“But nobody knows when that day or hour will come, not the heavenly angels and not the Son. Only the Father knows” (Matt 24:36 CEB).

     At first glance, the scripture for today seems to indicate a colossal mistake. Why would I start the beginning of Advent with a text towards the end of the Gospel? Wouldn’t it make better sense to start with the beautiful birth narrative found at the beginning?

     The 24^th Chapter of the Gospel of Matthew foreshadows the destruction of the temple and is a reminder that God never told the disciples when he might return. Instead, he encouraged them to live a life that pleases the Creator.

     If we follow in the Master’s footsteps, our worry would be in vain. Keep our hearts and minds on the knowledge that God loves us. Our actions should emulate the way Jesus treated people while on earth. He taught people how to be kind and generous with one another, often stretching the meaning of what it means to be someone’s neighbor.

     Jesus reminds us to live as if the second coming could occur at any time. It is not essential to know when the Savior might return. Our focus should continue to be on how we live, and how the transformation of our Heavenly Father seeped into our hearts and changed our lives. Focus on God’s love and how we might share that love in a world that needs to hear the Good News.

     So, we find it empowering to look ahead in the Gospel of Matthew and remember that we are not meant to know the day of the Lord’s arrival. The most important thing is to embody God’s love through acts of kindness and share the Good News, making our anticipation of Christ’s coming a living expression of faith and love in action.

     For now, let us prepare our hearts for Advent. The work we must do before the coming of Christmas challenges us to reflect on our spirits and to eliminate the things, thoughts, or actions that keep us from following God with our whole hearts.

                People, look east. The time is near of the crowning of the year.

                Make your house fair as you are able, trim the hearth, and set the table.

                People, look east and sing today: Love, the guest, is on the way.

                                                “People, Look East” by Eleanor Farjeon (1881-1965)