Today, we start our journey during the holy season of Advent at the
beginning of our new liturgical year. For the next 3 Sundays we'll hear how
John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus' ministry, how the Virgin Mary
prepared herself for Jesus' birth. On this 1st Sunday of Advent, we
hear Jesus' prophecy about the end of the world and his second coming. Perhaps
we wonder: How does this message of the end times tie into our celebration of
Advent and our preparations for the birth of Christ into our world?
I
had not been a priest very long when a rather new Catholic came to me. This was the first Advent and Christmas that
he was observing as a Catholic; he was a bit anxious & wanted advice as to
what he needed to do. He asked: What are
the rules of Advent? What kind of
fasting, praying, and other preparation do I need to do?
Even
though we journey through Advent and Christmas each year, perhaps we're also
not quite sure how we should approach Advent this year in preparing for
Christ's birth. If we're struggling
somewhat in our lives or going through some rough times in our family life or
at work or in school, perhaps it's tempting to think that these struggles
prevent us from entering into Advent properly.
Perhaps we are think that in order to observe Advent, we need a big
change in our mood and need to separate ourselves from these tough real life
experiences we are having. In fact, the opposite is true. Advent is about
letting God come to us, about letting God enter our world in a special way in
this time of waiting and expectation. Many of us might think that we need to
clean up our lives before we start our Advent practices. But, by opening
ourselves to Advent in the middle of the messiness of our lives, we'll better
understand God's message of salvation and his saving love that we so
desperately need.
Today's
Gospel might be best seen as a wake-up call in the midst of our daily reality.
The signs to come in the end times will be so profound and so frightening that
the sun, the moon, & the stars will be changed, the nations of the earth
will be perplexed and dismayed. This vision isn't meant to frighten us, but to
give us hope and encouragement in the midst of any suffering in our lives.
Jesus predicts that chaos will occur in the end times, that the world's natural
order will be shaken. But we are to stand firm against these upcoming disorders
and temptations; we are to raise our heads up high because redemption is at
hand. Jeremiah predicted that calamity
and exile would befall Israel and Judah, but he gives a promise of new hope, of
a shoot that will bud on the old stalk of David. Jeremiah gives the people a promise of
recovery and of God's eternal fidelity. The Jews who suffered in exile and in
darkness, who looked back at past days of prosperity and integrity, they will
look forward with longing and hope.
Through the reality of our world, through any darkness in our lives, we
long for the Lord of justice foretold by Jeremiah, we long for the birth of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
“Be
vigilant at all times and pray”: this what Jesus commands us in today's Gospel,
giving us the strength to endure the times of tribulation, helping us to
prepare and wait during Advent. This is
a good theme for us to keep in mind this Advent: Be vigilant and pray. As a
time of waiting and anticipation, Advent gets its title from the Latin word
“adveniat,” which means to come or to arrive. But Advent is certainly not a
passive season. We just don’t sit around
doing nothing while we are waiting. We
have work to do during Advent, that is for sure, but this work is a process, an
act of becoming.
Advent
is a humble season, a time for us to increase our self-awareness. But, before
we can be vigilant, perhaps we need to become more transparent, to remove the
masks we put up to ourselves and to the world. This is a joyful season, but, in
addition, we are called to participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, to
do penance for our sins and to make the changes we need to make in our lives.
Perhaps we need to look at our own limitations and the limitations of our world
so that we can truly long and pray for the Messiah to come into our lives. As
we start to see the reality around us more clearly, we'll be able to set our
sights on the Lord, asking for his presence in our lives.
Today,
we're invited to be vigilant and pray, to prepare our hearts and minds for the
divine presence that is always around us, a presence that is with us in a
special way during Advent and Christmas. May we be open to the many ways God
will be present to us this Advent season as we prepare for the birth of our
Lord.
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