Reflection
“Finished or not, pass your paper!” That’s what teachers say to students at the end of the examination period. Those who still have blanks, not only on their faces but more on their test paper, hurriedly try to shade them with their final attempt at answers, mostly guesses anyway. Those that have answered completely their paper have the sense of triumph and superiority even though they’re not yet sure if they passed.
On this 1st Sunday of Advent, the words of Jesus carry with them the same sense of finality just like a teacher’s command to pass your paper. “Stay awake. Be ready. You don’t know the day or the hour the Son of Man is coming!” If you have ever tried staying awake after not having a wink the last 24 hours, it’s next to impossible. I remember attending a conference in the U.S. and arriving just two days before the said conference. The only thing I ended up doing during the afternoon sessions was keeping myself from falling down from my chair in total embarrassment! Needless to say, I was not ready for the jet lag.
The Christians during the time of St. Paul used the image of being asleep as a symbol for a sinful life, giving in to every form of selfish gratification. The opposite, therefore, to be awake, is to be faithful in one’s life to the commands of the Lord and living them out in faithful witness amidst opposition to the values of the gospel of Jesus. That is why St. Paul tells the Romans in our 2nd reading to be awake from their sleep because they not anymore a people living in darkness, without purpose or direction. They are a people who have received the light of Christ.
Response
As we begin another Advent season, we shall encounter biblical Advent personalities like the prophet Isaiah, John the Baptist and Mary, challenging us to keep awake and be ready and prepared. They all invite us to awake from the dark areas of our lives that we have overstayed and overslept in. Sometimes, we need a wake-up call from a deep, dark slumber.
The Advent season is that wake-up call we all need once in awhile because it reminds us of the important message of the coming of the Lord at the moment we least expect. The question is, are we ready for it or will we miss the chance again? When the great teacher, Jesus, says, “Finished or not, pass your papers,” will he find blank stares on our faces because we are not ready? Or will our readiness be at least a readiness to drop everything when the right time comes. The time of Advent gives us four weeks to prepare for a meaningful celebration of Christmas, the birth of Jesus in human time. Our lifetime on earth prepares us to be ready to be with God for eternity.
