“Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding; one will be taken, and one will be left.” Mt 24:37-44
In this parable, Jesus invites us to see holiness in the everyday. A man digging, a woman grinding—ordinary people doing ordinary things. Such scenes, still familiar in rural communities across the world, remind us that God meets us in the midst of daily life.
Yet the mystery remains: one is taken, one is left. This suggests that salvation is not guaranteed by routine alone. Something deeper is required—a heart attuned to God, a life shaped by love.
The Xaverian Charism offers guidance. It calls us to live ordinary lives that bear witness to God’s unconditional love. In humility and simplicity, we find grace. From this place, we turn toward God, fall in love with God, and offer ourselves in service as followers of Jesus Christ.
Advent is a season of reflection—a time to consider the gift of Jesus and our response to that gift. Have we loved God, ourselves, and our neighbors well? Do we allow Scripture to speak into our lives? Can we see the sacred in the soil, the grain, the faces around us? Are we cultivating peace within and beyond?
This is our mission: to be ready not through fear, but through love. To live lives of quiet faithfulness. To be found in the field, at the mill, in the classroom, the home, the hospital—wherever God has placed us—bearing witness to hope.
May we embrace the sacred ordinary, and in doing so, be ready to receive the gift of God’s presence.
Let us be people who are ready—not through fear, but through love. Ready to be taken into deeper communion with God. Ready to be found faithful in the ordinary. Ready to live lives that echo the hope of Advent: that God is with us, and our response matters.
Brother Michael Foley, CFX
Thank you Brother for your thoughtful reflections! God bless everyone this Advent.