts, but we also recognize the light of Christ already guiding us—step by step, Sunday by Sunday – until his light fills the world and no shadows remain. Isaiah’s grand vision may seem at odds with Jesus’ words in Matthew, where he warns that the coming of the Son of Man will be sudden, as in the days of Noah, when people were unaware of what was coming. Isaiah’s message is full of serene hope; Matthew gives a sharp warning. Yet, they complement each other. Isaiah shows us what we are waiting for – God’s reign of peace and justice when hearts are converted and creation is healed. Matthew shows us how to wait – with alertness, readiness, and faithfulness in our ordinary lives. Jesus says that in Noah’s day people missed God’s signs because they were absorbed in daily life – eating, drinking, marrying. There is nothing wrong with those things, but amid the humdrum, we must keep our hearts awake to God. Advent calls us to do just that – to live ordinary lives with extraordinary awareness. Advent is not a season of anxious waiting, but of awakened living. If we want Isaiah’s vision of a world transformed by God’s peace, that transformation must begin within us. We prepare for Christ’s coming not by wistful gazing at the heavens, but by living each day with love, mercy, and attentiveness – walking in the light God provides, especially in our Advent Eucharists, in Scripture, and in our conversations with one another. Here is a prayer for Advent. I’m sorry I do not know the source.

Loving God, you call us in this holy season to wake from our sleep and walk in your light. You promised peace for our world and hope for our hearts. As we begin our Advent journey turn our eyes toward your coming and make us ready to welcome you in every moment of grace.

Blessing: May the God of hope fill us with peace as we await God’s coming. May God’s light guide our steps and God’s love make us one in faith and service.

Quotable

Let in the cold,
Let in the wet,
Let in the loneliness,
Let in the quick,
Let in the dead,
Let in the unpeopled skies...
Fearful is my virgin heart
And frail my virgin form,
And must I then take pity on the raging of the storm
That rose up from the great abyss
Before the earth was made,
That pours the stars in cataracts
And shakes this violent world?
Let in the fire,
Let in the power,
Let in the invading might...
Let in the wound,
Let in the pain,
Let in your child tonight.

—Kathleen Raine, “Northumbrian Sequence” COLLECTED POEMS, 1935-1980 (London: Allen and Unwin, 1981, 36-37)

Justice Bulletin Board

You know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. —Romans 13:11

Advent brings with it the spirit of watchfulness, a time of observing God’s in-breaking salvation. Are you preparing a place for God in your life in a more visible and tangible way? Are you ready to wake up and join in? If you listen to the nightly news, the world seems hopeless. Yet, we are called to be a people of hope and Advent is a time of preparation.  We prepare because we have hope in God’s love and grace at work quietly in the world. At our Door Ministry, we strive to give the people who come to see us a sense of hope. One parishioner said to me that our pledge of $200 doesn’t seem like much to help a person behind on rents that average between $1200-2200. I always think to myself, God hasn’t abandoned this person, why should our parish?  We are a parish that offers hope. I have deep gratitude for all of you that contribute to the Door Ministry. You make a difference in many lives. It is like that with all our social justice ministries here at Cathedral. If you aren’t participating in an outreach ministry, maybe this Advent would be a good time to explore where you could use your God-given talents and love to help the less fortunate. Prepare now to give the gift of yourself. As you light the first Advent candle, reflect on your need to wake up to God’s hopes for you, to be the one God created you to be, to be hope to others. Lord, sustain us on our Advent journey as we go forth to welcome the One who is to come.
Cathedral Ministries Acts & Words of Hope:
— Angel Share Tree—provide joy at Christmas
— Catholic Parish Outreach—food, clothing for infants to toddlers, assistance in warehouse
— Crafters for Christ—share your talent for making items
— Door Ministry—financial donations, light-colored hoodies in L and XL
— Habitat for Humanity—build with us on Saturdays
— Helen Wright Center, Oak City Cares & Women’s Center—more cooks or bring supplies
— Justice for Immigrants—help with legal papers, advocacy
— Laudato Si Circle—come care for our common home
— Refugee Resettlement—help families already here in USA
— Share the Blessings & Farm of the Child—ministries that help outside the USA                                                              — Walking with Moms in Need—diapers, formula, baby equipment, more parishioners to accompany pregnant women

Barbara Molinari Quinby, MPS — Director Office of Human Life, Dignity, and Justice Ministries Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, Raleigh, NC

Faith Book
Mini-reflections on the Sunday scripture readings designed for persons on the run. “Faith Book” is also brief enough to be posted in the Sunday parish bulletins people take home.

