Advent is a season of promise. In today’s readings – especially the Gospel – we hear a clear call: “Stay awake!” At first, these words may sound like a warning, even a threat. But they are, in fact, an invitation. Jesus is telling us to live with hearts alive, eyes open, and souls alert to His presence. Advent is not a passive season; it is deeply active. It calls us to tune our hearts to what God is doing, so that we do not miss the quiet ways He comes to us. Because Christ rarely arrives with loud announcements. He comes in whispers. He comes in small moments of grace. He comes in opportunities to love, to forgive, to start again. He comes in the face of the person who needs our attention. And He comes in the silence of prayer, where His light slowly awakens our darkness. The danger Jesus warns us about is not that we will do something terribly wrong, but that we will simply be asleep – spiritually numb, distracted, or so caught up in the routine of life that we fail to notice God’s presence right in front of us. Someone said that the most dangerous day of our lives comes when we learn the word tomorrow. From that day we begin to put things off. On that day we begin to act as if we have plenty of time to do whatever we wish. Advent asks us to do something countercultural: to slow down while the world speeds up, to seek quiet while the world grows noisy, to make space for God while the world fills every moment with activity. This season invites us to ask ourselves:
- What in my life needs waking up?
- Where have I become complacent or spiritually drowsy?
- What longing in my heart is God trying to stir again?
Because deep down, Advent is about desire – our desire for God, and God’s even deeper desire for us. The whole story of salvation is a story of God seeking humanity, God reaching out, God coming close. Advent is the season where we open the doors of our hearts again and say, “Come, Lord Jesus.” But we do this with hope, not fear. The One who comes is not a stranger – He is our Saviour.
The One who comes does not come to judge us harshly – He comes to heal, to restore, to lift us up, to fill us with His peace. As we light the first candle of the Advent wreath today, we remember that even the smallest flame can break through the deepest darkness. Christ is that light – steadily growing, steadily coming. So let us begin this Advent with hearts awake, with hope renewed, and with a desire to welcome Christ into every corner of our lives. May this season not pass us by but truly transform us. Let us conclude with a brief prayer: Lord Jesus, you have not revealed to us when you will come. We only know that you will come. When you do come, may you find our houses swept and clean, and ready for your arrival. May you find us watching and praying ready to receive you.