Isaiah 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!
Romans 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.
Matthew 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.”
THE COMING OF THE LIGHT: Light is perceived as an agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible. It helps the people see the way so that they may not stumble and hurt themselves. Jesus is our light because he helps us to see the direction that we ought to follow, so that we may get out of the darkness of sin. Jesus helps us not to spiritually stumble and fall into sin. The coming of Jesus into the world is perceived as the coming of light. A person who prefers Jesus to sin, prefers light to darkness. If a person prefers Jesus the light, then he or she must prepare a place for him. Jesus will only come to a place where people use the gifts God has entrusted to them well. It is a place where people drink moderately and are not involved in drunkenness. It is a place where people are not involved in rivalry and jealousy. In other words, a person who prefers Jesus the light must be vigilant. He or she must keep a careful watch for any possible danger of deeds of darkness intruding into his or her life. Without doing away with deeds of darkness like rivalry and jealous from one’s life, Jesus the light cannot come to a person.
Prayer: Let your light shine upon your people Lord.
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BE ALWAYS ON THE LOOK-OUT FOR HIM: Isaiah draws a very sanguine picture of the House of God. Here is a time that marks a sea change. He visualizes a great transformation in the attitude of the people. It’s indeed remarkable to see that they leave their warring ways and embrace peaceful means. But God invites each to be watchful. As a great season begins, this seems the abiding theme. Once, a man said that he was eager to meet God. His heart burned for a face to face meeting with Him. He travelled a lot: for several years. He visited several towns and cities. And one day, at an evening hour he found it written: “House of God”. Oh, ‘My life’s search has come to an end’. He walked up the steps to the calling bell. But there, he hesitated: just a moment. Now if I ring the bell, God will open the door from inside. He will be in front of me. Then we will talk. He will ask me questions. No. I am not ready for any questions: and he walked back.Several people put things off, telling to oneself: there is plenty of time. I can afford to relax a bit. Why all this strictures of life? Take things lightly. When man thinks he can carry on without stop his unruly ways, he is on the way to ruin. Let’s be prepared that we are not caught unawares. Let’s wait for the Lord and be prepared to meet Him face to face.
DAILY GOSPEL 