The first reading is from Isaiah 64:1-9. It implores the Lord to come and save His people. It also emphasizes human frailty, sin, and our dependence upon God. We are like clay that He molds according to His purposes, and we need His mercy.
Psalm 80:1-7,17-19 calls upon God, the Shepherd of Israel, to restore His flock. We have turned away and need to be saved. Through God's appointed leader, the Son of man, we can be restored so that His face may shine upon us and save us.
The second reading is 1 Corinthians 1:3-9. The passage begins with the grace of God revealed in Christ and points toward waiting for His coming. Our hope is not in ourselves but in God, who is faithful. It is Jesus Christ Himself who sustains us even as we await His final triumph. Only through Him can we be ready for the day of our Lord.
The Gospel is Mark 13:24-37. This passage looks to the coming of the Christ to complete His work at the end of history. As even fig trees adjust to the changing seasons, followers of Christ should learn to adjust as earthly history moves along in subjection to divine plans. On the one hand, Christ's disciples must not be too hasty in their interpretations because human knowledge is limited. Only God knows all the details. On the other hand, Christians should always respond faithfully and be spiritually prepared. God has revealed what we need to know in Christ, We are always called to stay awake, and the Advent season is a special time to highlight that calling to be prepared and awake. As the old Phillip Nicolai hymn reminds us, "Wake, awake, for night is flying!"
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