Homily: First Sunday of Advent
November 30, 2025
My dear brothers and sisters, the advent season is here again, this is a holy season we prepare and await the coming of Jesus. Yes, Jesus has come but He does not come only once, Jesus continues to come. He comes and He is present in the different events in our lives. The readings we shall be seeing this season of advent season are all geared in the direction of awakening our consciousness that Jesus continues to come. These readings challenge us with this very important question; do we perceive the presence of Jesus who comes ceaselessly in the different events of our lives?
You remember this story of one wealthy woman who saw an angel appear to her telling her that Jesus would visit her the following day. So, the next day she tidied up her house and waited for Jesus in a prayerful mood. While she waited, a child rang her doorbell soliciting for a little attention, but she dismissed the child that she had no time because she was waiting for a very important visitor. Her neighbor rang her doorbell afterwards asking for some assistance, she dismissed her off again saying she had no time. Similarly, a beggar came asking for help and she sent the beggar away like others. In the evening, she was very disappointed that Jesus never came. When the angel reappeared that night to her, the angel told her: Jesus did come. He came three times, in the child, in your neighbor and in the beggar, but you did not recognize Him.
Brothers and sisters, the readings of today call on us to prepare ourselves so that the coming of Jesus, the ever-abiding presence of Jesus in our time will be recognized by us. In the second reading, St Paul writing to the Romans advises us that it is time for us to wake from sleep, the night is far gone, the day is near, our salvation is nearer, so let us lay aside the works of darkness and put on the amour of light. A similar message of spiritual readiness is contained in the gospel; Jesus teaches with the story of Noah. In the time of Noah, many gave no attention to their spiritual wellbeing. They were preoccupied with eating, consumption of alcohol, marrying, enjoying life, just the same way many do in our own time. It was only Noah and his household, who paid heed to God. When Noah entered the ark, the flood came and swept them all away.
This Jesus’ teaching with the story of Noah is a warning to us never to become so immersed in time that we forget eternity, may we never let our concern with worldly affairs, however necessary, completely distract us from remembering that there is God and we are children of God. Jesus is coming. No matter what we do on earth, may we never forget that we are on a spiritual journey to meet Jesus who comes to us, Jesus whose hands are extended to welcome us. We have to live in such a way that whether in the morning, midday, evening or night, Jesus is to find us ready for Him when He comes.
200 ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF KINGSTON.
It is a thing of joy brothers and sisters, that next year 2026, the Archdiocese of Kingston will be marking the 200 anniversary of its existence as a diocese. Kingston was erected a diocese on January 27, 1826. The 200 anniversary celebration will kickstart on December 8th, the solemnity of Immaculate Conception and run all through next year, from that day, we shall be praying before the end of every weekend Mass the 200 anniversary prayer. It is already place right on our pews. You can have a look at the Journey Newsletter and on our noticeboard to see the messages and the vision of our Archbishop as we celebrate this 200th anniversary of the Archdiocese of Kingston all through next year.
The topical question in the preparation and planning for this historic milestone in our Archdiocese is how do we keep this faith alive in our Archdiocese? How do we make the fruit of this anniversary celebration to be permanent in our lives and contribute to further spiritual growth. Brothers and sisters, we really have a work to do. In this our parish for instance, something came up, and we needed some statistics of average weekend Mass attendance at our parish at the beginnings of this our parish in the late 60’s and early 70’s, just about fifty years ago. We found out that at some point, worshippers in a weekend numbered up to 600 or more, but now, fifty years after, we have downsized to the average of 100-120 in a weekend Mass. And if we ask further, how will the church look like in the next 50 years. As we enter the anniversary year, the work is for us all, faith in our time must be revitalized, pastoral council members and all of us; we have a work to do. We must think out pastoral strategies that will help to keep our faith alive.
