First Sunday of Advent, Year A
The word Advent comes from the Latin adventus, meaning “coming” or “arrival.” In early Christian usage, it translated the Greek parousia, referring to Christ’s Second Coming. Over time, Advent came to encompass three “comings”
Christ’s birth in Bethlehem,
His coming into the hearts of believers
His return in glory
Although the season of advent focuses mainly on the first advent mentioned above, the gospel for the first Sunday of advent in year A, mainly focuses on the third and final advent of the Lord.
Two times of turmoil are involved in our reading. Firstly, there is the ending of a world, that of temple centered Judaism which Jesus predicted in the 30s and which was fulfilled in 70 AD when the Romans destroyed not only the temple but also Jerusalem. Arguably Jesus saw it as a dress rehearsal for another time of great turmoil which would mark the ending of the world as we know it. Jesus said that although the end times would occur in God’s good time, there was no point on speculating about when it might occur because neither Jesus nor the angels knew. The exact time was only known to God the Father. That said, believers live in the last phase in history and should be ready and waiting for the end times, lest they be caught unawares like the people in the time of Noah. Although he prepared for the coming flood by building the ark, his fellow citizens were more interested in the affairs of this world and paid little attention to God or the things of God. Just as those people were caught unprepared for the great flood, so many people will be ill prepared to cope with the end times.
Matthew talks about “Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left.” Some Protestants say that the gospel is talking about the rapture. The “rapture” is a belief especially within evangelical and dispensational traditions—that Jesus will return to “catch up” believers into heaven, either before, during, or after a period of tribulation preceding the final judgment. Another text they refer to in support of their belief is 1 Thess 4:17, which says: “Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air…” Catholics do not accept this interpretation which did not exist in early Christianity. Catholics affirm the truth of Christ’s return and the resurrection of the dead, but they interpret Paul’s words—“caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air”—as referring to the definitive Second Coming, not a secret or separate event before a tribulation. What Matthew and the liturgy want to get across is the importance of being prepared for the second coming.
The gospel reading ends with a surprising image. It seems to compare Jesus to a burglar who unexpectedly breaks into a person’s home during the night, when he or she least expects it, thereby catching them unawares. This is a point that is adverted to on a number of occasions in the scriptures, e.g., “you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” (1 Thess 5:2) and “the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare” (2 Pt 3:10).
While the gospel refers to the end of the world, it is important to accept the fact that our own personal life will inevitably end at an indeterminate time. As a result, we need to live each day as if it was our last. When we die, we will face the particular judgement by God and receive our eternal destiny—either heaven (immediately or through purgatory) or hell—based on our faith and the state of our soul as a result of living in a state of grace, trusting in Christ’s mercy, and cultivating daily habits of faith, repentance, and love. It’s not about fear, but about being spiritually awake and prepared to meet God at any moment.
