Mark 13:33-37

Advent helps us to prepare ourselves to be more aware of God’s continuing presence with us. Can we accept God’s self gift? We are aware of all that is wrong with the world: be it Israel and Palestine or Russia and Ukraine, those shunned and left on the outer for whatever reason. God is there, with them. We can’t always see it. Maybe we don’t want to. God is there where and when we least expect it. So, in a special way during Advent, we wait for this God of surprises – our eyes and our hearts open for those mentioned in last week’s Gospel: the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the ill, those in prison.

Advent is also marked by waiting which explains today’s Gospel exhorting us to be watchful and alert. Waiting…it’s not something that we do well these days. We expect things to be instant – spurred on by the Internet – powered by NBN or 5G. 5 seconds to load? Too long! Those of us old enough to remember ‘dial up’ would joke that ‘www’ meant ‘world wide wait’. The further back we go in time, the less ‘instant’ things were – the further back we go in time, the more waiting was considered normal. Advent is a reminder that God reveals Godself to us in God’s time – not ours. The waiting of Advent is also characterised as preparation. I am preparing myself to recognise God. I might recognise God in a sacrament. I might recognise God in nature. This might also happen by opening my heart to those in need. It might happen by being less concerned about my own pleasure or my own needs – and being more other-focused. Thus one way we recognise the God of love is by being more truly loving.