For 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.
Matthew 24:37-44 (NABRE)
As we await the birth of Christ during Advent, we also await His Second Coming.
Here, Jesus gives us three images to ponder about the nature of the Parousia, the unexpected Day of the Lord. He gives us an allusion to the story of Noah and two mini parables that all point to the importance of vigilance and right conduct. It is interesting to note that of all the human activities that people were doing right up to the Flood, Jesus emphasizes eating, drinking, marrying, and living married life. These, while all important in their own ways, are still rather ordinary. Marriages are celebrated every day, and eating and drinking are necessary for healthy existence. Here, Jesus draws our attention to the fact that we do not have to disrupt our lives, drop everything, and sit and wait for His Second Coming in order to be good Christians. Instead, He calls us into a place of peace through mentioning the ordinary activities of the pre-Flood people. In other words, we need not be afraid of the ordinariness of daily life. God is still present in the mundane and routine aspects of our existence. Sure, getting married is a momentous occasion in one’s life, but afterwards, when family life becomes daily life, we can feel as though God is not interested in us because our lives seem so boring and uneventful. However, holiness can be practiced even when we are commuting, making a sandwich, unloading the dryer, playing catch with a friend, outlining an essay, going on a run, listening to music, or doing a number of things that we tend to do without thinking that the stereotypical marks of piety and purity can be present at all. We need not divorce friendship with Jesus from our daily experience. After all, the Twelve followed Jesus around for years and lived quite daily lives with Him. They fished, ate, mended their nets, had long travel days, stayed for dinner with friends, and did a number of things that were associated with good ole “daily life.” Yet, while they did these things, they were still close with Jesus. That’s the mark of a disciple. No matter what you are doing, make sure you are doing it with the Lord. Jesus never led His disciples to a place of sin. He leads the same way with you.
So, do not be worried that Jesus might catch you mowing the lawn or shooting hoops. You could very well get swept up along with the guy who’s praying the Rosary in a church.
Thank you for reading. Peace.
Eat the Scroll 