A deeper Advent homily on Matthew 24: 37 – 44, urging us to stay awake for God, our children and our families. (30-11-25)
Praise be to Jesus Christ
There was a village at the foot of a quiet volcano. It had slept for so long that people almost forgot it was a volcano. Life moved peacefully. Fields were green and homes were warm. One evening an old man felt a faint trembling under his feet. The birds suddenly flew away. The animals became restless. He sensed that the mountain was giving a gentle warning. He went from house to house telling people to be careful. Many did not pay attention. They were tired from the day’s work and believed that everything would be the same tomorrow. But a few families listened and left the village before nightfall. That night the mountain woke up. Fire burst from the top, lighting up the sky. Later people understood that the signs were there, but they did not watch.
Jesus speaks to us with the same tenderness in today’s Gospel, Matthew 24:37 to 44. He reminds us how people in Noah’s time lived busy and distracted. They ate, drank and married. Everything seemed normal. But their hearts were sleeping. They did not sense the voice of God. They did not feel the need to change. They missed the signs around them. Jesus uses one strong word in today’s gospel and that word is awake. Stay awake because you do not know the day your Lord is coming.
We begin the advent today. It is a gentle tap on our shoulder. It tells us, open your eyes. Do not move through life as if every day will be the same. A person may look awake on the outside yet be deeply asleep inside. A sleeping heart ignores prayer. It ignores the quiet warnings of the Holy Spirit. It ignores the small cracks appearing in relationships. But an awake heart is sensitive. It notices when peace is leaving the home. It hears the silent cry of a family member. It senses when a wrong habit is growing within.
Today more than any time we need this awakened heart. Children are facing dangers like never before. Drug mafias are waiting like hunters for the young. Harmful content hides behind bright screens. The internet has many voices that do not come from God. It is not enough that we provide children with food, books and shelter, but we must stay awake. A parent who is awake watches where the child spends time, whom they talk to, what they see online. A small distraction can lead to a great fall if we are not alert.
Families too need this watchfulness. Even strong families can break when wounds are not healed. A small misunderstanding, if ignored, becomes a wall. Advent invites us to solve issues at the right time. It calls us to speak gently, forgive quickly and listen patiently. A sleeping heart delays love, but an awakened heart restores love before it is too late.
We see the same truth in the Old Testament. The prophets kept calling out, return to the Lord. They were like the old man warning the village. When people ignored the warnings, darkness entered their lives. And the saints too lived with a heart that was fully awake. They believed God could speak through a whisper, a hurt person, a moment of silence, even through suffering.
The first candle of Advent is the candle of hope and hope is not simply waiting. Hope is staying awake. Hope is saying, Lord, whenever you come, may you find me living with love. May you find my home in peace. May you find my heart listening.
Jesus does not want to frighten us. He wants us to live alert, loving, ready and alive. This Advent let us open our eyes, protect our children, guard our families and keep our hearts awake for the Lord who comes quietly and lovingly.
Lord Jesus, awaken my heart and keep my family safe in your love.
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God Bless…
