Shikrot Mpwi - Sunday Synopsis with Fr. Justine J. Dyikuk

First Sunday of Advent, Year C – December 2, 2018.

Readings: Jer. 33:14-16; Responsorial Psalm Ps 24:4-5,8-9,10,14; 1 

Thess. 3:12-4:2; Gospel Luke 21:25-28,34-36.

Theme: Holding Our Heads High at Advent & Always!

Introduction

Beloved in Christ, the Season of Advent is here again. It is a time that the Church’s liturgical colour changes to purple or violet. Advent is a time that the Church begins a new liturgical calendar. Our Sunday readings will henceforth be taken from Year C while that of weekday readings will be from Cycle 1. Gloria is also omitted during this season because the Church reserves it for Christmas vigil. Advent is a period of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the nativity of the Lord at Christmas. Our reflection tilted, “Holding Our Heads High at Advent & Always” shall explore the meaning of advent, background and summary of the readings, advent stories on staying awake, pastoral application as well as practical lessons and homiletic points to remember. 

The Meaning of Advent

The word Advent comes from the Latin, Adventus which means “coming” – the word is synonymous with the Greek Parousia which also stands for (coming). As a season of looking forward and waiting for something really important, Advent is about both the preparation of the annual celebration of the birth of Christ and his second coming. The season of Advent leads us to a spiritual-nostalgia of recalling the incarnation events. By his birth over thousand years ago, Christ established a kingdom. Upon his paschal mysteries, Christ returned to the father with the promise that he would return in glory – a return we are all waiting for. This season aids our understanding of the Christ-events which Advent prepares and Christmas celebrates.    

Background & Summary of the Readings

In the first reading (Jer. 33:14-16) the Prophet Jeremiah discloses that the Lord would fulfill his promise to the House of Israel and the House of Judah by raising a virtuous Branch, David who shall practice honesty and integrity in the land. He notes that while Judah shall be saved, Israel shall dwell in confidence. He particularly mentions that his name shall be called, “The-Lord-our-integrity.”

The second reading (1 Thess. 3:12-4:2) challenges Christians on increasing in love before God and humanity and on the need to be confirmed in holiness in the sight of God. In the reading, Saint Paul charges the faithful to make steady progress by following the instructions of the Lord as they have been taught by the apostles. 

In the gospel (Luke 21:25-28,34-36), Jesus talks about the coming of the Son of Man in glory. He reveals that this period would be associated with fear as the powers of heaven would be shaken. He, however, notes that “when these things begin to take place, stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand.” He goes ahead to warn against debauchery, drunkenness and fixing our gaze on the cares of this life. He further discloses that that day would spring upon everyone like a trap. He, therefore, called everyone to: “Stay awake praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to stand with confidence before the Son of man.”  

Advent Stories on Staying Awake

A certain Pastor by name William Willimon tells the story of a funeral he attended in a Baptist church in the company of his wife, Patsy. During the homily, he was surprised to hear the preacher shout with folded arms: “It’s too late for Joe. He’s dead. But it is not too late for you. People drop dead every day. Why wait? Now is the day for decision. Give your life to Jesus.” William was so annoyed at the Pastor and complained to his wife that the preacher had done the worst thing possible to a grieving family. He felt the preacher manipulated mourners with guilt and shame. His wife’s response will shock you. Patsy replied him: “Well, the worst part of it all is that what he said is true.” 

The lesson of this story is that “each one of us lives in the shadow of the apocalypse - the dark reality of the end of our time and the end of the world’s time. That is the warning of Advent. But there is also good news. There is also the promise of Advent - the promise that in the darkness, in the shadows, in the unpredictable anxiety of our unfinished lives, God is present. God is in control, and God will come again… God is present to help us endure. God is in charge, and hope is alive. And as long and as interminable as the night seems, morning will come - in God's good time and God's good way.”

In like manner, Leo Tolstoy relates the story of Martin the lonely cobbler. Martin the shoemaker was promised in a dream that Christ would visit his shop. The next day, he woke up very early, got his shop ready, prepared a meal and kept waiting. As he was waiting, an old beggar came up in the morning and asked for rest. Since he didn’t have a spare room, Martin gave him the only room he had prepared for his divine guest. In the afternoon, an old lady with a heavy load of wood showed up. She asked for food because she was hungry. Since the only food he had was the one he had prepared for his divine guest, he gave it to her. At evening, a lost boy wandered through his shop. Although he didn’t want to miss his divine guest, Martin took the boy home. 

When he came back, his visitor had not showed up. At night during in his usual prayers, he asked God why he waited all day and didn’t see him. The Lord replied: “Martin, I came to your shop three times, as beggar with bruised feet, as a woman who needed food and as a wondering child who needed to be taken home and three times, you attended to me. This is why Jesus insists in the gospel: “Stay awake praying at all times - to stand with confidence before the Son of man.”  

Pastoral Application & Practical Lessons

1. Prepares Us For the Incarnation: The season of Advent leads us to a spiritual-nostalgia of recalling the incarnation events. By his birth over thousand years ago, Christ established a kingdom. We ought to incarnate his word in our lives.

2. Prepares Us For the Christ-Events: This season aids our understanding of the Christ-events which Advent prepares and Christmas celebrates. We ought to prepare spiritually for Advent and Christmas.

3. Prepares Us For Christ’s Second Coming: Upon his paschal mysteries, Christ returned to the father with the promise that he would return in glory – a return we are all waiting for. Meanwhile, in between the remote events leading to Christmas and our spiritual preparation, is the glorious wait for Jesus’ second coming – We ought to live accordingly to meet the Lord who would come to judge the living and the dead.

4. Prepares For Welcoming Jesus in Our Hearts: The times and seasons constitute a period of welcoming Jesus in our hearts for the greater events that would unfold.   

Accordingly, the New Catholic Encyclopaedia, urges Catholic faithful during Advent to:

5. Prepares For God’s Incarnate Love: Advent affords us the opportunity “to prepare themselves worthily to celebrate the anniversary of the Lord’s coming into the world as the incarnate God of love.”

6. Prepares For God’s Coming in Holy Communion: Advent enables us “to make their souls fitting abodes for the Redeemer coming in Holy Communion and through grace.”

7. Prepares For God’s Judgement: The season of advent helps us “to make themselves ready for his coming as judge, at death and at the end of the world.”

Homiletic Points to Remember

1. Jeremiah discloses that the Lord would fulfill his promise to the House of Israel and the House of Judah by raising a virtuous Branch, David.

2. Saint Paul charges the faithful to make steady progress by following the instructions of the Lord.

3. Jesus talks about the coming of the Son of Man in glory.

4. He reveals that this period would be associated with fear as the powers of heaven would be shaken.

5. He goes ahead to warn against debauchery, drunkenness and fixing our gaze on the cares of this life. 

Conclusion

As we celebrate the first Sunday of Advent, we are urged to “cast off the works of darkness” (Rom 13:12) and make no provision for the desires of the flesh. We are called to be people of integrity even as we prepare ourselves to receive the Lord at Christmas. The Church expects that we stay awake praying at all times to stand with confidence before the coming of the Son of man. This requires holding our heads high at Advent and always - Have a grace-filled Advent!