Fr. Michael Williams

This season of Advent is a time when we prepare for the coming of Christ into our midst. The Lord enters into our midst in a threefold manner. Firstly, He comes to us at the stable in Bethlehem; Secondly, He comes to us in grace through His Word and through His Sacramental Presence; and thirdly He comes to us at the end of time in power and might. Today’s Gospel is focusing on Christ’s coming at the end of time.

Jesus uses an interesting analogy for himself in today’s Gospel reading. In the Gospels we are familiar with certain images of Jesus. He is ‘the Good Shepherd’, ‘the Light of the World’ and ‘the Bread of Life’. Very positive images. Today’s Gospel however portrays Jesus in a very different and quite disturbing role – someone who behaves like a Burglar.

The use of the image of the burglar is meant to warn us about the unexpected nature of Christ’s coming. No house owner expects a visit from a burglar; otherwise they would not be caught out. I remember when I was a student in York returning home after a night out. The last thing I expected when I opened my bedroom door was to find that the window was open and a number of my things had been taken. Anyone who has suffered a similar experience will be able to relate to this. Jesus is telling us to be alert to the reality that his appearing will be unexpected, whether that is on an individual level or on a cosmic level.

For the people of Noah’s time the flood was a totally unexpected event. The people were “eating, drinking, taking wives, taking husbands”. I remember the night I was burgled in York, I was “eating” and “drinking” in a local bar at the time. It’s so easy for people to become engrossed in the here and now and give no thought whatsoever to the most important things – namely Christ, His Kingdom and eternity. The Kingdom has been established in the world, but its consummation is still in the future. When Christ appears he wants to find us busy with our Father’s affairs.

Christ warns us “to stay awake, because you do not know the day when your master is coming”. None of us know the day when the Lord will return in glory; and none of us know the day when the Lord will return at the end of our lives. And it’s better that we don’t know either time; otherwise we would be far too anxious and fearful in awaiting the day as it relentlessly approaches.

Without knowing dates and times, we must all stay awake and “live decently as people do in the daytime”. St. Paul urges us to live out our baptismal promises, firstly, by rejecting sin: ‘No promiscuity or licentiousness, and no wrangling or jealousy’; and secondly by shining forth Christ’s light in the world. St. Paul advises us to do this by being: “Joyful in hope, persevering in hardship; Praying regularly; Sharing with any of God’s holy people who are in need; And looking for opportunities to be hospitable”. Jesus wants to find these virtues active in us, when he will appear to us. Meeting the Lord face to face will then be a great joy, with nothing to disturb or frighten us.

All analogies break down at some point. This is true of the analogy Jesus uses of himself in regards to being a burglar. Jesus does not ultimately want to take things from us like a burglar takes things from us; rather Jesus comes to us to lavish his gifts upon us. Christ wants to give us peace and joy, a peace and joy that the world cannot give. He wants to bring us into the New Jerusalem, the Heavenly City, where “Nation will not lift up sword against nation”, where all God’s children “will walk in the light of the Lord”. These are the gifts the Lord wants to give us. Gifts that have an eternal dimension. At present we are waiting in joyful hope for such gifts.

Jesus is in fact, a burglar in reverse. He does not want to take, but to give; and he does not want to just give us a few gifts here and there. He wants to give us everything that he has. He wants us to be sharers in his Glory and to be his co-heirs in the Kingdom of light and peace, where He reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.