Saint Francesco Antonio Fasani
Happy New Year!
Brethren, today we start the new liturgical year, A, the year of Saint Matthew, where all Sunday Gospels are taken from the gospel of Matthew in ordinary time of the year. We thank the Lord who has been with us, blessing us, nourishing us and helping us to grow spiritually each day of the last liturgical year. May the Lord be praised for ever and may this new year become more and more a source of spiritual nourishment and growth. Every Church's new year starts with Advent and so today, we celebrate the first Sunday of Advent.
The season of Advent originated in the early Church as a short period of intense preparation for the celebration of the nativity of the Lord on December 25th. It slowly came to be structured into four Sundays with proper readings and prayers. This season is marked by devout and joyful expectation as we recall the first humble coming of the Lord at Bethlehem. Every Sunday first Sunday of Advent begins with a reading from Isaiah, as a prophet par excellence of the Messiah. We are called to prepare for the coming of the Lord at Christmas and at the same time, we are invited to direct our minds and hearts towards Christ’s final coming in glory at the end of time. It is certain that the Lord is coming but the day or the hour is not known.
There are three meanings of 'coming' that Christians describe in Advent. The first, and most thought of, is the coming in history that happened about 2000 years ago when Jesus came into the world as a baby to live as a man and die for us. The second is the coming in mystery (that is in the Church), and this happens now in our days as Jesus always longs to come into our lives through the Church and her sacraments and be the king of our lives. And the third is at the end of time which will happen in the future when Jesus comes back to the world as King and Judge, not a baby.
During the season of Advent, we have an advent wreath, which consists of four candles (3 purple and one pink or rose) and the fifth one (White) in the middle, with different colors and meanings. Each candle is lit on its specific Sunday.
The first candle lit on first Sunday of Advent is purple and is called The Prophets' Candle, symbolizing hope, in memory of the prophets, particularly Isaiah, who prophesied the birth of Christ. It symbolizes the anticipation felt in awaiting the coming Messiah.; the second lit together with the first one on the Second Sunday is called the Bethlehem Candle, symbolizing faith and signifies Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem.; the third lit on third Sunday (Gaudete Sunday) is pink or rose and is called the Shepherds' Candle symbolizing joy, meant to remind us of and pointing to the world's joy at the birth of Jesus and that the faithful have arrived at the midpoint of Advent.; the fourth candle lit on fourth Sunday is purple and is called the Angel's Candle, symbolizing peace. It reminds us of the angels' message: “Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men” (Luke 2:14). Lastly the middle candle is white and is called Christ Candle; it is lit on Christmas symbolizes, Christ the light of the world.
In each year of the three-year cycle the Advent Sunday gospel-readings have the same pattern: the first is about the final Coming of Christ. In the second John the Baptist is preparing a community of repentance to welcome Jesus’ mission. In the third John the Baptist points out Jesus as the Messiah. On the fourth Sunday we look to Mary, preparing for the birth of her Son. In this Sunday’s reading about the Second Coming the accent is the same as in the Pauline letter: a pressing and urgent need to take action without delay.
From today's first reading, Isaiah, shows us the peace which Christ brings, and for which we all yearn. The hill on which Jerusalem lies is not a particularly high one, but when Christ comes it will be a towering mountain, dominating the whole country. This is not a worldly Jerusalem that Isaiah talks about, but the heavenly Jerusalem enrobed with majesty and decorated in fine golds. This is the Jerusalem where only those who prepared themselves will enter. This is the main purpose of Advent, to give us time, to prepare for the coming of Christ so that we will be found worthy to enter the new Jerusalem and behold the peace that Christ brings.
For this reason, Paul in the second reading encourages us to throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; to conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and lust, not in rivalry and jealousy for that day to find us worthy. Paul had taken the coming back of Christ imminent, but most likely, timing was not his concern but preparation for the second coming. The Second Coming however remains imminent, in that there is no time to delay in mending our ways and preparing for this event. We are given an important reminder of this by our celebration of Christmas. Each year must really be a coming of Christ into our lives and our society. Let us keep our selves alert and prepared.
Jesus in the gospel gives two striking images to illustrate the urgency of the need to not be caught off guard and unprepared on the Coming of Christ and when we are suddenly summoned to appear before the Lord on the day of judgment (at our death) (Matthew 24:40-41). The first image Jesus used is during the time of Noah when people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, not minding about the Lord's warning up to the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood caught all unprepared and all vanished. The second is a description of two men working together in the field - very likely close family members or close co-workers. One is suddenly taken away and the other is left. This repeats the theme of the sudden rupture and separation, and that God judges each one individually. Saint Hillary of Poitiers describes this image as the separation of the faithful and unfaithful (as in Matthew’s parable of the sheep and goats sent to right and left); the faithful will be taken and the unfaithful left for eternal damnation. Where do you and I want to find ourselves at the coming of Christ?
May this Advent be a time of deep renewal in our lives, dear Lord. May it be a time in which we strive with all our hearts to seek out Your gentle and profound voice. Give us the grace, dear Lord, to turn away from the many noises of the world that compete for our attention and to turn only to You and to all You wish to say. Come, Lord Jesus, come into our lives more deeply during this Advent season.
Let us Pray
Lord Jesus, your birth in Bethlehem changed the course of the world and the course of my life. I want to prepare myself well this Advent for your arrival at Christmas so I can offer you a fitting birthday gift. Help me to live each day to the full, to grow in holiness, and to keep my gaze fixed on eternity. Amen
Be blessed
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