This is the First Sunday of Advent and was once a very solemn time before Christmas. Some people say that the first Advent was celebrated by the Apostle Peter. It used to be a time very much like Lent. People fasted. They went to confession. They reflected on their lives and how to be a better Catholic. Times have changed. It’s turned into the busiest and for many the most frantic and frustrating time of the year. That’s not what Advent is all about.
The first reading from Jeremiah tells of the promise of God to raise up Jerusalem. The Jews had lived through centuries waiting for the Messiah. They had built up a belief that he would come as the thundering conqueror and drive out the Romans. How could they possibly imagine the mystery of God’s plan? During this season we anticipate the coming of Christ in the most pure and innocent of forms, a baby. Christ has already come the first time, and we celebrate that at Christmas. We look forward to it with joy and excitement.
In today’s gospel reading, Jesus tells his disciples about the second coming and it is filled with warnings. We should be constantly prepared. The warning Jesus gives sounds very much like what the Jews had anticipated for centuries would be the coming of the Messiah. There will be signs in the heavens and on earth. The heavens will be shaken. “They will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”
Since Christ ascended into heaven, people have been anticipating the Second Coming. Some of the disciples thought he would return in their lifetime. We are told that no one, except God, knows the time, but each generation has had those who thought it would come in their lifetime. All you have to do is turn on the TV on any given Sunday and someone will be preaching that they know when the Second Coming is going to happen. It’s easy to sit in the comfort of our living rooms and watch the wars and chaos in the world and think that this must be it. Jesus told us something different. On that day “people will die of fright....that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.” It doesn’t sound like something that we’re going to be able to watch on TV. Do I have a clue when the Second Coming is going to occur? Not at all. I wouldn’t even begin to speculate. There’s one thing I do know. A time will come when we all stand before God. It may not be in the power and glory of the Second Coming, but that time will come for each of us. What does Jesus tell us? “Stand erect and raise your heads. Be vigilant at all times and pray.” In the 10th chapter of Matthew, the 33rd verse we read, ‘but whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.”
So here we are in the first Sunday of Advent, a time when we celebrate the birthday of Greatest Gift ever given, Jesus Christ. We can never even come close to that gift, I would invite you all to give these gifts this season:
- Give yourself to God. Offer that gift freely, time, talent, and treasure.
- If you’re married, give yourself totally to your spouse. There’s no greater gift than to give your life for another.
- Tell you children you love them, and let your actions show it.
- Give the gift of love and compassion to your families, friends, and neighbors. It will be returned many times over.
If we give those gifts every day, we will be able to stand erect and raise our heads because our redemption will be at hand.
