An Unexpected Hour

A Reflection on the Gospel for Sunday, November 30th, 2025:
The First Sunday of Advent

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Matthew
24:37-44

Jesus spoke to his disciples: “As the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left.
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“Keep awake, therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

At first glance, our Gospel passage for this first Sunday of Advent can be a little puzzling. Who is being “taken”? What is happening? It almost sounds like a sci-fi movie. 

On further reading and meditation, it seems like Jesus is warning us about dwelling too much on the temporal. It is easy to get fixated on to-do lists and calendar invites, especially as we near the Christmas holidays. I have struggled with time management over the last few months, being a full-time student and juggling a part-time job. But this week’s Gospel makes me reflect: “Am I ready to meet my Maker?” Or do I have countless excuses about all the things I need to finish and all the assignments I need to hand in? 

This Advent, Jesus wants to be the centre of our universe - not in a pompous way, but with the awareness that He loves us beyond our understanding and wants to spend eternity with us. Hence, we need to “keep awake.” How can we do that, you ask? We can be ready by living a sacramental life. This Advent, we can stay close to the Sacraments. Can we try and go for a few daily Masses over the next few weeks? Would it be possible to go for at least one Confession during Advent? By doing so, we can stay close to the tangible signs of grace that our Lord and Saviour has left for us by means of His Bride, the Church.

Further, let us not underestimate the power of prayer in helping us on our spiritual journey as we start Advent. Let us choose to pray before every event in our lives, big or small. Let us constantly converse with the Son of Man and tell him about the people in our lives. In other words, let us prioritise praying for others this Advent. Let us also make an effort to pray with others during this liturgical season - be it in our parishes, in our homes, or virtually. 

None of us know when we are going to meet Jesus, so let us cultivate a relationship with Him so that when He does come, we will not be taken by surprise. Much like you need to get to know someone before you marry them, let us not forget that Jesus is our Eternal Bridegroom and knowing Him will aid us in better understanding ourselves, the situations we are in, and the people in our lives. Unexpected though it may be, let us prepare for the hour when we will meet our Maker and our Bridegroom. This Advent, let us stay close to the Lord and the communities he has placed us in.

Lord Jesus, you are the Lord of my life. My schedule, my plans and my time are yours. Help me to use it so that I can get to know you better. Be with me as I journey through this Advent season. I love you, Lord. Amen.




Rebecca D'Mello