Catechism Links
CCC 668-677, 769: the final tribulation and Christ’s return in glory
CCC 451, 671, 1130, 1403, 2817: “Come, Lord Jesus!”
CCC 2729-2733: humble vigilance of heart
CCC Cross Reference:
Is 2:2-5 762; Is 2:2-4 64; Is 2:4 2317
Rom 12-15 1454, 1971
Mt 1:16 437
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Reading 1
Is 2:1-5
This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz,
saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In days to come,
the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest mountain
and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it;
many peoples shall come and say:
“Come, let us climb the Lord’s mountain,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may instruct us in his ways,
and we may walk in his paths.”
For from Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and impose terms on many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks;
one nation shall not raise the sword against another,
nor shall they train for war again.
O house of Jacob, come,
let us walk in the light of the Lord!
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 122: 1-2, 3-4, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the Lord.”
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
May those who love you prosper!
May peace be within your walls,
prosperity in your buildings.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Because of my brothers and friends
I will say, “Peace be within you!”
Because of the house of the Lord, our God,
I will pray for your good.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Reading II
Rom 13:11-14
Brothers and sisters:
You know the time;
it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep.
For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed;
the night is advanced, the day is at hand.
Let us then throw off the works of darkness
and put on the armor of light;
let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day,
not in orgies and drunkenness,
not in promiscuity and lust,
not in rivalry and jealousy.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.
Gospel
Mt 24:37-44
Jesus said to his disciples:
“As it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
In those days before the flood,
they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage,
up to the day that Noah entered the ark.
They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away.
So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man.
Two men will be out in the field;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Two women will be grinding at the mill;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Therefore, stay awake!
For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.
Be sure of this: if the master of the house
had known the hour of night when the thief was coming,
he would have stayed awake
and not let his house be broken into.
So too, you also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First reading Isaiah 2:1 – 5
The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In the days to come
the mountain of the Temple of the Lord
shall tower above the mountains
and be lifted higher than the hills.
All the nations will stream to it,
peoples without number will come to it; and they will say:
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the Temple of the God of Jacob
that he may teach us his ways
so that we may walk in his paths;
since the Law will go out from Zion,
and the oracle of the Lord from Jerusalem’.
He will wield authority over the nations
and adjudicate between many peoples;
these will hammer their swords into ploughshares,
their spears into sickles.
Nation will not lift sword against nation,
there will be no more training for war.
O House of Jacob, come,
let us walk in the light of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm:: Psalm 121:1-2,4-5,6-9
I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’
I rejoiced when I heard them say:
‘Let us go to God’s house.’
And now our feet are standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’
It is there that the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord.
For Israel’s law it is,
there to praise the Lord’s name.
There were set the thrones of judgement
of the house of David.
I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’
For the peace of Jerusalem pray:
‘Peace be to your homes!
May peace reign in your walls,
in your palaces, peace!’
I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’
For love of my brethren and friends
I say: ‘Peace upon you!’
For love of the house of the Lord
I will ask for your good.
I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’
Second reading Romans 13:11-14
Besides, you know ‘the time’ has come: you must wake up now: our salvation is even nearer than it was when we were converted. The night is almost over, it will be daylight soon – let us give up all the things we prefer to do under cover of the dark; let us arm ourselves and appear in the light. Let us live decently as people do in the daytime: no drunken orgies, no promiscuity or licentiousness, and no wrangling or jealousy. Let your armor be the Lord Jesus Christ; forget about satisfying your bodies with all their cravings.
Gospel Matthew 24:37 – 44
Jesus said, ‘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.’
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
1st Sunday of Advent (Year 1, Cycle A)
From: Isaiah 2:1-5
The Glory of Zion and Peace Among the Nations
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[1] The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
[2] It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, [3] and many peoples shall come, and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. [4] He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. [5] O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.
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Commentary:
2:1-4:6. This section opens with a new "dispute" ("rib") in which we find echoes of the teaching about the "day of the Lord" (2:12; cf. Amos 5:18-20). Previously, the people were accused of forsaking God (cf. 1:2-3); now we are told why God has forsaken them (cf. 2:6): it was on account of their arrogance and their idolatry (cf. 2:6-4:1). However, it is not really the case that God has forsaken his people; his "forsaking" them is a way of describing the punishment he inflicts on them on account of their sins. When the Lord's sentence is revealed, human arrogance will be brought low, and the Lord will be exalted (cf. 2:9, 11, 17).
Oracles about the splendor that will be Zion's on that day introduce (cf. 2:1-5) and round off (4:2-6) this "dispute".
2:1-5. Despite the sins of the people and the disastrous situation in Judah that is described in this first part of the book, from the very start a glimmer of hope is provided in this vision of messianic and eschatological restoration which shows that the salvation of the world centers on Zion, "the mountain of the Lord", that is, Jerusalem.
