“Be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
A family lived on a street where power cuts struck without warning. They kept a drawer stocked with torches, candles, and matches. Most days it stayed untouched, but whenever the lights failed, they never stumbled. Their quiet preparation didn’t stop the darkness, yet it meant they could move with confidence whenever it arrived.
Advent begins with a call not to predict Christ’s return, but to prepare for it. Like the family with their drawer of light sources, we are called to cultivate spiritual readiness through daily, often unseen, habits. This is the “armor of light” Paul describes in Romans—prayer, Scripture, and repentance that equip us for any season of darkness or sudden change. The world continues its ordinary routines, but the believer lives with a quiet, confident anticipation. We cannot stop the “power cuts” of life or history, but we can be people of the Light, so filled with Christ’s presence that when He appears, we are not startled but ready to welcome Him. This Advent, tend to your spiritual drawer. Let your readiness be found not in anxious calculation, but in a life so rooted in Him that you can walk confidently no matter what the hour.
A Journey of Reflection and Action
To cultivate spiritual readiness, commit to a daily spiritual discipline this Advent season—it could be a short period of prayer, reading a specific scripture, or a moment of quiet reflection. Journal about the “power cuts” in your life that have left you feeling unprepared, and how developing daily spiritual habits could change your response. Meditate on Matthew 24:44 and Romans 13:12 (“The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.”). Share the “spiritual drawer” analogy with your family or a small group, discussing practical ways to stock it with “light sources” for spiritual readiness, and encourage each other to live with confident anticipation, ready for Christ’s return.
Join Us in Prayer
Heavenly Father, as Advent begins, we thank You for the call to be ready, not to predict, but to prepare. Forgive us for times of spiritual complacency or anxious calculation. Help us to tend to our spiritual drawers through daily prayer, Scripture, and repentance, cultivating habits that equip us with Your “armor of light.” Fill us with Christ’s presence, that we may live with quiet, confident anticipation, ready to welcome Him whenever He appears. May our readiness be rooted deeply in You, so we can walk confidently no matter the hour. Amen.
Next Step on Your Journey
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Scripture Footnote & Further Reading
Scripture verse adapted from the Catholic Daily Reading for November 30, 2025.
Further Reading List:
- First Reading: Isaiah 2:1-5
- Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
- Alleluia: Psalms 118:27
- Gospel: Matthew 24:37-44
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