“Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap” (Luke 21:34)
Advent is a time of waiting for Christ, allowing Jesus to be reborn in our lives. It is also a time for purifying our hearts by repentance and for renewal. Besides coming into our world through birth, Jesus comes into our daily lives through Sacraments (especially the Holy Eucharist), the Word of God, the worshipping community. This season reminds us of Our Lord’s threefold coming, in history, mystery and majesty.
- In ‘History’ Lord’s coming into history in the historic person of Jesus of Nazareth from the lineage of David. The theme of today’s first reading is his coming in history (Jer. 33:14-16), ‘I will raise up for David a just shoot; he shall do what is just and right in the land’ (v.15).
- In ‘Mystery’; Lord’s coming in the mystery of incarnation (word becoming flesh) which is the true spirit of the Christmas season.
- In Majesty; is the theme of today’s gospel (Luke 21:25-28, 34-36) is the mystery of Parousia, Christ’s second coming at the end of time in majesty, ‘And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and glory’ (Luke 21:27).
In the first reading (Jer 33:14-16), the prophet Jeremiah waits and hopes for an ideal descendant of King David who, as the Messiah of God, will bring security, peace, and justice to God’s people. We believe that Jeremiah’s waiting and hoping were fulfilled in Jesus’ birth.
In the second reading (1 Thes 3:12-4;2), Paul urges the Thessalonians to continue and intensify the life of holiness and mutual love he has taught them as they wait for “the second coming of our Lord Jesus with all His holy ones.”
In today’s Gospel (Lk 21:25-28, 34-36), Jesus prophesies the signs and portents that will accompany his Second Coming and encourages us to be expectant, optimistic, vigilant, and well-prepared: “When these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads, because your redemption is at hand” (Lk 21:28). Jesus wants us to face the future with confidence in God’s providence.
Advent season invites all of us to be people of an advent spirituality characterized by the virtues of vigilance and hope.
1. VIGILANCE: Jesus says, “Be always on vigilance and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man (Lk 21:36).” Vigilance is an action of the present. Vigilance as an advent trait values the salvific-value of time.
Time is a non-renewable resource in the day today life of everybody. The moments that just passed in our lives cannot be regained anymore! There are people around who can teach us about the preciousness of life. For example, a mother who has given birth to a premature child can well explain the value of a month or two lovers waiting to see each other could explain the value of hours or an accident-survivor the value of a second and or an Olympic athlete who lost gold medal in one tenth of a second the value of a millisecond. If so, how precious shall time be in relation to your salvation? Therefore, live your present moments with eternal significance. This is the core reminder of Advent season.
Live every moment of present life with an eternal significance because yesterday is history and tomorrow is mystery, but today is a ‘Present from God’, a gift. Today is important because today gives you two possibilities in terms of your salvation: (1) to redefine your past and (2) to define your future! You can do both only in the present. Therefore, the best way for us to prepare for the spiritual future (salvation) is to live each moment of present life with eternal significance.
2. HOPE: An advent person is a hopeful person. On the fourth Sunday in advent the candle of hope will be lit (today candle of peace). Jesus reminds his disciples to stand erect and raise heads on the day of his glorious coming! “Standing erect” and “raising head” are gestures of hope and confidence. On the day of the second of Our Lord (His coming in majesty) we will be able to stand erect and raise our heads if we have the spirit of advent in our lives, always prepared. The signs of the glorious coming of Christ (signs in Sun, Moon, Stars and roaring of the sea) do not frighten us. Because after a time of tribulation there is redemption for the children of God. Therefore, live a life of hope and vigilance by doing everything with an eternal significance.
Dalai Lama, the leader of Tibetan Buddhism speaks about peoples’ obsession with the future in a sarcastic way, “humanity does not live in the present because of anxiety over future. As a result, they fail to live both in the present and future”. ‘Future orientation’ and planning is a common trait of the present generation. People plan their future with yearly, monthly and daily planners. Parents plan for the college education of their children from birth! Employers plan for their retired life from the first day of work! Planning is good in the modern lifestyle. Otherwise, lives would be chaotic in hectic and busy modern lives. There is nothing wrong in being futuristic. But let us be aware that “obsession with the future” is one of the negative traits with the future orientation and planning of the people of our time. It is a habit of living in the future without knowing what is happening at present.
Today’s liturgy welcomes us to be a person of advent spirituality by leading a life characterized by vigilance and hope. Amen.
Fr. Jerry Vallomkunnel MCBS