1st Sunday of Advent (Cycle B, Year I)
Community Word: Disciples of Jesus prepare for His coming with watchfulness.
Theme: Disciples of Jesus prepare with watchfulness when we allow the Lord to mold us in His likeness.
Promise: “He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1Cor 1:8)
Reflection:
History tells us that the pagans also used the term “Advent” to mean the “coming” of their god, such that on a set day of the year, they displayed their image, or idol, believing that by doing so, their god would make its presence known to them.
The term Advent was also used to signify the coming “visit” of a king, or his coronation day. Christians use the term to mean the “coming” of God into the world through the birth of Jesus Christ. The Advent season is therefore the time specifically designated to prepare for this coming “visit” of our King – on December 25 – when all of Christendom celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ.
The 1st Sunday of Advent tells us that indeed the Christmas season is upon us. We express our joyful anticipation through the external signs of Christmas, including colorful lights in our homes, on the streets, in commercial buildings, and at churches; family and friends gather together and celebrate with joyful reunions, gift-giving, travel and other activities that lift up the spirit. These activities are good in themselves, but taken to extremes, can lead us to physical, psychological and spiritual exhaustion and financial ruin, hence we should check that our motivations are in order, and that we maintain modest, responsible and mindful attitude towards our celebration. Unguarded and unchecked, we lose sight of the reason behind our celebration, and may well say, as in Isaiah 63:16B “… why do you let us wander, O Lord, from your ways, and harden our hearts so that we fear you not?”
Isaiah in the First Reading gives us a prescription on how to prepare for the coming of Jesus. He calls us to live a life of integrity, for only when we learn to act uprightly, in truth and justice, can we be made holy and acceptable to God. Our desire to be true followers of Jesus should be uncompromising no matter what our situation may be. It calls for us to persevere in faith, to call on God at all times, that we may not be dissuaded from doing what is good and pleasing to the Lord. We live in a world that is full of temptation to wander off from the light of Christ. Many roads stretch out before us, and fallible human beings that we are, we can fall and lose our way, distracted by the allurements of this world, at times so total we no longer hear the voice of God, or see His face.
The season of Advent reminds us to be vigilant in waiting for Jesus who, indeed has come, and is ever present in every situation of our lives. But we need to be attentive to follow where His Spirit leads us, understand what He wants us to do, and make the conscious decision at all times to be Christ-like in character, that we may be fit for His purpose and plan for us, so that when our time on earth is over, we may be found worthy of the promise of eternal life with God the Father in heaven.
In Mark 13:3, Jesus said to his disciples: “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.” Hence, we ought to rid ourselves of bad habits and attitudes, like inflated ego, immorality, jealousy, self-seeking, self-serving interests, quick temper, lack of compassion, critical and unforgiving spirit, and the like. Instead, we are to prepare by allowing the Fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23): love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control – to reside in us. For through these, God will keep us firm and irreproachable for the time of His coming. That is His promise in 1Corinthian 1:8 “He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” And so, let us avoid becoming burdened and pre-occupied with extraneous preparations that have little to do with the significance of the occasion we are commemorating.
Indeed, Christmas should be a joyful occasion, and it is heart-warming that we are able give and receive gifts and make merry. But the signs of the times admonish us to celebrate with prudence, without getting carried away or going into debt just to conform to the demands of the season. Advent is about sharing, especially with the poor, not about boasting about what we have. The season should instill in us a grateful heart for all the blessings – the good health, the peace, the resources – we have received from God through the year, including the grace of being able to bring His Good News of Salvation to others.
Prayer:
Lord, we confess that You are the Potter, we the clay, we are the work of Your hands. And it is in this declaration that we ask You to forgive us and cleanse us of all the worldly attachments that separate us from Your love and from being hearers, bearers, and doers of Your Word, especially during this Advent season. Help and aide us with Your Holy Spirit to live a life of integrity and love, as we celebrate Your birthday. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
1. What does Advent mean to me?
2. How am I being vigilant as I wait on the Lord Jesus Christ?
3. What do I intend to do to uplift the lives of the poor among my brethren?
This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
November 30, 2014 (Sun) Is 63:16-17,19;64:2-7/ Ps 80:2-3,15-16,18-19/1Cor 1:3-9/Mk 13:33-37
December 1, 2014 (Mon) Is 2:1-5/Ps 122:1-2,3-4,4-5,6-7,8-9/Mt 8:5-11
December 2, 2014 (Tues) Is 11:1-10/Ps 72:1-2,7-8,12-13,17/Lk 10:21-24
December 3, 2014 (Wed) Is 25:6-10/Ps 23:1-3,3-4,5,6/Mt 15:29-37
December 4, 2014 (Thurs) Is 26:1-6/Ps 118:1,8-9,19-21,25-27/Mt 7:21,24-27
December 5, 2014 (Fri) Is 26:17-24/Ps 27:1,4,13-14/Mt 9:27-31
December 6, 2014 (Sat) Is 30:19-31,23-26/Ps 147:1-2,3-4,5-6/Mt 9:35-10:1,6-8
“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”
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