November 27th 2022. First Sunday of Advent

GOSPEL: Matthew 24:37-44

Translated from a homily by Don Fabio Rosini broadcast on Vatican Radio

 

Don Fabio’s homily follows the Gospel

GOSPEL: Matthew 24, 37-44

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘As it was in Noah’s day, so will it be when the Son of Man comes. For in those days before the Flood people were eating, drinking, taking wives, taking husbands, right up to the day Noah went into the ark, and they suspected nothing till the Flood came and swept all away. It will be like this when the Son of Man comes. Then of two men in the fields one is taken, one left; of two women at the millstone grinding, one is taken, one left.

‘So stay awake, because you do not know the day when your master is coming. You may be quite sure of this that if the householder had known at what time of the night the burglar would come, he would have stayed awake and would not have allowed anyone to break through the wall of his house. Therefore, you too must stand ready because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’

The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

 

1. Does this text cause you anguish? It is only pointing out a simple truth, that one day this life will end and only that which is eternal in us will remain.

As we begin the adventure of Advent, why do we read a Gospel in which Jesus speaks of things that cause anguish? In the time of Noah, Jesus remarks, people continued eating, drinking and marrying right up to the moment of the Flood But instead of interpreting this text in an anxious way, we should consider that Advent (and this passage) are presenting us with nothing but the simple truth: man does not know how or when he will meet his end. Humanity, in general, has an erroneous way of looking at things, carrying on as if his life will never change, as if the things that he has at arm’s reach now will remain at arm’s reach. We tend to make absolutes out of the present moment, the concrete problems of today. The truth is that everything only has true sense in the light of the Lord. One day he will come and take what is of heaven, but what is not of heaven will remain here. Jesus tells us that, of two men working in the fields, one will be taken and one left. There are attitudes and things of this world that do not bring us anywhere. Those things will one day be left behind.

 

2. It is better to face up to a challenging truth than to live with a comfortable delusion. Better to realize that there is an end than to live convincing ourselves that everything is fine and will continue this way forever.

This text provides us with a very wise and important key for living our daily lives. It tells us that there is something which one day will go beyond the threshold of death, and it is to that thing only that I should devote my attention. Sometimes, in reflective moments, we ask ourselves if this thing I am doing will ever lead to anything good. In a sense, the Son of Man is passing us by at that moment and encouraging us to leave behind that which is of no eternal value. This is not a decision that should cause us anguish! It is the simple truth that we are called to make decisions based upon an eternal perspective. It is better to face up to a challenging truth than to live with a comfortable delusion. Better to realize that there is an end than to live convincing ourselves that everything is fine and will continue this way forever. For example, if there is a difficulty in the family, I might be very keen to justify myself and defend my own interests. But I really need to be aware that one day the end of my life will come and I should consider if I might one day be ashamed of my present behaviour. What does it matter if I lose this material thing? What really matters is that I have done my best to forgive my brother, to accept my father with his limits. Thus I can one day present myself before the Lord and say, “I did my best to love my brother, to honour my father”. Too often we have a myopic way of looking at reality, seeing things from a very small and limited perspective.

 

3. We tend to think we know everything and understand everything, but it is only when we look at things in the light of God and act accordingly that things ultimately will come to good fruition.

Noah is a very interesting character. He constructs a ship on the side of a mountain, far from the sea. He teaches us that we should work to construct things from a different perspective, the perspective of where things are heading. There are people who are always asking about the causes of events, and others who ask about how they will end. Noah looks at the situation around him and, inspired by the Holy Spirit and from the direct revelation of God, he knows that high waters are coming. Noah knows that one day we must confront the consequences of things. We tend to think we know everything and understand everything, but it is only when we look at things in the light of God and act accordingly that things ultimately will come to good fruition. We must seek to behave and act according to this more authentic vision. Advent encourages us to see beyond today, to look at the end of things, to have a non-infantile perspective. Children cannot see past the present moment but adults must look beyond, realising that my life will one day end and I must answer for the things that I have done. If this causes us anguish, then perhaps we have cut ourselves off from the truth, from right principles that enable us to build in a lasting way.

 

ALTERNATIVE HOMILY

In the Gospel, Jesus mentions the flood at the time of Noah. The fact is that many floods are necessary in the life of each one of us. Many things need to be washed away at regular intervals so that the Lord can enter our lives more fully and we can make a new beginning. In our society today, we are obsessed by physical beauty, nutrition, wellbeing and self-referential “romantic” relationships. If my life is of this sort, then my own ego is the master of my house. Then, when the Son of Man comes, when a crisis occurs, I will have difficulty coping. I will be like the people at the time of Noah who are swept away by the impending disaster. Jesus says, “The Son of Man is coming like a thief at a time you do not expect”. But if I make Jesus the master of my house, then he will not come like a thief. No thief steals from his own house! I am called to renounce possessions, projects, and the tyranny of my own ego. I am called to permit Jesus to be the master of my life and my world. When Jesus is master, then I am always ready to interrupt my projects or activities, to change direction and rethink my plans, in order to follow the one and only master of my life.