All the nations will converge on the holy city, but not to despoil it of ts wealth: they will come in peace to hearken to the word of the Lord and receive instruction in his law. This note of hope, struck, strategically, at the very start of the book, and at its end (66:18-24), constitutes one of its most important messages.
The poem in vv. 2-5 (found also, with slight variations, in Micah4:1-3) links the Law with the temple, the spiritual center of Jerusalem after the national reconstruction that took place when the exiles returned from Babylon.
In contrast with the strife and desolation that sin brings in its wake (cf. 1:2-9), peace is the outcome of reverence for God and readiness to obey his precepts, of the practice of virtue and of love of neighbor. The weapons of war become tools for development and agriculture: "Insofar as men are sinful, the threat of war hangs over them, and hang over them it will until the return of Christ. But insofar as men vanquish sin by a union of love, they will vanquish violence as
well and make these words come true: 'They shall turn their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into sickles. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more' (Is 2:4)" ("Gaudium Et Spes", 78).
These words of Isaiah announcing God's salvific intervention in the fullness of time will come true with the birth of Christ, who will open up an era of perfect peace and reconciliation. The Church uses this text in the liturgy of the first Sunday in Advent, encouraging us to look forward to the second coming of Christ as we prepare to recall his first coming at Christmas.
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From: Romans 13:11-14
Love, the Fulfilling of the Law (Continuation)
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[11] Besides this you know what hour it is, how it is full time now for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed; [12] the night is far gone, the day is at hand. Let us then cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; [13] let us conduct ourselves becomingly as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy. [14] But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
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Commentary:
11-14. The Church uses this inspired text in the liturgy of Advent to help us pre- pare for the coming of the Lord. Christ came into the world by his Incarnation; he also comes to souls through grace; and at the end of time he will come as Judge. Rising like the sun, he dispelled the darkness when he came into the world, and he continues to dispel whatever darkness remains in souls the more he obtains mastery over the hearts of men.
13-14. Souls who have become members of the Church through Baptism are always in need of conversion to a new life. Sometimes God uses Sacred Scripture to awaken people from their spiritual lethargy. In fact, he used these particular words of Scripture to move the heart of St Augustine and have him take the last step towards casting off the attachments of the flesh. "I felt myself still enslaved by my iniquities, and therefore did I groan to myself, 'How long? How long must I continue saying Tomorrow, tomorrow? Why not now? Why not, at one instant, make an end of all uncleanness?' [...] And behold I heard a voice, like that of a child in the house next door, repeating in a sing-song tone, 'Take up and read. Take up and read' [...]. I rose up [...] and returned to where I had left the book of the Apostle; I took it quickly into my hand, opened it and read in silence the first passage on which my eye happened to fall." Having transcribed the verses we are now commenting, Augustine continues: "I read no further, nor was there any need to; for with the end of this sentence, as by a clear and constant light infused into my heart, the darkness of all former doubts was immediately driven away" ("Confessions", VII, 12, 28-29).
14. All Christians "put on" Christ in Baptism (cf. Gal 3:27). Starting with this initial configuration to Christ, they are steadily transformed into him by frequent reception of the sacraments, particularly the sacrament of Penance. "'"Induimini Dominum Iesum Christum". Put on the Lord Jesus Christ', says St Paul to the Romans. It is in the Sacrament of Penance that you and I put on Jesus Christ and his merits" (St. J. Escriva, "The Way", 310).
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From: Matthew 24:37-44
The Time of the Second Coming of Christ and of the Last Judgment
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(Jesus said to his disciples,) [37] "As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of man. [38] For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, [39] and they did not know until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of man. [40] Then two men will be in the field; one is taken and one is left. [41] Two women will be grinding at the mill; one is taken and one is left.
Vigilance. The Faithful Servant
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[42] "Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. [43] But know this, that if the householder had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched and would not have let his house be broken into. [44] Therefore you also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
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Commentary:
37-39. In a few strokes our Lord sketches man's perennial insensitivity and carelessness towards the things of God. Man thinks it is more important to eat and drink, to find a husband or wife; but if that is his attitude he is forgetting about the most important thing -- eternal life. Our Lord also foretells that the end of the world will be like the great flood; the Son of man's second coming will happen unexpectedly, taking people by surprise, whether they are doing good or evil.
40. It is in the context of the ordinary affairs of life -- farmwork, housework, etc. -- that God calls man, and man responds: that is where his eternal happiness or eternal punishment is decided. To be saved, one does not need to meet any special conditions, or to be in a special position in life: one simply has to be faithful to the Lord in the middle of ordinary everyday affairs.
42. Jesus himself draws from this revelation about the future the practical moral that a Christian needs to be on the watch, living each day as if it were his last.
The important thing is not to be speculating about when these events will happen and what form they will take, but to live in such a way that they find us in the state of grace.
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.
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