1st Sunday of Advent (Cycle A, Year I)
Community Word:
The coming of Christ brings joy to the people of God.
Theme:
We rejoice in the coming of Christ when we await Him in faithful anticipation
Promise:
“…those who love you prosper.”(P122:6a)
Reflection:
This Sunday is the start of the season of Advent. Advent is a time of preparation for the coming of our Lord. Jesus invites us to wait faithfully and with joyful anticipation, as His coming brings joy to the people of God.
Joy is gladness that comes from grace. The more we understand God’s grace, the more we are able to experience God’s joy – “that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete,” (Jn 15:11). The gladness comes from fully knowing, deeply understanding, and totally abiding in His word, and being filled with the Holy Spirit. God’s delight is more fully realized through faithful observance of the Gospel – “joy comes from having confident faith in God,” (Ph 1:25), as well as in giving/receiving forgiveness of sin by the blood of Christ – “where there is forgiveness, there is joy,” (Rom 5:1), and in the fellowship of Christian love as we work together towards bringing others to Christ’s salvation – “much joy from fellowship,” (Phl’m 1:7).
St. Paul, in his letter to the Romans, exhorts us to “awake from sleep”, get rid of the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. We listen to Jesus telling us about the urgent need for vigilance and prayer as we await the coming of the Son of Man in glory. Though we encounter events and circumstance that may lead us to sin, despair, confusion and helplessness,the joy of the Lord is present even in the midst of our daily trials. However, when man sins, God’s joy turns to sorrow. And while He does not promise us deliverance from anxiety and hardship, He encourages us to pray unceasingly, to persevere and endure, not give in to fear but to stand tall and strong in the face of adversity . As we witness to God’s unfailing love for us in all situations and circumstances, we will find strength and comfort in His words and continuing presence in our lives. Faith is the victory that overcomes the world, and we will overcome against all odds and difficulties in this present world because the joy of the Lord is our strength.
The Lord’s instruction is clear. We must pause in the midst of flurry and busyness of our life, “be awakened” and stay focused on the most important and central point of our life – God, and His action in the world each day. What matters is Christ’s presence in our lives as our source of inner strength, faith, wisdom, joy and love.
We cannot know when Jesus will come, or when warning signs will happen. The solution is to plan ahead and be prepared. The Church gives us the Advent season to reexamine our lives, right what might be wrong, and start our spiritual life anew, as we mark the coming of the Saviour. Our heart is where Jesus loves to reside, and Advent is the perfect time to make room for His coming. The sacrament of reconciliation is an important part in preparing our hearts to be Jesus’ dwelling place. We then ask what we need to correct or change to make ourselves ready that, as we welcome Him and He comes to dwell in us, we are able to offer love, harmony and joy to others, to our family, our community, and even to strangers. Then, as God’s people enthusiastically await His arrival, we can rejoice and claim His promise that “those who love you prosper,” (Ps 122:6a).
Prayer:
Loving Jesus, come and dwell in me. Grant me the grace to prepare my heart for your coming. Mend the brokenness, forgive the sinfulness and set my heart free from the bondages of unforgiveness, pride, greed and other weaknesses that alienates me from your love. Let me use this Advent season as a time to prepare myself for Your coming so I may be able to joyfully experience the warmth of Your love and the light of Your Holy Spirit. I rejoice in you Jesus. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
1. During Advent, what changes do you want to make in your life to prepare yourself for the coming of Christ?
2. What actions do you plan to take to show greater love of God, others, and yourself?
This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
November 27, 2016 (Sun) Is 2:1-5/Ps 122:1-9/Rom 13:11-14/Mt 24:37-44
November 28, 2016 (Mon) Is 4:2-6/Ps 122;1-9/Mt 8:5-11
November 29, 2016 (Tue) Is 11:1-10/Ps 72:1,2,7,8,12,13,17/Lk 10:21-24
November 30, 2016 (Wed) Rom 10:9-18/Ps19:8-11/Mt4:18-22
December 1, 2016 (Thu) Is 26:1-6/Ps118:1,8-9,19-21,25-27/Mt7:21,24-27
December 2, 2016 (Fri) Is 29:17-24/Ps 27:1,4,13,14/My 9:27-31
December 3, 2016 (Sat) Is 30:19-21,23-26/Ps 147:1-6/My 9:35-10:1,5,6-8
“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”
wsc reflection 27 november 2016final
