November 30, 2025, First Sunday in Advent Lectionary #1: Matthew 24:37-44
Scripture:
Jesus said to his disciples: “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. In those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark. They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away.
So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man. 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.
Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of the night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
Reflection:
Everybody loves a little attention. The “good mornings” we say to people are expressions of regard more than a wish. By saying “good morning,” “good evening,” I acknowledge a presence. Indeed, being ignored is undoubtedly one of life’s unforgettable experiences. It is worse than being hated; at least when people hate you, they acknowledge your existence. Today’s Gospel has one passage that completely colors it: “They were totally unconcerned until the flood came and destroyed them.”
Now, we are not talking of being merely ignored or absentmindedly forgotten. This is unconcern, and total at that. It means that whoever was being overlooked and passed over was being ignored with a vengeance. What people were doing otherwise was not wrong. “Eating and drinking, marrying and being married” are good things to do. But doing them while ignoring God is the Gospel’s main reproach here.
If unconcern is so repulsive, then concern, consideration, and care must go straight to a person’s heart. We all know this is so. It is so for humans, and it is so for God, who may be almighty, completely self-sufficient, and all-knowing, yet loves consideration and concern. This may be hard to believe, but God loves to be loved by me, to be served by me. God loves my prayers, even the most selfish ones. God loves it when I pray during the day, at work, or at play; when I bring my worries, cares, sufferings, fears, and anxieties to prayer and acknowledge that God is the only one who can do anything about them, which is indeed true. God loves it when I love my neighbor, when I help him, and am present to him. The reason for this is that God is in the neighbor. The Father loves it when I forgive other people. When I do that, I voice concern for the neighbor and for him. This is a God who does not like to see me suffer, yet still wants me to offer my suffering to him because his Son suffered for me. All this is called concern.
There is much said in this reading about being “awake and watchful” because we do not know when the Lord is coming.” Being awake is like being concerned. It means being aware of the goodness God has placed within me, of the powers for good and for growth that are part of me. It means being attentive to the other and respectful of their person. It means to be especially alert to the Lord’s presence in my life, to the constant gift of God to me. I am awake when I praise him for the world within me and the world around me. I am awake when I am grateful, in particular for the Son’s coming in the Eucharist, for his consoling forgiveness of all my sins.
To do all this is to be awake, aware, alert, and ready for God’s coming. This is what it means to be totally concerned. Some call it religion. Some call it worship. Whatever we call it, God loves the attention.
La Salette Invocation:
Our Lady of La Salette, reconciler of sinners,
pray without ceasing for us who have recourse to you.
