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First Sunday of Advent (A)

November 30, 2025

Fr. John Colacino C.PP.S.

Introit

Collect

Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God,
the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ
with righteous deeds at his coming,
so that, gathered at his right hand,
they may be worthy to possess the heavenly kingdom.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Roman Missal; RM)

First Reading Is 2:1-5

The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2 In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. 3 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 instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; 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!

Responsorial Psalm Ps 122:1-2,3-4,4-5,6-7,8-0

R/. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Second Reading Rom 13:11-14

Brothers and sisters, 11 you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; 12 the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of light; 13 let us live honourably as in the day, not in revelling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy. 14 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Alleluia

Gospel Mt 24:37-44

Jesus spoke to his disciples: 37 “As the days of Noah were, 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 Noah entered the ark, 39 and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. 42 “Keep awake, therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 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. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”

Catena Nova

It is…Jesus Christ himself who is the source as well as the object of the liturgy; and hence the ecclesiastical year…is neither more nor less than the manifestation of Jesus Christ and His mysteries, in the Church and in the faithful soul. It is the divine cycle in which appear all the works of God, each in its turn….what the liturgical year does for the Church at large, it does also for the soul of each one of the faithful that is careful to receive the gift of God (Abbot Prosper Guéranger).

We preach not one coming only of Christ, but a second also, far more glorious than the first. The first revealed the meaning of his patient endurance; the second brings with it the crown of the divine kingdom. Generally speaking, everything that concerns our Lord Jesus Christ is twofold. His birth is twofold: one, of God before time began; the other, of the Virgin in the fullness of time. His descent is twofold: one, unperceived, like dew falling on the fleece; the other, before the eyes of all, is yet to happen. In his first coming he was wrapped in swaddling clothes in the manger. In his second coming he is clothed with light as with a garment. In his first coming he bore the cross, despising its shame; he will come a second time in glory accompanied by the hosts of angels. It is not enough for us, then, to be content with his first coming; we must wait in hope of his second coming (St. Cyril of Jerusalem).

Watch, for you do not know the day nor the hour. Like many other Scriptural texts, this admonition is addressed to all of us, though it is formulated in such a way that it would seem to concern only Christ’s immediate audience. We can all apply it to ourselves because the Last Day and the end of the world will come for each of us on the day we depart this present life. This means we must make sure we die in the state in which we wish to appear on the Day of Judgement. Bearing this in mind each of us should guard against being led astray and failing to keep watch, otherwise the day of the Lord’s return may take us unawares. If the last day of our life finds us unprepared, then we shall be unprepared on that day also. (St. Paschasius Radbertus).

You therefore, Brethren, to whom as to little children, God reveals what He has hidden from the wise and the prudent, dwell in earnest reflection upon the things that are truly salutary, and diligently seek out the reason of this season of Advent, asking namely: Who is it that is coming; whence He comes and how He comes; to what purpose; when, and where, does He come? Praiseworthy indeed is this curiosity, and most salutary: nor would the universal Church commemorate so devoutly this present time of Advent unless that there was contained within it some deep significance, some sacred mystery (St. Bernard of Clairvaux).

O my God, Word of the Father, Word made flesh. For the love of us, You assumed a mortal body in order to suffer and be immolated for us. I wish to prepare for Your coming with the burning desires of the prophets and the just who in the Old Testament sighed after You, the one Savior and Redeemer… O Lord, send Him whom You are going to send… As you have promised, come and deliver us! I want to keep Advent in my soul, that is, a continual longing and waiting for this great Mystery wherein You, O Word, become flesh to show me the abyss of Your redeeming, sanctifying mercy. O sweetest Jesus, You come to me with Your infinite love and the abundance of Your grace; You desire to engulf my soul in torrents of mercy and charity in order to draw it to You. Come, O Lord, come! I, too, wish to run to You with love, but alas! my love is so limited, weak, and imperfect! Make it strong and generous; enable me to overcome myself, so that I can give myself entirely to You (St. Teresa of Avila).

