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First Sunday of Advent — Year B
Isaiah 63:16b–17, 19b; 64:2b–7; 1 Corinthians 1:3–9; Mark 13:33–37
“Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again” (the Roman Missal).
An old monk lived in a village. He worked alongside the villagers, shared their meals, listened to their troubles, and helped where he could.
But every Saturday afternoon, he disappeared. On Sunday morning, he was back.
For a long time, nobody asked where he went. Then curiosity got the better of them, and they sent a few children to follow him.
The children watched him take the path up the nearby mountain. At the top, he ate a simple supper and settled himself on a rock, facing east.
They hid a little distance away.
As darkness fell, the monk began to pray. Sometimes they could hear his words.
“How long, O Lord? When will you come?”
They waited for him to lie down and sleep. He remained seated, watching the darkness.
The children eventually fell asleep. When the cold woke them, the sky was growing pale. The monk was still there, facing the first light.
They returned to the village and told everyone what they had seen.
After that, nobody followed him. Each Saturday, they watched him leave. Each Sunday, they welcomed him home.
Until one Sunday he did not return.
The villagers sent the children up the mountain again.
They found him on the same rock, facing east. His hands rested quietly in his lap.
The old monk was dead.
For a while, none of them spoke. They had known his smile, but they had never seen such joy upon his face.
One of the children whispered:
“Perhaps he came.”
Original source unknown. Retold from a story shared with me by a priest friend, Fr. Domingo Moraleda, CMF.
Biblical Reflections on the Gospel of Mark
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New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition,
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the Division of Christian Education of the National Council
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