1st Sunday of Advent Year B - 3/12/2023 - Gospel: Mk 13: 33-37
Watchfulness
The Feasts of Christmas and Easter are inseparable. Without Christmas, there is no Easter, and Easter confirms God's angelic message that Jesus is God- Incarnate. At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Jesus. A new life is given to the world. Through Easter, Jesus extends his new life to those who have faith in him. He came to the world to live amongst us, to teach us about God's bounty love. He rescues us from the power of sin, and death and finally leads us to our heavenly kingdom. Easter reveals God's gracious saving action: that for those who follow his way, Jesus will come again to gather and bring them to God's Kingdom.
The parable is about the second coming of Jesus. It depicts a house Master. Before going abroad, He leaves his servants to take charge of his house affairs according to the ability of each servant. The time of the Master's return is unspecified. It means He would return at anytime. The parable is about the end of time. It suggests that God alone decides how long the created things of this world will last, and when they will end. Unless they relate to God, all other created things have a time limit. The Master is going abroad by his own will. He decides when He will return. The servants' responsibility to care for God's affairs on earth has a time limit. Their responsibility is completed when they see God face to face. All created things whether they last long or short are in God's hands. We humans can prolong the life of certain things, and for a certain time, but in the end, God alone has the last word. It is also worth noting that things that are related to God will last forever. It is because God gives them life, and in God's house nothing can harm them anymore.
The return of the Master of the house is certain, but the time is unknown. It is best to carry out his orders the best that one can. Those who take it lightly will be caught off-guard. An unknown factor often creates fear, but in this case, fear only happens for those who fail to carry out the Master's expectations. Their fear at times may be dormant or sleeping, but not forever. If you are caught off-guard, there is nowhere to hide. For those who love, and trust the Master, his second coming is the source of hope and joy. They live in the hope of welcoming his return. They labour with joy because they trust the Master, and they know the Master trusts them. This certain hope; and the source of joy make their lives meaningful. They know their lives have a purpose, and that is to live for God and to actively serve God's people. The call to stay awake is the call to live a life of positive action, not an idle or passive one. It means doing something positive, good, and useful for oneself and for others. The Master expects his servant to promote, and protect human life. Because human life and God's creation are related; they are connected to each other. The universe is created for us to enjoy. Therefore, we need to care for God's creation: namely the planet, its ecology, and climate, the earth, and all things in it, because they are created for us to live and find food and enjoy life.
Love and compassion, honesty and integrity, forgiveness and prayer, are what the Master expects his servants to do daily. Through prayers, we communicate to God, and this personal relationship helps us to receive God's grace, and that strengthens our relationship with God even more. An idle life or passive actions are a waste of time and talent. It relates to death in popular culture, which are harmful to oneself and others. Death cultures reject the Christian virtues; and disobey Jesus' teaching. It is an irresponsible way of living, a short-sighted way of life. This way of living fails to see its long-term harmful effects: that life loses its purpose and that people lose eternal life. The Master says this way of life is unsuitable in God's kingdom. It is not the Master who rejects them, but they themselves who reject the Master, His message, and His people.
We pray for the wisdom to let go of worldly, ephemeral things; and hold firm to the everlasting life that God has to offer.
The parable is about the second coming of Jesus. It depicts a house Master. Before going abroad, He leaves his servants to take charge of his house affairs according to the ability of each servant. The time of the Master's return is unspecified. It means He would return at anytime. The parable is about the end of time. It suggests that God alone decides how long the created things of this world will last, and when they will end. Unless they relate to God, all other created things have a time limit. The Master is going abroad by his own will. He decides when He will return. The servants' responsibility to care for God's affairs on earth has a time limit. Their responsibility is completed when they see God face to face. All created things whether they last long or short are in God's hands. We humans can prolong the life of certain things, and for a certain time, but in the end, God alone has the last word. It is also worth noting that things that are related to God will last forever. It is because God gives them life, and in God's house nothing can harm them anymore.
The return of the Master of the house is certain, but the time is unknown. It is best to carry out his orders the best that one can. Those who take it lightly will be caught off-guard. An unknown factor often creates fear, but in this case, fear only happens for those who fail to carry out the Master's expectations. Their fear at times may be dormant or sleeping, but not forever. If you are caught off-guard, there is nowhere to hide. For those who love, and trust the Master, his second coming is the source of hope and joy. They live in the hope of welcoming his return. They labour with joy because they trust the Master, and they know the Master trusts them. This certain hope; and the source of joy make their lives meaningful. They know their lives have a purpose, and that is to live for God and to actively serve God's people. The call to stay awake is the call to live a life of positive action, not an idle or passive one. It means doing something positive, good, and useful for oneself and for others. The Master expects his servant to promote, and protect human life. Because human life and God's creation are related; they are connected to each other. The universe is created for us to enjoy. Therefore, we need to care for God's creation: namely the planet, its ecology, and climate, the earth, and all things in it, because they are created for us to live and find food and enjoy life.
Love and compassion, honesty and integrity, forgiveness and prayer, are what the Master expects his servants to do daily. Through prayers, we communicate to God, and this personal relationship helps us to receive God's grace, and that strengthens our relationship with God even more. An idle life or passive actions are a waste of time and talent. It relates to death in popular culture, which are harmful to oneself and others. Death cultures reject the Christian virtues; and disobey Jesus' teaching. It is an irresponsible way of living, a short-sighted way of life. This way of living fails to see its long-term harmful effects: that life loses its purpose and that people lose eternal life. The Master says this way of life is unsuitable in God's kingdom. It is not the Master who rejects them, but they themselves who reject the Master, His message, and His people.
We pray for the wisdom to let go of worldly, ephemeral things; and hold firm to the everlasting life that God has to offer.
Written by Fr Vũđình Tường
St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane Australia
St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane Australia
