Community Word: Disciples of Jesus prepare for His coming with watchfulness
Order: “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.” (Mk 13:33)
Reflection:
Our Community Word for the month of December is: ‘Disciples of Jesus prepare for His coming with watchfulness’, which means that as disciples in Community, we need to take specific steps to ensure that Christ is “reborn” in our hearts, and that our bodies are worthy temples of the Holy Spirit throughout the whole year, starting with the season of Advent. It also means “dying” to our old sinful self. God calls each one of us to allow Him to transform us back to the original image He intended us to be when He created us. As the prophet Isaiah declares: “You are our Father; we are the clay and You are potter, we are all the work of Your hands.” (Is 64:7-8). Through our spiritual rebirth in the Christ child, Advent also prepares us for the coming glory of the triumphant Christ at the end time, and for our individual departure from this life.
We are therefore exhorted to “be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come,” (Mk 13:33) and “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,” (Lk 21:36). It is clear that our preparation should be geared towards holiness, rather than mere superficial preoccupation with partying, gift-giving and fleeting fun. The birth of Jesus into this world is truly an awesome event, an occasion for joy because salvation has come to us. The gift we give should reflect love and not compulsion, because the objective of our gift-giving should be to express our love for Jesus.
On the first Sunday of Advent, we are to prepare for coming of the Jesus by ‘allowing Him to mold us in His likeness.’ Our faith journey should be one if imitating the character of Christ, by acts of mercy and love towards our brethren, by trusting and hoping in Jesus when there are test and trials in life. Jesus was willing to sacrifice himself for our sake. By his example, we too should be self-giving and mindful of those who need our help and care. And as we go thru our day to day living, the Lord gave us His promise in 1 Corinthian 1:8, “He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Another preparation for the coming of Jesus is expressed in our theme for the 2nd Sunday of Advent and that is to ‘acknowledge our sins and reform our lives.’ The greatest obstacle for God to reign in our hearts is sin – above all, the sin of pride. St. John preached humble repentance, but repentance is no small task. Repentance is not merely some external act of penance, but rather, a thorough turn-around, a change of attitude, a transformation of the heart. The gift of love and forgiveness we received from God in our LSS and encounters become our own testimony to others that they too, may come to believe that God is the one looking out and calling them back to Him. Then by God’s grace we become fruitful in the vineyard of our God and receive the promise in Psalm 85:12: “The Lord himself will give his benefits; our land shall yield its increase.”
Our theme for the 3rd Sunday of Advent states: ‘Disciples of Jesus prepare with watchfulness when we testify to the light so that all might believe in Him.’ John the Baptist was sure what his role was in the story of salvation. He had no identity problems and he appeared in the Judean landscape speaking and urging the people to prepare the way for the Lord. He was the last of the Old Testament prophets, pointing the way to the Messiah and was the first of the New Testament’s witnesses and martyrs. He is known as the herald who prepared the way for Jesus and who announced his mission to the people: “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!” John saw from a distance what the Messiah came to accomplish — our redemption from slavery to sin, and our adoption as sons and daughters of the heavenly Father.
Like John, we too must recognize our identity as children of God and citizens of heaven. So too, must we live like John, as a humble and faithful servants of God, pointing others to Jesus, through our example and witnessing. Then, we can share with them our Lord’s promise in Luke 1:54: “He has come to help his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy.”
The theme for the 4th Sunday of Advent says that we prepare for the coming of Jesus when ‘we are humble and obedient according to His word, like Mary.’ Christ’s birth into the human family depended on Mary’s response to the announcement of the angel Gabriel. It determined our salvation, and aren’t we glad she did respond positively, in all humility and obedience. It couldn’t have been an easy decision to make, because what the Gabriel told her surpasses all human understanding. Mary was a genuine listener of God’s word and was able to respond with faith and trust. Her “Yes” to the divine message should be the model of faith for all believers. Like Mary, God will also give us the grace to respond with the same willingness, obedience, and heart-felt trust. When God commands us to do something, he also gives us the strength and the means to respond in faith. Then we know that “nothing will be impossible for God,” (Lk 1:37). This is God’s promise this week.
For the 5th week, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family and the theme is: ‘Disciples of Jesus prepare with watchfulness when we take care of our family and our community.’ It is a good time to reflect on our families whatever its size. Families today are in struggle; there are profound shifts in culture which move us away from family commitments and self sacrifice towards self-fulfilment and self-gratification. Lax values have eroded the high expectations of the past, with family members involved in conflicting activities, pulling each other apart rather than drawing them together. But shared activities and commitments – going to mass, praying together, receiving the Holy Communion – can still bind the family to grow in strength and character, and in God’s love. We can relive our encounter teachings and experiences, placing Nazareth in our home and community, and putting into action the peace, love and joy of Nazareth as we prepare for the revelation of our Lord in a community of love. Then we embrace the promise this week: “I am your shield; I will make your reward very great,” (Gn 15:1b)
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