I rejoiced when I heard them say:
let us go to the house of the Lord. Psalm 121.
A new liturgical year has crept up on us by stealth and, what’s more, a new three year cycle has begun. Today we begin the Gospel of Matthew.
The portrait of Jesus that Matthew draws for us will reveal itself in the coming year but, for today, we are plunged into the deep end of his Gospel, and the main theme of Advent: the Second Coming of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
We must put aside images of cribs, cattle stalls and the infant Jesus because, however comforting these are, they signify a past event. Jesus’ words to us today are stark, meaningful, and apply now: Prepare yourself for my second coming. “Therefore, you too, must stand ready because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
