First Sunday of Advent: November 30, 2025
Readings: Isaiah 2:1–5; Psalm 122:1–9; Romans 13:11–14; Matthew 24:37–44
Being attentive is part and parcel of our lives. Even though we are imperfect beings yet we want to be perfect in whatever we do. Therefore, we give so much attention to simple and small details. Sometimes, in spite of giving attention to little details, we may go wrong. We may try to correct it, perhaps the next time. When guests visit us, we give our time and attention. This shows that we have time for them and appreciate their visit. It also tells us that we love them. Having concluded the ordinary liturgical year, this Sunday we begin the great Advent. It means "coming" or "arrival." Firstly, it is remembering the first coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Secondly, it is awaiting the second arrival of Jesus Christ. As we enter into the Season of Advent, we reflect on this theme of "Hope." We are getting ready to welcome Jesus amongst us with the hope that we will truly be blessed and graced. The liturgical readings help us meet our saviour with such expectations, attention and hope.
1. Advent: Gazing our eyes to the heavens
In the Gospel reading of today, Matthew 24:37–44, Jesus speaks about his second coming. His words invite his disciples to be attentive and ready for that day. Jesus speaks of the days of Noah, of ordinary people going about the ordinary rhythms of life—eating, drinking, marrying, working. Nothing dramatic, nothing sinful. Just life unfolding as usual. Yet, beneath that ordinariness, something divine was approaching, something beautiful was drawing near, and they did not recognize it.
Advent always begins in a quiet, almost mysterious way. The first Sunday of Advent does not take us to Bethlehem, nor does it speak of shepherds, angels, or a Child in a manger. Instead, Jesus invites us to lift our eyes and look toward His coming. He invites us to be attentive and awakened so that we may experience something deep and tender within our souls.
2. Advent: Seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary
Advent is essentially the quiet recognition that God often comes to us hidden within the ordinary, wrapped in the small and unnoticed movements of our days. The Lord’s coming is rarely loud; it is more like dawn breaking over a sleepy horizon. No one hears it happen—yet slowly the darkness gives way, shapes emerge, colours return, and the world looks different simply because light has touched it. God's ways are not our ways.
Jesus says, "For you do not know on which day your Lord will come." He comes to us in very unexpected moments. That is why we should be attentive, ready to notice the "silent steps of our God" in ordinary things. He comes to us in moments of unexpected peace, in the quiet courage to begin again, in the gentle healing that we did not even know was happening within us. He comes in a word that consoles, in a kindness that uplifts, in a silence that suddenly feels holy. He comes in the faces of the people who love us, and even in the strangers we might overlook.
3. Advent: Living with hope
Today's Christian is a Christian of hope. We cannot expect anything more than this. What we know of today and tomorrow is purely because of Jesus. It is he who introduced us to be people of hope. Jesus’ call to “stay awake” is not a command to live in fear or tension. It is an invitation to live with awareness, with eyes that notice grace, with hearts that are open and uncluttered. Staying awake simply means paying attention to the ways God is already walking toward us.
So, how can we connect this with our lives today? Advent is a season of tenderness and warmth, love and compassion. It is a time to pause and breathe, to let our restless hearts settle into God’s presence, to allow hope to rise quietly within us again. Perhaps we are entering this Advent with tiredness, with questions, with burdens we cannot name. Maybe our dreams have not been fulfilled, but it's time to listen to those whispers of our God, "Do not be afraid. The Lord is near."
Questions for self-reflection
- Where in my life do I need hope right now?
- How does Christ already come to me in the ordinary moments of my day?
- What small step can I take this Advent to create space for God—in silence, in prayer, in kindness, in forgiveness?
- If the Lord were to enter my life today in a new way, what would I want Him to heal, change, or renew within me?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, as I begin this season of Advent, awaken my heart to your quiet coming. Let your light enter the places within me that feel tired, anxious, or forgotten. Teach me to wait with hope and to watch with a spirit that is gentle and attentive. Help me to welcome you with a heart made simple, open, and ready for your presence. Let your nearness bring renewal to my days and peace to my spirit. Come, Lord Jesus, and be born again in my life. I make this prayer in Jesus' Holy Name, Amen.
- Fr Olvin Veigas, SJ
27 November 2025
E-mail: olvinveigas@jesuits.net
Blog: Celebrate Faith
Video: YouTube
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