Advent is a time of joyful waiting or longing for a new encounter with Christ, as we
pray, ‘come Lord Jesus’! We can look at the coming of Christ in different settings of
time! 1. Future time: it is about watchfulness and hope! In the gospel Jesus talks about
the unknown future and says be watchful, for we do not know the day of his return! As
Christians, we, in this life, are in a way in the Easter season, awaiting the return of
Christ in glory at the end times. 2. Advent is a time of reflection on the fulfillment of
God’s promises of salvation, that is the coming of Christ at first Christmas, Son of God
becoming the brother of humanity and he is ever coming or present to everyone. 3.
Advent invites us to reflect on our life in the present time; we pray and await Christ to
come renew us, transform us; we present the shape of our lives to Christ that he may
visit us, as prophet Isaiah prays in the first reading: ‘we have all withered like leaves,
blown by the wind’; the psalm says: come visit us Lord, you gather the scattered and
give life to what seem dead!
Be watchful means to protect or guard something precious in life, which is our faith and
its two dimensions: love of God and love of neighbor. We don’t know how much time
we have! What do we desire or expect our last words to be in each encounter with
others or at the end of the day: Will that be of love, care, forgiveness, reconciliation? A
young man was murdered in the street of a big city merely for asking a group of youth
why they were tormenting a elderly man. The young man’s fiancé discovers that their
whole world was dissolved. She was comforted by the thought that the last words they
had exchanged were of love and their hope for the future! Advent reminds us to live
hope filled life. Hope is Advent prayer: come Lord Jesus, that he may change our
sorrows and pain into joy and peace. This joy is in fellowship, in cherishing our
common faith; it depends on our efforts to ease each others sufferings and listen to the
cries of the helpless.
Be watchful also means to be patient. Patience is sister of hope and joy! Patience
teaches that Christ is the light that we constantly invoke to shine through the dark
clouds of daily life. Patience moves us to God’s time, to wait for him with trust. Often
we don’t see much growth in our spiritual life, change in broken relationships that we
want to repair and take back life to normal from resentments and frustrations or return
to hope. Prophet Isaiah’s lament is often our own: ‘God you are our father. Why do you
let us wander from you; you are the potter, we are the clay’; Lord restore us to peace!
Greek Novelist Kazanzakis: ‘God is potter, he works with mud’! Be alert means to take
our muddy life to God, that he may mould us into Christ-likeness! Be watchful is part of
Catholic spirituality called examination of conscience that we are asked to do at the
end of each day and that reminds us Paul’s words in Ephesians 4:26:, ‘never let the sun
set on your anger’ [everything unloving]! Let your last word each day be: come Lord
Jesus! Anchor me always in your love!