Liturgical Context: Feria VI infra Hebdomadam I Adventus ~ III. classis
Commemoration: Sancti Sabbæ Abbatis
As we move through the sacred days of the First Week of Advent, the Church calls us to watchfulness and penance. The liturgy today draws us deeply into the Advent spirit with two potent scriptural passages: Romans 13:11–14 and Luke 21:25–33. In union with the Church’s traditional observance, we also commemorate Saint Sabbas the Abbot, a towering figure of monasticism whose life embodied the very virtues these readings invite us to cultivate.
Romans 13:11–14 – “Now is the hour for us to rise from sleep”
“Knowing the season, that it is now the hour for us to rise from sleep. For now our salvation is nearer than when we believed.” (Rom 13:11)
St. Paul, in these verses, acts as a herald for the soul. Like a trumpet at dawn, he sounds a clear and urgent call to awaken from the slumber of sin and indifference. Advent is not a time of passive waiting, but of spiritual vigilance and renewal. The Apostle reminds us that the “night is far spent” and “the day is at hand.”
St. John Chrysostom comments on this passage, saying:
“Paul does not say simply, ‘Let us do what is good,’ but ‘Let us cast off the works of darkness.’ For it is not enough to do good, unless we also cast away evil.” (Homilies on Romans, Homily 24)
The “works of darkness” — sin, vice, worldliness — must be renounced decisively. Advent invites us to put on “the armor of light”: prayer, fasting, almsgiving, the sacraments, and holy living. The “putting on of the Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 14) is not merely a metaphor, but a call to interior transformation — to imitate Christ in all things, even as we await His second coming in glory.
Luke 21:25–33 – “Your redemption is at hand”
In the Gospel, Our Lord speaks of signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars — the cosmic upheavals that will precede His return. It is a sobering vision, full of awe and divine majesty. Yet He does not leave His disciples in fear. He says:
“When these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads: because your redemption is at hand.” (Luke 21:28)
The Church Fathers were ever mindful of this eschatological dimension. St. Cyril of Jerusalem teaches:
“The signs which come before the end are meant not to frighten the faithful, but to prepare them — that their hope may not falter in the hour of trial.” (Catechetical Lectures, XV)
In this light, Advent becomes not merely a preparation for Christmas, but a schooling in holy expectation — a sharpening of the soul’s senses for the return of the Bridegroom. The fig tree in Our Lord’s parable teaches us that just as nature has signs of changing seasons, so the spiritual man can discern the signs of God’s providence and judgment. St. Gregory the Great reflects:
“The fig tree putting forth leaves is the Church coming to life in the hearts of the faithful. When charity grows warm, the fruit is not far behind.” (Homilies on the Gospels, I.1)
This Gospel thus compels us to examine the state of our soul: Do we bear fruit? Are we living with the expectation of Christ’s return? Or has our faith cooled into complacency?
Commemoration of St. Sabbas the Abbot
How fitting that we commemorate today St. Sabbas the Sanctified, one of the great founders of Eastern monasticism. Born in the late 5th century, Sabbas embraced a life of intense asceticism, solitude, and fidelity to the Church, founding the famous Lavra of Mar Saba in the Judean desert.
His life, as recorded by Cyril of Scythopolis, was a testimony to what St. Paul enjoins and Christ forewarns. Sabbas lived as one who truly cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. He awaited the coming of the Lord, not in fear, but with the eager expectation of one already living in His presence through prayer and sacrifice.
St. Basil the Great, reflecting on such monastic figures, wrote:
“Withdraw from the tumult of the world, that you may more clearly discern the voice of the Lord.” (Letter 2)
St. Sabbas did just this. His example challenges us to withdraw — at least interiorly — from the distractions of the world during Advent, and to create silence in which we may hear the call of Christ.
Conclusion: Rise and Watch
Today’s liturgy, like a seasoned spiritual director, tells us plainly:
Wake up. Look up. Light your lamps. The Bridegroom is near.
This Advent, let us heed the cry of St. Paul and the warning of Our Lord. Let us live as children of the light, casting off the drowsiness of sin and the noise of the world. Let us seek the intercession of St. Sabbas, that we too may be sanctified in vigilance, charity, and prayer.
As the Church prays in the traditional Advent Collect:
“Stir up Thy power, we beseech Thee, O Lord, and come: that from the threatening dangers of our sins, by Thy protection we may deserve to be rescued and saved.”
Maranatha — Come, Lord Jesus!
Suggested Advent Practice:
Spend 15 minutes in silent prayer today, meditating on the coming of Christ — both at Bethlehem and at the end of time. Ask the Lord to reveal any “works of darkness” in your life that must be cast off. Then go to Confession as soon as possible, and begin anew with the armor of light.
In union with the saints, especially St. Sabbas, let us prepare the way of the Lord.