My friends, blessings and welcome to Advent, a season that arrives every year like a gentle alarm clock from God. It is not the kind that surprises you with a terrible ringtone, but the kind that whispers, “Wake up! … something beautiful is coming.” St. Paul says it plainly today: “It is now the moment for you to wake from sleep.” Advent is God’s way of nudging us out of spiritual drowsiness so we can notice His footsteps approaching.

Isaiah gives us a breathtaking vision: all nations streaming toward the mountain of the Lord, trading weapons for plowshares and fear for peace. It is a picture of humanity finally remembering who we are, God’s children, children of the light, walking in His light. But Isaiah’s vision is not just a lovely prophecy; it is a divine invitation. “Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.” Advent begins with a movement. God is coming toward us, and we are invited to rise and walk toward Him.

Then, Jesus gives us a surprising Gospel: people in Noah’s time were eating, drinking, getting married, doing ordinary things, and they missed God’s moment. This is not because they were wicked, but because they were distracted with other things and ignored God’s invitation. Sometimes, the ordinary becomes the enemy of the essential.

So, Jesus tells us today: “Stay awake.” Not anxiously, but attentively. Advent is not about fear; it is about readiness. It is about keeping the lamp of our hearts trimmed and burning so that when Christ comes in the Eucharist, in the poor, in the unexpected moments of grace, we recognize Him.

The gentle humor of Advent is that we spend weeks preparing for Christmas, shopping, baking, decorating, yet the One we are celebrating prefers arriving quietly, humbly, even inconveniently. God rarely knocks loudly; He usually whispers.

So, how do we walk in the light this Advent? Paul tells us: put on Christ. Wrap yourself in compassion instead of impatience. Choose forgiveness over grudges. Offer kindness rather than sarcasm. These are the small but holy ways we stay awake.

May this Advent be a sacred journey from distraction to devotion, from darkness to dawn, from spiritual sleep to joyful expectation. Christ is coming, let us rise and walk in His light.

Your Priest,

Fr. Charles Enyinnia