From today’s Isaiah reading:
They shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks,
one nation shall not raise the sword against another,
nor shall they train for war again.

Reflection: Peace is our prayer for ourselves, our families and our world. Isaiah calls us to a change of heart and a commitment to a new way of living. We pray with Isaiah today, asking God to fashion our hearts to the prophet’s words, so that we can put down whatever swords and spears we are carrying.

We want peace and so we ask ourselves: 
What “swords and spears” do I carry into my daily life?
How can I refashion my words and actions to bring about the peace Isaiah envisions in my world?

Commentary on Isaiah 2:1-5; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:37-44

A new year in the Church’s calendar begins today. Happy new year to all! This period is appropriately called ‘Advent’. It comes from the Latin word adventus which simply means ‘coming’.  But whose coming are we talking about? Obviously we are beginning to prepare to remember God’s coming to be a human being among us, with us and like us.  And yet, although the Scripture for today does speak of the coming of God, it makes no mention of the coming of Christ as Christmas. Actually, at this time we can speak of three comings of God. The first is when Jesus, the Son of God came to be born in the stable at Bethlehem.  But today’s Mass also speaks of the final coming of Jesus at the end of the world. And, there is still a third kind of coming we need to be aware of, namely, when God enters our lives every day. Every single experience can be an opportunity to make contact with God. And we are reminded of that ongoing contact with God especially in the celebration of the sacraments, including the Eucharist.

Preparing for the end: Today’s Mass actually says very little about the first coming of Jesus, i.e. his birth in Bethlehem.  Rather, the Scripture readings emphasise our need to prepare for the final coming of Jesus, whether that means the end of the world as we know it, or the end of our own individual lives. The First Reading invites us to go with God. It says: Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob…Of course, we know that for us, Jesus himself is the real “house [or temple] of God”. And because of that, the body of the Christian community united with Christ as its Head is also God’s Temple. And we go to him and with him:…that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths. He will show us the way for us to follow on our pilgrimage through life, the way that will lead us to meet him on that last day on earth.

A Final Coming: The Second Reading and the Gospel emphasise that we must prepare for that final coming of Jesus, whatever form it is going to take. The first coming of Jesus in Bethlehem is to help us prepare for this final coming. We really need this warning.  On the one hand, we do not like to think too much about how or when we will leave this world, but it is a fact. It is the one future fact of our lives of which we can be absolutely certain. There are people who are very afraid to die and who do not even want the subject raised. Today’s Scripture wants to remind us of the final purpose of our lives. Many of us are like the people mentioned in today’s Gospel: …in the 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…These people were doing very ordinary things—exactly the same things that we do. But they were so busy doing them that they failed to give any thought to where their lives were ultimately leading, and what was the goal of those lives. They were very busy, just like us. Maybe they were very successful, maybe they made a lot of money, maybe they made wonderful marriages and had lots of exciting experiences. But in the end, they were not ready for the most important appointment of their lives. The question is: How ready am I right now? Maybe you think: “I don’t have to worry. I had my medical check-up the other day and the doctor said I have the heart of a teenager.” But how many end up as statistics on the death toll of our roads every year? For them, death is something which happens to other people, to old and sick people. We sometimes think that the busier we are, the  better. We even like to say, “The devil finds work for idle hands to do.” We work for today, for tomorrow, for next month, for next year, for our future, for our children’s future. But what about our real future—our future with God?  What preparations are we making for that future?

One taken, one left: So the Gospel today says: Then two will be in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken, and one will be left. This could mean that one is taken away by a natural or personal disaster (an earthquake or a heart attack) and the other left untouched.  Or it could mean that God takes one away to himself and is left abandoned the other. In either event, the basic meaning is the same. Two men and two women, on the outside apparently the same, doing the same work. And yet there is an important difference between them.  One is prepared and one is not. Of course, in our daily lives we have to work, cook food, earn our living and take care of our families. But we must also prepare for the final call. That is the most basic reality of our lives. If we forget that, all our other success is actually failure. Let us remember the story of Martha and Mary. Martha was so busy about good things and concerned about taking care of others, but it was Mary who had “chosen the better part”, in touch with the centre of meaning, the Word made flesh. We do not know when the Lord will come: …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. And in many ways, it is a blessing that we do not know the day nor the hour. On the one hand, if we did know, we could be filled with a terrible anxiety knowing what the final blow was going to be or, on the other hand, we would let our lives go completely to pot knowing that we could straighten everything out at the last minute. In either case, our world would become a terrible place in which to live. So it is a question of being ready for any eventuality: …for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

