Sunday – 1st Week of Advent A

First and foremost, Cycle A is distinguished above all by its Gospel focus on Saint Matthew. Year A is Saint Matthew. Year B is Saint Mark, which is supplemented heavily by Saint John’s Gospel. And then Year C is Saint Luke. Saint Matthew’s Gospel is deeply Jewish-Christian. It is strongly rooted in the Old Testament, of course, because his audience were primarily the Jewish people. The reason for his writings was to convert them and to get them to believe that Jesus is in fact the true Messiah, long awaited by his people.

And so it concerns itself with fulfilling the law, with righteousness, and with discipleship. Hence, Year A often sounds like what we hear in his Gospel, chapter one, verse twenty-two: “This happened to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet.” So a key hallmark of Cycle A is the persistent link between the promises given and their fulfillment—from the Old Testament, the Old Covenant, to the New Covenant. And this shapes the Advent readings, which are richly adorned with insights from the prophet Isaiah.

Jesus is presented as the new Moses, the teacher of the law, and the fulfillment of prophecy. In fact, in today’s first reading, Isaiah foretells how the God of peace would be among them to teach them, and how He would also be the source of all their peace: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.” Jesus, therefore, and his teachings to us—the form of life which He asks us to espouse—will be the source of this peace.

So this is His indication through the beatitude that He left us in Matthew chapter five, verse nine: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” This makes Year A particularly catechetical and formation-oriented, hoping to instill peace in the world and, more importantly, in our own souls through Jesus, so that we can be channels of peace to others—something also so dear to the heart of Saint Francis.

Therefore, through Saint Matthew’s Gospel, we learn more about what true discipleship and moral formation involve. Matthew gives long, structured teachings of Jesus which give a beautiful colour to Cycle A of the liturgical calendar. For example, the Sermon on the Mount in chapter five; the Mission Discourse in chapter ten; all the parables of the Kingdom in chapter thirteen; community life and forgiveness in chapter eighteen; and his eschatological discourse in chapters twenty-four to twenty-five.

Thus, Cycle A will consistently emphasize righteousness that goes deeper than externals. How often our Lord insists that we look beyond appearances and examine our conscience, to see where hypocrisy may have taken hold of our souls like a disease. We must root that out so that we can become more and more genuine in His eyes. It emphasizes concrete discipleship and accountability: the sheep and the goats, the wise and foolish virgins, and the parable of the talents.

Saint Matthew’s Gospel also emphasizes a particular Christology: Jesus as teacher and king. Year B, Mark, highlights urgency, suffering, and what theology calls the messianic secret. Year C, Luke, highlights mercy, the poor, women, and joy in salvation. Year A, with Matthew, presents Jesus as the Messiah King, the authoritative teacher, the judge and fulfiller of the law.

This gives Cycle A a sober and demanding, yet deeply ecclesial, tone. Matthew alone uses the word Church, ecclesia, explicitly—in Matthew chapter sixteen, verse eighteen, and chapter eighteen, verse seventeen. Cycle A therefore stresses community responsibility, fraternal correction carried out in charity, authority understood as service rather than superiority, and the missionary mandate—to go and make disciples. Apostle means “one who is sent,” not one who sends himself.

This makes Year A particularly rich for preaching on Christian life within the community, formation, and vocation. In this Advent, within Cycle A, we hear much about watchfulness and readiness. In fact, this is what today’s Gospel is all about. Jesus says: “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the last days. Be ready, for you do not know the hour or the day when your Lord will return.”

Our Lord, through this Advent season and within the liturgical calendar of Cycle A, implores us to be vigilant and prepared, for judgment and accountability will come. And John the Baptist is given to us, in God’s merciful providence, as the precursor, the one who calls us to awareness and preparation: “The Lord is coming. Make straight his paths. Lower the mountains. Fill in the valleys.” So that the Lord’s road to the door of our heart may be made easier, removing distractions and impediments, allowing Him to penetrate our hearts and give meaning to our lives.

So as we journey through this beautiful liturgical year of Cycle A, deeply rooted in the Gospel of Matthew, and through this Advent season rich with the voice of the prophets—especially Isaiah—let us allow the Lord to continue working in our hearts, chiseling our souls through the Holy Spirit. Through the intercession of the most beautiful Mother to ever exist, our Mother Mary, who embraces us and protects us beneath her mantle, may we be blessed throughout our entire Advent journey.

May she instill in us a faithful devotion to the Lord, so that we ponder God’s goodness in our hearts and the great things He has done in our souls through Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. May God bless you this Advent season and give you strength and peace. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.