Father Rick’s Three Minute Homily for the 1st Sunday of Advent C

December 1, 2024, Luke 21: 25-28, 34-36

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120124.cfm

Be Alert – Stay Awake

Our good friend Jesus gives us some excellent advice in today’s gospel.

Be vigilant, keep your eyes open, and pay attention!

It’s excellent advice.

I remember hearing a while back about a house that burned down, and the family lost a very precious family member.

What added to the tragedy was that they had planned to install a smoke detector for two weeks but kept putting it off.

Sometimes, when things aren’t pressing or urgent, we put them off.

Some things are so important that if we put them off and lose them, we will never get them back.

Think of the things we want to do and should do and don’t:

We want to get to know family members better, but stuff keeps getting in the way.

We lose many opportunities to grow in more profound love with our spouse, children, parents, brothers, and sisters.

Think about what gets in the way of talking with the people we truly love, sitting down with them, and spending time together.

I love that Publix commercial a few years back, perhaps you’ve seen it –

the son comes in from college for Thanksgiving,

All Mom wants to do is spend some time with her son.

But other things get in the way, and he walks out the door saying, “The guys are here,” He goes out the door.

The disappointing look on Mom’s face shows the emptiness in her heart only her son can fill.

But the son comes in the door and tells Mom,” The plans have changed.”

They sat down to a piece of pie and enjoyed each other’s company.

The son didn’t miss his opportunity, and I want to say that the mom in this story is our Lord Jesus.

He keeps waiting for us to come to him.

He waits by our bedside when we wake up to say good morning.

He wants to bless us at night with a good night’s sleep.

He waits in us to fill the hearts of our family like nobody else can in this world.

Most of all, he waits every day in Holy Mass and Holy Communion to be with us all day.

And he says, “Well I know you’re working and some of you may be many of you

can’t get to be with me in Holy Communion every day.”

“So that is why I’m here waiting for you in the Tabernacle.

“There are so many important people in your life I can only love through you.

“And there are so many things I want to accomplish with you.

“Won’t you come and spend half an hour
or maybe even an hour with me in the Chapel
sometime during the day or the early evening?

“You can start at 15 minutes until we get to
now each other better.”

I want to say, “Let’s not put stuff before Jesus that will mean nothing to us in a very short time.”

Sure, it will take sacrifice.

It is better to sacrifice some “thing.” than Jesus.

He has a much better payoff, and it lasts and lasts and lasts, longer than the Energizer Bunny.

With Jesus we can get over the stuff that comes up all the time so we can spend a little quality time with the people we deeply love.

Let’s not put off getting that smoke detector when we can.

When we spend some quality time with Jesus and our families spend some quality time with him, especially before the Blessed Sacrament, he won’t put out a fire; he will light a fire in our hearts as he said in the gospel,

” How I wish it were ablaze!” (Luke 12:49.)

This advent lets us focus on what’s most important in our lives.

The catchphrase, stay awake! Don’t get drowsy for Jesus and others!