How to prepare: The obvious question to ask is, How are we to prepare? St. Paul today in the Second Reading has some advice: Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us walk decently as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in illicit sex and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. There are dark areas in all of our lives—things we do, things we say, things we think, the indulging of our lower and self-centred appetites. There are things which we would not like other people to know about because they are quite wrongful. They do no good to me or to others. Instead, we need to develop our relations with God and with our brothers and sisters based on a caring and unconditional love for all.  We need to learn how to find God, to find Jesus in every person, in every experience. We need to respect every person as the image of God. We are to love our neighbours as ourselves, to love everyone just as Jesus loves us. If in our words and actions, our daily lives are full of the spirit of Jesus, then we have prepared. We do not need to be anxious about the future or what will happen to us. Concentrate on today, on the present hour, the present situation and respond to it in truth and love and the future will take care of itself. Then we do not have to fear, no matter when Jesus makes his final call. Because we know he is going to say:  “Come, my friend. I want to call you now; I want to share with you my life that never ends.” And we will respond: “Yes, Lord, I am ready. I have been waiting for you all this time.” It will be an encounter, not of strangers, but of two old friends.

PREPARATION FOR THE SESSION

Adapted from Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2025

Presence of God: Jesus, As I come to you today, fill my heart, my whole being, with the wonder of your sacred presence. Help me to become more aware of your presence in my life, and more receptive to that presence. I desire to love you as you love me. May nothing ever separate me from you. ( 1-2 minutes of silence)

Freedom: Jesus, Grant me the grace to have freedom of spirit. Keep me from being bound by desires and actions that are not good for me or others. Cleanse my heart and soul that I may live joyously in your love. ( 1-2 minutes of silence)

Consciousness: Where am I with God? With others in my life? What am I grateful for? Is there something I am sorry for, words or actions that have hurt others, and which I now regret? I take a moment to ask forgiveness of God and of those whom I have hurt. God, I give you thanks for your constant love and care for me. Keep me always aware of your presence in my life. (2-3 minutes of silence)

OPENING PRAYER

Lord make me available to your daily appearances in my life. Help me to see that you are there in the people I meet, the situations I face. Help me to live fully in the present, with an eye to the future that comes to all of us. Help me to live in the eternal now. Help me to trust in you completely.

COMPANIONS FOR THE JOURNEY

From “First Impressions” 2014, a service of the Southern Dominican Province:

