Ps 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14
1 Thes 3:12—4:2
Saint Charles de Foucauld
Happy New Year!
Brethren, today we start the new liturgical year, C, the year of Saint Luke, because most Sunday readings in this year are taken from Luke. 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 forever, and may this new year become an ever-flowing 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 celebrating 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. 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. That is why today's Gospel urges us to be vigilant and prepare for that day with intensive prayer and not to let our hearts become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life for that day not to catch us by surprise like a trap. Advent is a time to acknowledge that His first coming is ultimately fulfilled in His final glorious coming. The Lord is certainly 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. Each candle is lit on its specific Sunday and has its specific meaning.
The first candle lit on the first Sunday of Advent is purple and is called The Prophets' Candle, symbolising 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 candle lit together with the first one on the second Sunday is called the Bethlehem Candle and symbolises faith and signifies Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem.; the third candle lit on the third Sunday (Gaudete Sunday) is pink or rose and is called the Shepherds' Candle, symbolising 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 the fourth Sunday is purple and is called the Angel's Candle, symbolising peace. It reminds us of the angel's message: “Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men” (Luke 2:14). Lastly, the middle candle is white and is called the Christ Candle; it is lit on Christmas and symbolises 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.
The gospel today gives us three pieces of advice on how we can prepare for Jesus final coming: Be watchful of ourselves not to fall into “carousing and drunkenness” (all worldly pleasures), which makes us sin and lose concentration; even lose track of the signs that indicate the second coming of Christ. Secondly, to be vigilant all the time for we don't know the day he will come. Vigilance will help us not to be caught like in a trap when that day comes. Thirdly, to pray and pray. Without prayer, we are detached from God. Prayer must be accompanied by the sacrament of confession, which should be done by every Christian, especially in this period of Advent, as a deep spiritual renewal and then good works. Pray so that Satan will not take you away, and when Jesus comes, he will not find you wanting.
Our actual preparation for this advent should not be in material things be mainly done on our knees. Today, in a spiritual sense, we conceive new life and prepare to give birth to that life in the Christmas season. Advent is similar to pregnancy in that we carry, protect, and nurture Christ’s new life within us (see Rm 6:4). We must take care not to do anything that might hurt the baby. Just as a mother’s smoking, drinking alcohol, or taking drugs can have bad effects on her baby, so our sinful preoccupation with “worldly cares” can damage or even abort the new life of Advent.
Reflect today about the coming of Christ and the urgency to prepare for him. Are you preparing for it with the same fervour that you prepare for Christmas through shopping, cooking, decorating, etc.? Are you looking forward to that day when He will return? Are you preparing for the spiritual celebration of His birth? Are you awake and attentive to the numerous ways that God speaks to you daily?
Let us Pray
May the Lord make us increase and abound in love for one another and for all, so as to strengthen our hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen. (1 Thess 3:12-13)
Be blessed
No comments:
Post a Comment