Stay Awake: A Reflection on the First Sunday of Advent - Matthew 24:37-44

Today marks the First Sunday of Advent, the beginning of a new liturgical year and a season of preparation. In the Gospel reading from Matthew, Jesus offers us a striking comparison: the coming of the Son of Man will be like the days of Noah.

In Noah's time, people were going about their ordinary lives—eating, drinking, marrying—completely unaware of the flood that was about to sweep everything away. They were not necessarily doing anything wrong; they were simply asleep to what truly mattered.

Living with Purpose

Jesus is not telling us to abandon our daily responsibilities or to live in fear. Rather, He invites us to live with awareness and intention. Two people will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women grinding meal; one taken, one left. The difference is not in what they were doing, but in how they were living.

To stay awake means to recognize that every moment matters. It means seeing the sacred in the ordinary—in our work, our relationships, our quiet moments of reflection. It means understanding that the Lord comes to us not only at the end of time, but in every encounter with love, truth, and grace.

An Advent Invitation

As we begin this Advent season, we are invited to examine our own wakefulness. Where have we grown complacent? Where have we let the routine of life lull us into spiritual drowsiness? Advent calls us back to attention, to hope, to expectation.

The image Jesus uses—a homeowner who would have stayed awake if he had known when the thief was coming—reminds us that we do not know the day or hour. But this uncertainty is not meant to frighten us. It is meant to free us to live fully in the present, ready to meet Christ whenever and however He comes.

A Prayer for This Week

Lord, as we enter this holy season of Advent, open our eyes to Your presence in our lives. Help us to stay awake, to live with intention, and to be ready to receive You in every moment. May this time of waiting deepen our faith and renew our hope. Amen.

Blessed Advent to all.