Collect Series Year A: First Sunday Advent Year A

 

FIRST SUNDAY ADVENT YEAR A

The Mass: Collect Series

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

 

Welcome to Advent Year A Jesus reminds his disciples that the Second coming will be like in Noah's day- people going about their business unsuspecting of what is to come.  Advent provides us with the opportunity to refocus our attention, to jolt ourselves out of our sleepy ways and stand ready. We are preparing of course during Advent for the birth of Christ at Christmas, but Advent too is also a reminder of the final second coming of Christ.

  

COLLECT

 

All powerful God,

increase our strength of will for doing good,

that Christ may find an eager welcome at His coming

                                               and call us to His side in the kingdom of Heaven,

                                 where He lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,

                                         one God for ever and ever.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

 

Converting this prayer into spirituality in action, the following reflection questions emerged:

1.            What are my hindrances/obstacles which prevent my will from doing
          good?

2.            Name one hindrance/obstacle that I commit to change during this first
           week of Advent?

3.            What is my attitude to Christ in my life (strong? Luke-warm, care-less)

4.            What will I do this week to prepare my body, mind, heart and will to give
           Christ an eager welcome?

5.            Prepare my account of my life that I would present to God when He asks
           me to give 'an account of my life' to God? 

6.            In what ways do I hope to spiritually grow through God's grace in this
           season of Advent?

 

GOSPEL REFLECTION

 At the beginning of this liturgical year, let us spend some reflection time asking God to show us how we need to grow. Let us stay awake to God's advice and be committed throughout this year to spiritually grow in this/these area/s of our lives.  Let us be swept away with a passion and enthusiasm for our Catholic faith and stay awake to God throughout this coming year, so that we may be ready when He calls us.

 

Matthew 24:37–44

Theme: “Stay Awake, Be Ready: God’s Promises Are Being Fulfilled”

 

Setting the Scene

Jesus is speaking to His disciples in Jerusalem, just days before His Passion. He has been teaching in the Temple and warning about events to come. The Jewish people longed for the fulfilment of God’s promises — the coming of the Messiah and the fullness of God’s Kingdom.

In this passage, Jesus draws a parallel between the time of Noah and the coming of the Son of Man. People in Noah’s time were distracted — eating, drinking, marrying — unaware of what was about to unfold. Jesus uses this image to remind His followers that God’s plans often unfold quietly, even unexpectedly. The call is clear: stay awake, be ready, and live each day prepared to meet the Lord.

 

Gospel Reflection: Promises Unfolding

Advent begins with a startling message — a reminder that we live in the “already, but not yet” of God’s Kingdom. Through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, God’s promises have already been fulfilled, yet we continue to wait in hope for their complete fulfilment when Christ comes again.

The Gospel invites us into spiritual wakefulness. Being “awake” isn’t about staying physically alert but about having a heart attuned to God’s presence. It means choosing not to be lulled to sleep by routine, busyness, or worldly distractions. Jesus warns us gently that life can pull us into autopilot — but His invitation is to live with holy attentiveness.

The comparison with Noah’s time is powerful. The flood came suddenly, but those who walked closely with God were saved. In the same way, Advent is a time to pause and ask: Am I walking closely with the Lord, or have I been swept away by my own plans and priorities?

This Gospel also reminds us of God’s faithfulness. Every promise God has made is fulfilled in Christ. The long-awaited Messiah has come, and He will come again. Advent calls us to live with the joyful hope of His return, shaping our choices, attitudes, and relationships today.

 

Personal Reflection

Advent begins in the midst of ordinary life — bills to pay, meals to cook, errands to run — and yet, in this season, God whispers: “Stay awake. I am coming.”

For many of us, December is a time of frantic activity. But Jesus invites us to a different rhythm — one of watchfulness, expectancy, and deep trust. Being ready doesn’t mean doing more; it means creating space in our hearts for God’s presence, even in the smallest, quietest moments.

This Advent, let us choose to slow down, to listen more deeply, and to look for the ways God is fulfilling His promises in our everyday lives.