First Sunday of Advent C

Image: "Drawing Near," 
©Jan Richardson.

November 29, 2015

Click here for scripture readings.

Why do we have Advent?

You say, “I don’t know, it always just comes along.” Or, “to prepare for Christmas.”

But Christmas came long ago, and if Christ has already been born, what is this Advent waiting about?

“Have we forgotten about his birthing?”

 I have heard these questions, answers, and others, a number of times.

So let us look at his birth and at our forgetfulness.

Our hearts get drowsy and lazy, tired out by the anxieties of daily life.

Maybe we distract ourselves from troubles by working very hard, or becoming depressed, or becoming fascinated with drink, or sex, or out-of-control emotions, or gambling, or email, or golf, or surfing the web, or pride, or, or, or (name yours).

Whatever it is for you, the very clear message of Advent is, “Settle down for a while.”

Open the door just a crack to let God in.

There is a design to help us do this.

Each week’s First Reading is the carrot: usually positive, a promise of good.

 Then the Gospel hits you with a big stick to wake us up.

Take the encouraging First Reading this Sunday.

It reminds us of the promise God made to his people: rightness and justice will come to the earth.

Security. The day of the Lord will arrive, though long delayed.

Peace in our day.

How rewarding it is to desire such a time.

Too good to be true?

 Just pious thought?

Read the First Reading again later and ask yourself those questions. Spend time with them. Pray to God for help.

The Responsorial Psalm will aid you. It asks God to make known his ways to us, to guide us and teach us.

The Second Reading urges us to put God’s promise of peace into action, even if we are not yet sure what it means.

Love others and be loved.

Ah, and then the Gospel.

It tries to wake us up, especially if the above has not helped.

“But I am perfectly awake,” you say.

Alright then, go ahead and read the Gospel again later

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Signs in the sun, moon and stars, nations in dismay, the roaring of the sea and the waves, people dying of fright, and the Son of Man appearing in the clouds with power and great glory!

Terrifying.

So are you all ready for it?

 Let yourself imagine what such a time might be like.

Picture it scene by scene and don’t worry about being exact. Just experience it.

Will such a shakeup really happen literally?

We do not know.

Maybe much worse is to come, judging from the state of the world today.

Do you live without fear of terrorists or ISIS, of proliferating nuclear weapons, of horrific climate change, of a crash of the world economy, or of the greed that fills so many hearts to overflowing—in your city, in your state, your world?

If you can say “You are right, I am afraid of these,” then you have a start on the reason for Advent.

Christ has to be born afresh.

 Yes, it worked the last time, but you and I forget so easily.

His birth must happen again, in our liturgy, in our lives, in this Advent, so that his sacrifice will not be in vain.

This is why we have Advent.