No moment, be it ever so sublime, is totally fulfilled; in fact, whenever it does seem fulfilled, it is always because it is full of promise, pointing beyond itself to what is beyond all time, to what is eternal. For the most part, however, things slip away unexplored, undone, unexhausted, unlived; beings touch and feel each other but without recognition, without penetrating one another. And what is more frightening, lovers fall apart again; they cannot maintain their love; habit and familiarity cause life to turn to stone. Time proves the most genuine avowals of faithfulness to be false. All that is transitory is shipwrecked on the sandbanks of reality, whither the waves of time draw it, to be smashed to pieces (Hans Urs von Balthasar).

Advent is the season of the secret, the secret of the growth of Christ, of divine Love growing in silence. It is the season of humility, silence, and growth. For nine months Christ grew in his Mother’s body. By his own will she formed him from herself, from the simplicity of her daily life. She had nothing to give him but herself. He asked for nothing else. She gave him herself. Working, eating, sleeping, she was forming his body from hers. His flesh and blood. From her humanity she gave him his humanity (Caryll Houselander).

Homily

St. Francis de Sales once preached an Advent sermon where he reminded his audience, “Our good is found in the present moment, which is today. Our life is the today in which we are living; who can promise oneself a tomorrow?. . . . Absolutely no one--no matter who [s]he is. Our life consists in today, in this present moment in which we are living, and we cannot promise or assure ourselves of any other than that which we now enjoy. . . . Our whole life really depends on each present moment when we hear what must be done.”

For Christians, however, the passing moment is always embedded in time made sacred by the Church’s liturgical year of seasons and feasts. We live in liturgical time and reckon our days by the liturgical calendar more than its competitors – the civil year, the academic year, the season associated with your favorite sport, and yes, the occasions marked by Hallmark. As Abbot Guéranger, the pioneer of the modern liturgical movement, reminds us: “It is…Jesus Christ himself who is the source as well as the object of the liturgy; and hence the ecclesiastical year…is neither more nor less than the manifestation of Jesus Christ and His mysteries, in the Church and in the faithful soul. It is the divine cycle in which appear all the works of God, each in its turn….what the liturgical year does for the Church at large, it does also for the soul of each one of the faithful that is careful to receive the gift of God.”

But to live these seasons and feasts well, to learn from their wisdom, and experience their power to give meaning to life, we need a certain sensitivity. We need ways to develop a sense, a feel for, the constant interplay between the rhythms of nature, the liturgy, and our own lives. We need seasonal disciplines, to imbue us with that special spirit which helps us be more conscious of the continual flow of sacred time in which we are immersed.

Advent is a case in point. It comes just as autumn gives way to winter. The blazing hues of autumn fade with each November day till before you know it, trees are barren, crisp turns to cold, daylight to twilight, and life to death. In concert with nature, Advent too speaks of a world swept by foreboding winds, turning ever colder; a world in decay, afraid of the gathering gloom, and lurking death: A world exhausted, fallen asleep -- a world in need of a Savior. Almost imperceptibly, the last weeks of Ordinary Time change their focus as one year of grace comes to an end and another begins.

Isaiah, the prophet of Advent, captures these moods of Mother Church and Mother Nature at this time of year: We have all withered like leaves, and our guilt carries us away like the wind. A late autumn, Advent mood, which might even match our own disposition, should we be weary in body or in spirit.

But the days grow shorter and darker just for a while. Come the winter solstice, they will lengthen, light returning slowly. Nature may lie dormant in seeming death, but life is just beneath the surface, awaiting the summons of a new spring -- just as somber Advent will end on a silent night when angels suddenly sing: “Glory to God in the highest, and peace to God’s people on earth.”

