This Sunday marks the First Sunday of Advent, which not only marks the beginning of the Season of Advent, the time of preparation for the upcoming celebration of Christmas, but also the beginning of the new liturgical year.

As we begin this new time and season, all of us are reminded to prepare for the joyful celebration of Christmas, wherein we should renew our determination and commitment to live our lives in a manner that is truly pleasing to God and worthy of Him.

As we begin this new liturgical year, our mindset should be on improving and not remaining in the same way we have been doing things all this time, especially if we have been distant from God.

The Lord reassures us, His people, to remain faithful to Him, that we put our trust and faith in Him.

We focus ourselves on following and obeying God because God, who is always faithful and loving to all those who are true to Him, will reward and guide us to the right path, to the path of vindication and fulfilment. 

The Lord was always with His people, even in their darkest and most difficult moments, and the time of His renewal would eventually come. The people really need to put their faith and trust in their Lord and Master instead of continuing with their rebellion and disobedience.

And God Himself revealed that He would gather all the nations and peoples, and that His salvation and grace would not be limited to the Israelites, as ultimately, all the children of mankind are precious, beloved and dear to the Lord. 

Through Israel as the first example, ultimately, all the people of all the nations would be gathered together to praise the Lord their God, and all the people would be called to come to the Presence of God, to be reconciled and reunited once again with their most loving and compassionate God, their Creator, Who has always desired to be reunited with those whom He has created generously out of love, but who have been scattered and lost to Him due to their disobedience and sins against Him.

From our Gospel passage this Sunday, taken from the Gospel according to Saint Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we hear the similar message from the Lord Jesus telling His disciples of the certainty of what will happen one day, in the coming of God’s salvation at the end of time, the reckoning which will happen at the time of God’s choosing, when this will happen in the most unexpected of times and moments, which He likened in a simple parable and comparison, with how no one would know when a thief would break into a house, and hence, the owner of the house ought to be always vigilant, ready and prepared against all eventualities.

Greetings to P/Lt. Col. Michael John Villanueva, the new chief of the Novaliches Police Station, Quezon City Police District, NCRPO.