First Sunday of Advent – Cycle A

November 30, 2025

In recent days, the change of seasons has become very apparent. The first two snowfalls have come, accompanied by colder temperatures. Colorful lights have appeared on houses around town and in the courtyards of the monastery. The most obvious sign of change to me is the decreasing amount of daylight each day. Dusk is fully upon us as we leave the chapel after evening prayer. 

The liturgical calendar has changed seasons, too.  The season of Advent, with its themes of watching, waiting, and hoping provides us with a reset.  In this part of the world, it is quite easy to associate darkness with the season of Advent. The light from the candles of the Advent wreath is a beacon to us over the next four weeks. Each week and its candle adds a bit more light to our world. And here in the natural world, we know that after the winter solstice on December 21, the minutes of daylight start increasing again. Light is one of the themes in this Sunday’s readings I want to reflect on. 

In today’s second reading from the Letter to the Romans, Paul writes that we need to “Throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light”. The darkness hides all sorts of things, from ourselves and others.  It can feel safer to keep some thoughts in the dark than letting them see the light of day. Light can expose all sorts of flaws and imperfections. Paul’s metaphor of the “armor of light” gives a different perspective. The light can be a protective layer around us.  The Light of Christ can break the hold of the darkness that is binding us and holding us back and it will illuminate the path forward. 

The darkness can keep us sleepy, not attentive to what is coming. We can come to believe that the dark is safer, like pulling our blankets up over our head, keeping everything else out. Paul is calling us to “awake from sleep”.  God is asking us to set our blankets aside and to seek the light.  We need to be alert to the opportunities God is placing in front of us each day to serve others and deepen our relationship with Him. The weeks of Advent are a time to come out into the light and to prepare ourselves for the coming of the Lord. Spending extra time in prayer and spiritual reading and serving the needs of others can brighten that light and strengthen the armor of light around us. 

May this season of Advent awaken us to be more alert and let ourselves walk in the light of the Lord.