First Sunday in Advent, Year A (2025) - Fr Mannes Tellis, OP

As always at the beginning of Advent we anticipate the Lord Jesus both in his coming as man at the first Christmas, and at the end of time as the mysterious Son of Man.

The first understanding is the one which is most familiar to us—we are awaiting the birth of the child in Bethlehem; it’s all cute, there are farmyard animals, simple shepherds, angels dashing all over the place, and finally the visit of the wise men from the East—it ‘s all nice—kids act it out at Mass and everyone loves it.

The second understanding of Jesus’ coming is his return to this world, not to appear as a defenceless bub, but as a discerning judge It is this Second Coming which is the focus of God’s Word to us in this weekend’s Gospel.

And we must be ready.

We never really ponder this element of our faith, the element which is summed up quite nicely in the Nicene Creed:

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

and again:

We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.

What will Jesus’ second coming be like? This question has been one which has troubled Christians from earliest days. St Paul in his first letter to the Thessalonians believed Jesus might return in his own lifetime!

Throughout history there have been many predictions about the end of the world and the second coming—and yet we are still waiting. Often, I wonder whether there is a danger that we be lulled into a false sense of security. Perhaps many of us live as if the judgment is a long way off … bad idea!

The coming of Christ, according to Jesus’ own words, will be sudden, and, worse for those who are unprepared, it will be unexpected. It might happen while we are watching the footy on TV, or when we are asleep or at work.

The underlying message is the second coming search out who has been faithful and who has not.

It is a bit like that old joke about the pope and the Vatican: The pope was told one day by one of his monsignors that Jesus was coming to the Vatican. What was the pope’s command to all the employees? Look busy! 

Our anticipation of Jesus’ coming must penetrate our often-hardened hearts; we need to be busy about looking after the state of our souls, taking care to prepare him room, to open our hearts to Jesus’ love and Jesus’ grace. If we aren’t serious about this, we are in for a shock, because Jesus’ second coming will be like that snap inspection at the Vatican. What will we do when he does come? Will we be caught unaware?

This is Jesus’ message. We are counselled to be ready; the coming will be when we least expect it; it will catch many off guard; it will catch those who have delayed making that confession; it will catch those who profess to practise the faith, but in reality, don’t.

Jesus’ second coming has, in the popular work of musicians, artists and even preachers, been depicted as an awful occasion: thunder, lightning, fire, brimstone. One need only look at Michelangelo’s painting of the last judgement in the Sistine Chapel, or listen to classical compositions of the medieval poem the dies irae, to realise that the reality of the event won’t be fun. The last judgement is serious business.

Yet, in the picture painted by the liturgy and the scriptures, the second coming is something we as Christians eagerly await. In any case, we should be always in Apocalypse mode. The event of the Apocalypse will be a vindication of our beliefs, a vindication of Christ’s reign over time and space, and a sort of setting everything in order. Justice will be meted out and everyone will get what they deserve, for good or for ill. The second coming of Jesus is the hope of the church; it is the final reckoning where true justice will be delivered, a justice no court on earth can give. Our liturgy reminds us then that we wait with blessed hope the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. If we have been faithful, we will wait with expectation for Jesus to return.

So, the message today is be ready for Christ’s return. We can achieve this by living the Christian life in all its authenticity: living the gospel, observing the commandments, doing works of charity for others, and seeking God’s forgiveness in the sacrament of penance when we fail to live lives of Christian holiness. In addition to this, devout attendance at Mass and frequent prayer signify our preparedness to encounter Christ at the end of time.

So, stay awake, because you do not know the day when your master is coming.

Fr Mannes Tellis, OP is the Parish Priest of Prospect-North Adelaide, South Australia.