The theme of the end times continues in today’s readings for mass. This seems a bit odd, because today is the very first day of advent and most of the secular world is already busy buying gifts and planning Christmas celebrations. In other countries, this might not be the case, but in America most people are already decorating, planning parties and buying gifts.
A really sad thing happened on the day after the Thanksgiving holiday this year in the United States. Another Wall-mart department store worker was killed when shoppers rushed in to buy the “Black Friday” sales that only lasted a few hours that morning. This is the second time a Wall-mart worker lost his life on Black Friday, due to the shoppers eagerness to get in the store before everyone else, so they could get the temporary sale price on the more expensive presents. The worker was trampled to death in the stampede of shoppers.
What does this have to do with the birth of Jesus Christ? Human greed has replaced what the birth of baby Jesus is all about. The wise men brought gifts to baby Jesus, but that wasn’t the most important thing that occurred on Christmas night. This Advent season, it would be a good thing for us to decide to focus on the real meaning of Christmas this year, instead of the expensive gifts, glitz and glamor that many people in our communities are concerned with during the Christmas season.
The scriptures for mass today, seem to be calling us to do just that. The first reading for mass today focuses on the different nations of the world. All peoples throughout the world are called to the Lord’s house, to receive instruction in his ways and to learn how to walk in his paths. It tells us the Lord will judge between the nations and it is a call for peace between the different countries in the world. The prophet Isaiah says that God calls the people of all of the nations of the world, to beat their swords into plowshares and to not train for war anymore.
The second reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Romans, implores Christians to throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. To conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not over indulging in alcohol or committing sins of the flesh. Some things never change. Many modern young adults go out on Friday and Saturday nights to drink, and sins of the flesh have become very prevalent in our society as well. Saint Paul is trying to warn all of us in advance, that Christ will come again soon and to amend our ways, but there aren’t very many young adults who will even read these words in the bible to hear this warning.
Jesus is warning us of the very same thing in today’s gospel too. Everyone was eating and drinking and partying and getting married, right up to the day that Noah entered the ark. We know that all the people on the earth died, except for Noah and his family, and that was because Noah listened to God when no one else did.
Maybe that is what we could resolve to spend some time on this advent. To create some pockets of silence and time for prayer, throughout this advent season. We do need to think of others during this holiday season, that is important, but we need to think of Jesus and our relationship with him even more. Everything else in our life flows from our relationship with the Lord.
It’s been a while since Lent, and maybe we have slipped up a little in our prayer life, going to confession, or doing acts of charity and service to others since then. Advent is the perfect opportunity to place these things first in our lives again.
Is 2: 1-5
Ps 122
Rom 13: 11-14
Mt 24: 37-41
