Matthew 24, 37-44:
Sunday, 27 November 2022 (1st Advent A)
“Be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect”.
There is a popular saying that “hope is the last thing to be lost”. I say it is the one thing that should never be lost. I say it with conviction from my own experience. Those who have hope live happier lives than those who live without horizons (or with only earthly horizons).
Advent is beginning, a time of waiting and hope. A time to wake up, not to fall asleep. Because Jesus came to set a project in motion (the Kingdom of God), because he continues to come to meet us (I am with you every day), and because he will come to give full fulfilment to our hope (come, blessed of my Father).
And since we know neither the day nor the hour, we must keep our eyes open. It is necessary to recognise him when he comes to each one of us, so that he does not surprise us like a thief or a flood …. At the moment when we least expect it, he can be present. Our hope will help us to recognise and welcome him, to live by his plan, and be prepared for his final coming.
And in the face of the prospects that this world offers us, we cannot forget his words: “Lift up your heads: your salvation is at hand”. May his words help us to revive our hope.
Juan Ramón Gómez Pascual, cmf
Are you willing to activate and/or care for your hope?