And while we wait for God’s promises to be fulfilled, we must be watchful, and alert -- watching for signs like those Nature gives, of winter’s approach and winter’s end. And for signs like those the Church gives: like the Advent wreath with its light increasing week by week. And, above all, the Eucharist, where Christ comes now, till he comes again in glory – all signs the day of our Lord Jesus Christ draws near. ‘Cause Christian life can never come to a standstill. It’s always in motion, going forward, day by day, and step by step, toward the reign of God. We are a pilgrim people, and our God walks with us. To stand still on this path is to risk being left behind.

This then is the mystery of Advent: looking to the past, when Christ came first, and to the future, when he will come again, but living in the present. So welcome the season. It has much to teach, and much to give. Not least of which is hope: hope that a new age will dawn on a weary world as it did on Bethlehem. In the meantime we hasten toward it with righteous deeds [so that] at his coming, [we might be] gathered at his right hand…worthy to possess the heavenly kingdom where he lives and reigns, forever and ever. Amen (cf. Collect for the First Sunday of Advent)

Intercessions (Joe Milner; The Sunday Website)

For the Church: that we may grow in our awareness of how God is fulfilling the deepest desires of our hearts, expectantly await God’s continuing work, and learn to recognize God’s presence in our lives.

For all who await God's blessings, particularly those who are pregnant, those who are separated from family or homeland, and for members of the military awaiting to return home: that God’s comforting and strengthening love will sustain them.

For freedom from fear: that we may know God’s presence with us even in times of darkness and confusion.

For leaders of nations: that their hearts may be awakened by God so that the needs for jobs, healthcare, safety and nourishment may be met for all who are in need.

For all who are ill, particularly those who are awaiting surgery: that God’s healing love will sustain and comfort them.

For the homeless and the homebound: that they may experience love and acceptance through our concern and outreach.

For all who yearn to be free and begin again, particularly those with addictions, those in abusive situations, those experiencing discrimination and persecution: that God lead them to healing and new beginnings.

For communities torn by strife and civil discord: that God will turn hearts from violence and help everyone to listen and work toward a common good.

For the gift of peace: that God will teach the hearts of all the human family so that swords may be turned into plowshares and the resources for war into resources for healing and development.

God of majesty and power, amid the clamour of our violence your Word of truth resounds; upon a world made dark by sin the Sun of Justice casts his dawning rays. Keep your household watchful and aware of the hour in which we live. Hasten the advent of that day when the sounds of war will be for ever stilled, the darkness of evil scattered, and all your children gathered into one. We ask this through Christ our Lord. (ICEL; 1998)

Offertory Chant

Offertory Hymn (Latin, ca. 7th cent)

O heavenly Word, eternal Light,
begotten of the Father's might,
who in these latter days wast born
for blessing to a world forlorn.

Pour light upon us from above,
and fire our hearts with ardent love,
that, as we hear thy truth today,
all wrong desires may burn away;

And when, as judge, thou drawest nigh
the secrets of our hearts to try,
to recompense each hidden sin
and bid the saints their reign begin.

O let us not, for evil past,
be driven from thy face at last,
but with thy saints for evermore
behold thee, love thee, and adore.

To God the Father, God the Son,

And God the Spirit, ever One,

Praise, honor, might and glory be

From age to age, eternally.

Communion Chant

Closing Hymn Text: Lawrence Tutiette (1825-1897)

O quickly come, great Judge of all,
For glorious will Your coming be.
All shadow from the truth will fall,
O come and heal that we may see!
O quickly come! for doubt and fear
Dissolve like cloud when You are near.

O quickly come, true Life of all;
Death's mighty pow'rs do still abound;
In ev'ry place sin's shadows fall,
On ev'ry heart sin's mark is found:
O quickly come! for grief and pain
Shall never cloud Your marvelous reign.

O quickly come, O come and save!
Reign all around us and within.
Let sin no more our souls enslave,
Let pain and sorrow die with sin.
O quickly come! for You alone
Can make Your scattered people one.

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