Roc Homily – First Sunday of Advent Cycle A (2016) zwei

FYAR – For Your Advent Reflection

Matthew connected this passage to other wisdom parables in the 1st Sunday Advent’s gospel.  Perhaps waiting has something to do with being wise, possibly strategic this Advent?

The parable of the wise & foolish virgins          1. To awaken, remain awake = gregoreo

Matthew 24:42f — 42 Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.

Matthew 25:11–13 — 11 Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ 13 Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

The Sermon on the Mount        1. Thief = kleptes                         2. To break in = diorusso

Matthew 24:43 — 43 But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.

Matthew 6:19f — 19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Parable of wise & foolish builders          1. House = oikia

Matthew 24:43 — 43 But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let [suffered] his house be broken into.

Matthew 7:24–27 — 24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25 The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!”