First Sunday of Advent

And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. – Luke 21:27

     When I was still a rank and file employee some years ago, I remember distinctly that when my boss would leave the office, my officemates and I would all celebrate, as if we were slaves who suddenly had a taste of freedom. Needless to say, we dreaded the return of our boss! Why? Because he was feared by most of us in the team.

       This Advent season, a different Boss is “returning” — our true Boss from above. We are excited about the idea of Christ’s return, and what is amazing about our Heavenly Boss is that He is not a grumpy dictator (no offense to my old boss), but our personal Lord and Savior who loves each of us unconditionally.

       Personally, I’m excited for this Advent season because I want to embrace the full excitement of Christ’s love for me. Because of Him, I know what true freedom is like. What about you? Jpaul Hernandez (jpaul@feastgreenhills.com)

Reflection: This Advent season, decide to make more time for Jesus, and focus on His unconditional, selfless love for you.

Jesus, I surrender my time, talent and treasure to You. I want to focus on Your love for me, so I can love You more.

Servant of God John of Montecorvino, pray for us.

The name of this future city — the Lord our Justice — reminds us how we must live to enter the Kingdom of heaven. We must live with integrity and not hypocrisy. This is a reality that the Church itself deals with in modern times. We are called the Church of the poor yet so many structures alienate the poor rather than include them. Many Church leaders live privileged lives rather than service.

14 The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah. 15 In those days, in that time, I will raise up for David a just shoot; he shall do what is right and just in the land. 16 In those days Judah shall be safe and Jerusalem shall dwell secure; this is what they shall call her “The Lord our justice.”

Psalm 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14

R: To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

4 Your ways, O Lord, make known to me; teach me your paths, 5 guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior, and for you I wait all the day. (R) 8 Good and upright is the Lord; thus he shows sinners the way. 9 He guides the humble to justice, he  teaches the humble his way. (R) 14 The friendship of the Lord is with those who fear him, and his covenant, for their instruction. (R)

We cannot wait for the Second Coming of Jesus to repent or live in holiness. By then it will be too late. We need to respond now. In his second letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul tells us that now is the acceptable time and today is the day of salvation. We should not delay our response to the Gospel. Let us live and proclaim the Gospel to the best of our abilities.

1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2

12 Brothers and sisters: May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you, 13 so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen. 4:1 Finally, brothers and sisters, we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that, as you received from us how you should conduct yourselves to please God — and as you are conducting yourselves — you do so even more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

Show us, Lord, your love; and grant us your salvation.

25 Jesus said to his disciples: “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay,  perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. 26 People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.” 34 “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise 35 like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. 36 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.”

think: Let us live and proclaim the Gospel to the best of our abilities.

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR  Ezekiel 13-16

Things to be grateful for from the past week

Things to ask God for in the coming week

Most important word God told me this week

AN ADVENT CHECKLIST

Advent means “the coming, the arrival.” And while the season of Advent is, for most people, de facto, the Christmas season, the Gospel for today says not yet, and then invites us to reflect on a “chilling” image of the end: “And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth distress of nations in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (verses 25-28).

       The reason for this is while Advent is the beginning of the Church’s calendar, Advent should be the beginning of the end of everything in us that is not yet Christ (Thomas Merton). This is why the Gospel in this first week of Advent speaks of judgment, of separation, of keeping watch. Our readiness to welcome Christ’ coming in history will be nothing but a worthless sentimental looking back unless we ready ourselves to welcome Christ’ coming in majesty as judge.

       As we put up our Nativity sets and Christmas lights, let us pray that its light may not blind and distract us from our joyful task of recognizing Christ’s many and various comings in mystery — in the daily events of our lives and in the many people we encounter.

       While Advent is a preparation for the Christmas season, it is closer to Lent in its character. Advent invites us to purify our Christmas celebration from the trap of secularism, consumerism and commercialization. Advent is really a time to separate the profound from shallow, the essential from the superficial, the lasting from the ephemeral.

       This is my Advent goal. I hope it will be yours, too. Fr. Joel Jason

REFLECTION QUESTION: Make a list of what excites you these days and then make that Advent check.

O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel. Amen.