1st Sunday of Advent
Advent has always been my favorite liturgical season, but it is not necessarily my favorite time of the year. I still vividly remember the long, dark, cold, and wet December in my hometown of Dublin, Ireland. However, the Advent liturgies were always joyful, uplifting, warm, and inspiring. You would not think that after reading today’s gospel. The words of Jesus are jarring, to say the least. “People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world.”
Each year, on the first Sunday of Advent, visions of end times like this are given to us. While this may make us uneasy, the discourse in its entirety is intended as assurance that the final victory will be God’s. Jesus describes the new age when evil has been purged, and we can sing with new energy, “Our God Reigns.” He urges us to be confident, “stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.” In the end, it is our new beginning!
This new beginning starts today as the movement of The Liturgical Year begins again to break us open to God’s eternal plan, and Saint Luke (in whose gentle hands we will be this year) tells us that this happens through vigilance and prayer as we wait in joyful hope. None of this is news to us, but memories of the past remind us of missed opportunities and lukewarm efforts.
We are offered again today a chance to forge new memories as we allow the liturgy to refocus our minds and hearts on the Lord who comes to us today in his word proclaimed, in his bread broken and shared, in our celebration of Christmas, and at the end of time.
Let Us Pray:
Grant your faithful Almighty God the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ with righteous deeds at his coming. (Collect for today’s Mass)
