Fr. Ace will be offering our parish’s Advent Recollection through his Sunday homilies. At each Mass he celebrates during the Sundays of Advent, he will share a focused reflection for that week—drawing from a theme or image from the classic animated film The Lion King.

For those who are unable to attend the Mass he celebrates, or who may be at a different Mass time, the same Advent reflections will be posted on our parish website each week. This ensures that our entire parish ‘ohana can pray with the reflections and journey through Advent together, whether in church or from home.

1st Sunday in Advent

Remember Who You Are
Isaiah 2:1–5 • Matthew 24:37–44

There was a morning when I woke up, saw 6:17 AM on the clock, and jumped out of bed thinking I was late for Mass—heart racing, wide awake in seconds. I wasn’t even scheduled that day, but that jolt reminded me how quickly we can wake up when something matters. Jesus begins Advent with that same urgency: “Stay awake!” Not busy, not distracted—awake to God, awake to our purpose, awake to who we are.

In The Lion King, Simba runs away out of fear and guilt, numbing himself with hakuna matata. But then Mufasa appears and says, “You have forgotten who you are… remember who you are.” Simba forgot he was the son of a king. Advent is God speaking the same truth to us. Before we decorate or plan anything, God whispers: “Wake up… I am here.” We are beloved sons and daughters, made in His image—not spiritual sleepers, not runaways. Yet like a morning alarm, God calls—but we often hit the snooze button in our spiritual life. Where do we keep delaying God’s call? In prayer? In conversion? In forgiving someone? In finally returning to the sacraments? Every snooze pushes us a little further from who we truly are.

Isaiah gives us a powerful image: “Come, let us climb the Lord’s mountain.” No one climbs a mountain asleep. Movement awakens us; prayer awakens us; choosing God awakens us. To climb the Lord’s mountain means rising above distraction and walking again in His light. Jesus warns that the people in Noah’s time weren’t wicked—they were simply unaware. Advent invites us to move from unawareness to intention, from passivity to purpose.



So the message of this season is clear and direct: Remember who you are. You belong to God. You were made for His light. Wake up spiritually, stop hitting the snooze button, take a step toward Him, and let this Advent be the moment you return to your true identity—beloved, chosen, and called to walk in the light of the Lord.

Reflection questions: 

AWAKEN — Matthew 24 / Mufasa’s Call

1. What part of your life feels “asleep” spiritually (hitting the snooze button)?
2. What voice or nudge from God have you been ignoring?
3. How is God inviting you to “remember who you are”?