The Israelites in exile had no hope for their recovery and return to Israel. The Babylonian captivity lasted for about 50 years and, judging from their present situation, the exiles had no concrete reason to hope. Despite their sins “our guilt carries us away like the wind,” Israel’s prayer recalls that God created the people “You, Lord, are our father, our redeemer who are named forever” and how once God deemed them from slavery. The prayer articulates that neither the enslaved people, nor we, can save ourselves from our present situation. The present is a period of suffering for large populations around the globe. The world can’t get better on its own. We need divine intervention: we need Advent hope, we need the coming of Christ. We can’t merely “prepare for Christmas” without that help. We need and pray for an intervention by God. We need a Messiah. The gospel is sober and leaves little doubt that the master is returning to the house to assert his authority. This passage is part of a section called “the Little Apocalypse” i.e. a miniature “revealing.” The text sets up Advent for us. We are not yet expecting the birth of the little baby Jesus, but the coming of Jesus, the master, who unexpectedly breaks into our routine in the middle of the night when we may be dozing off, or fully asleep. Our usual routine is shattered when God enters our world. In our lives we may have placed too much security on what was close at hand and seemed secure. But our accustomed world can easily collapse, like the dollar in recession. Advent asks how secure is the ground we stand on? When God enters our lives our self-sufficiency will not be enough for us. Don’t we sense that our weary and battered world is not what God has in mind for us? God has plans to bring about another world through Jesus Christ. Those who are ready and awake will know when God comes and how to respond to God’s presence. Advent awakens us to realize we have invested our treasure in the wrong places and that world must end. The master, whom we serve, is coming to help us awaken from sleep so we can put aside our false world and rebuild our house on rock. “God is faithful.” Paul’s words will accompany us through any change or adjustment we must make in our lives. This is the God Isaiah evokes as he imagines us as clay to be formed by our God, “the potter,” and reminds us, “we are all the work of your hands.” Today’s selection from Mark is a gospel for hard times. This was certainly true for the community for whom Mark wrote. To name just a few problems the early Christian community faced: Jerusalem was destroyed in the year 70; Christians were persecuted by both religious and political authorities; the new faith had torn families apart; false prophets were predicting Christ’s imminent return. Who could blame these early Christians for asking, “Where is Jesus now that we need him? Has he forgotten us? When is he going to return?” These questions we modern believers might ask when the foundations of our world are shaken by death, divorce, catastrophic illness, a child on drugs, extended unemployment etc. Hearing today’s gospel would have strengthened the faithful undergoing hard times. As difficult as their days might have been the parable would have assured them that Jesus was going to return, and would put an end to their suffering. The admonition “Be watchful! Be alert!” would influence them each day. “Perhaps this is the day Jesus is returning.” That expectation and hope would strengthen them “in the meanwhile.” What about us, all these years later? In the developed world we may not be going through what the early Christian community did in Mark’s time. But some communities in the world and individuals among us, certainly are. So many Christians and people of goodwill are experiencing uprooting with the consequent confusion and pain. We pray with the many distressed of the world today. We cling to Advent hope and trust that God holds all people in loving hands. Nothing is outside God’s concern and God can come at any moment to help us. We have a lot that distracts us in daily life and can numb us to the pain of others. Following Jesus’ mandate to “Be watchful! Be alert!” helps us stay in touch with our faith in God’s love and alert to God’s intervention in our daily lives. Staying alert helps us grow spiritually. We grow in sensitivity to the pain of others when we begin to notice what grieves them. Our staying awake and attentive to the world around us can alert us to the already-arrived and still-coming of Christ. This season has us keep watchful for Christ’s future return. Still, Advent is very much a season of the present moment because God is already in our midst and continues to stay with us. When Advent has ended we will celebrate Christ’s taking flesh among us. In the meanwhile this Eucharist helps us prepare for Christ and, with the Word, can open our eyes and ears to his presence already among us.

LIVING THE GOOD NEWS

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion? Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions which follow:

Reflection Questions:
Have you ever found yourself suddenly unprepared for something?
How did it feel?
How did it work out?
What did you learn?

Have you had an experience which made you stop and reflect on the priorities you have in your life?
Have you spent more time shaping your resume than shaping your soul?

How many of us, like the rich farmer in the gospel, live in denial and live as if our lives were forever on this earth?
Without getting lugubrious, how can we be sure that we are prepared to meet Jesus?

The world is crazy and depressing, as it was in the time of the early Church. What gives me hope?
How do I share that hope with others?

How can we “stay awake” in the present?
How can we avoid “sleepwalking” through life?
What is the role of prayer in helping us notice what is really important and frequently overlooked or ignored?

Christ has already come! how does that fact make Advent confusing for Christians?

Adapted from Walter Burghardt, S.J.: Advent is a time to remember, repent, and rehearse.
Remember: Do we remember God’s pivotal care for a people who walked in darkness? How is the world of today like the world Jesus entered 2025 years ago? How is it different?

Repent: Which actually means “change your mind --change your behavior—to rethink”. What do we in our current American society need to re-think and what changes must we make?

Rehearse: what are we as individuals and as a society going to look like when Jesus comes for us (singularly or as a group)? What preparations do we need to make and what behaviors must we mirror in order to be ready? How are you working now to make the world look like a place Jesus would want to be when He comes again?

From Father Paul Gallagher OFM:

All of creation seems to suggest that change and cycles of nature are at work all around us. Where are you most aware of those changes taking place? How do you feel about the changes that you are experiencing at this point in your life and in creation?

The historical, political and social events of the world were affecting how Matthew’s community understood their relationship to God. What are some of the events in your life, in the community, and the world that are affecting your understanding of your relationship to God and or the Church?

This gospel will be proclaimed all around the world next Sunday. How do you think people in different parts of the world will hear and react to this text? Can you think of places where they may hear this text very differently than you are hearing it?

How do you hear this gospel text? What do you think God is saying to you? How will you respond?

CLOSING PRAYER

Don’t forget to provide some prayer time at the beginning and at the end of the session (or both), allowing time to offer prayers for anyone you wish to pray for.

From Sacred Space, 2017:

Dear Jesus, I can open my heart to you. I can tell you everything that troubles me. I know you care about all the concerns in my life. Teach me to live in the knowledge that you who care for me today will care for me tomorrow and all the days of my life.

FOR THE WEEK AHEAD

Weekly Memorization: Taken from the gospel for today’s session….You must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

Meditations:

A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/Imagination:

I read Luke 12:13-21 (The Foolish Rich Man), and set the scene of the story. What is the rich man’s house like? Does he have a family? How do they live? I picture the rich man storing up his grain and goods, and imagine the effort and length of time it takes. What does he say to himself when his tasks are completed? I imagine how he feels when he learns he is going to die that night. To what people or things am I attached? What have I done to hang on to those things? How would I feel if they were taken from me by fire, earthquake, or death? What does this tell me about attachments? Both the Dali Lama and Tony DeMello, S.J. say that our attachments bring no happiness; in fact, they are a source of unhappiness. Do I agree? Why or why not?

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions:

“The way I live should be the way I look when Christ comes for me” ( Walter Burghardt)

How Christ-like am I in where I am right now and in what I do; with people whose lives I touch?
How do I handle money, power, fame?
Whom do I need to forgive?
From whom do I need forgiveness?
How do I relate to Christ who is found in the 14% of US children who live in poverty?
How do I relate to Christ who is found in those seeking refuge and asylum in my wealthy country?
How do I relate to Christ who is found in the 50% of all elderly who love on $450 a week or less, and that includes medical expenses?
Do I really believe Christ has come?

A Meditation in the Franciscan style/Action:

From Barbara Molinari Quinby, MPS, Director, Office of Human Life, Dignity, and Justice Ministries, Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral Raleigh,NC

“You know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep.” Romans 13:11

Advent brings with it the spirit of watchfulness, a time of observing God’s in-breaking salvation. Do you see God acting in quiet ways in the world? Are you preparing a place for God in your life in a more visible and tangible way? Are you ready to wake up and join in? If you listen to the nightly news, the world seems hopeless. Yet, we are called to be a people of hope and Advent is a time of preparation. We prepare because we have hope in God’s love and grace. At our Door Ministry, we strive to give the people who come to us a sense of hope. One parishioner said to me that our pledge of $100 doesn’t seem like much to help a person behind on today’s rents that are climbing. I always think to myself, God hasn’t abandoned this person, why should our parish? We are a parish that offers hope. I have deep gratitude for all of you that contribute to the Door Fund/Ministry. You make a difference in many lives. It is like that with all of our justice ministries here at Cathedral. If you aren’t participating in an outreach ministry, maybe this Advent would be a good time to explore where you could use your God-given talents and give the gift of yourself. As you light the first Advent candle, reflect on your need to wake up to God’s hopes for you; to be God’s hope to others. I ask myself what I am doing for those around me who are poor and struggling . I resolve this week to do at least one thing to bring God’s hope to someone else.

POETIC REFLECTIONS

While we all know that the world will end for us at some time or another, we often live as though this were not the case, until we can no longer do so. This cycle has been dubbed “denial, denial, denial, despair.” How does Wendell Berry capture our wish to deny our own demise?

Voices Late at Night

Until I have appeased the itch
To be a millionaire,
spare us, O Lord, and spare;
Don’t end the world until it has made me rich.

it ends in poverty

O Lord, until I come to fame,I
pray thee keep the peace;
Allay all strife, let rancor cease
Until my book may earn its due acclaim.

it ends in strife, unknown.

Since I have promised wealth to all
Bless our economy;
Preserve our incivility
and greed until votes are cast this fall.

Unknown, it ends in ruin.

Favor the world, Lord, with Thy love;
Spare us for what we’re not.
I fear They wrath, and Hell is hot;
Don’t blow Thy trumpet until I improve.

Words blaze; the trumpet sounds.

O Lord, despite our right and wrong,
let Thy daylight come down
Again on woods and field and town,
to be our daily bread and daily song.

It lives in bread and song.

—from Entries