Readings: Jer. 33:14-16; Ps.25; 1Thess. 3:12-4:2; Luke 21:25-28.34-36
Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.
CELEBRATING IN JOYFUL HOPE FOR THE COMING OF THE LORD
In a special way, today we enter a new month and new liturgical season, the season of Advent and in a special way, every first Sunday of Advent, the Church begins another liturgical year within the three years of A, B and C in the liturgical circle of the Church. In this Advent season, we are celebrating year C. And the season of Advent, as we know, is one of the most important seasons in the life of every Christian. The word Advent stems from the Latin root, Adventus, which means 'arrival' though from the root word advenire whereby ad means 'to' and venire means 'come' that is the coming of someone great.
So Advent is a period of intense preparations and a time of waiting in hope for the coming of the Lord, which is in two folds: first, the coming of the Messiah, that is, the birth of Jesus at Christmas, and second, the return of Jesus at the Second Coming “ the parousia”. This is why the Advent season is divided into two parts. The first, which runs from the first Sunday until the 16th of December, dwells on the second coming of Christ, the eschatological aspect of Advent. The second aspect, which focuses on the first coming of Christ at Bethlehem, runs from 17th to 24th December.
Thus, Advent is a season characterized by four major themes, which include: ‘Hope’, ‘Peace’, ‘Joy’ and ‘Love’. So, on this first Sunday of Advent, our focus is on hope. A joyful hope for the coming of our Saviour who is our hope. Thus, as we anticipate the birth of Christ, who is the source of our salvation, our hope and the Light that dispels the darkness of this world, it is our duty as Christians to keep hope alive in the world for as long as there is hope, no situation is impossible.
But what should be our disposition this season? Our disposition should be one of watchful expectation in order to recognize the Lord and be at peace with him when he comes. We are to be ready and prepared to welcome him with joy in our daily lives. Hence, this is the season of reconciliation, when we must ensure that we reconcile with God and with one another. It is a season when we have to reexamine our way of life.
Advent is a time of reconfiguration of our lives to that of Christ and also to take stock of what we have done and what we are going to do from now onwards. Our disposition to welcoming the Lord in our hearts should be at its very peak, and this should be seen by our ways of doing things. Also, our desire for conversion and holiness should be more visible by shaping our lives more to that of Christ who showers his love, mercy and compassion to all.
This is what the readings of this season call our attention to, especially in the twofold coming of Christ as we have it in today’s readings. Thus, in the first reading, we heard from the prophet Jeremiah addressing the people of Judah at the darkest moments in their history, reminding them of God’s promises of a righteous Branch of light, truth and hope when he said: in those days and at that time, God will make a virtuous Branch grow for David, who shall practice honesty and integrity in the land. This righteous Branch we see in the person of Christ Jesus. Thus, we are reminded that Christ is our true Hope, and he is the joy of this season.
And Jesus, in our Gospel passage today, tells us that there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars; on earth nations in agony, bewildered by the clamour of the ocean and its waves; men dying of fear as they await what menaces the world, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand erect and hold your heads high because your liberation is near at hand. Here, we heard the message of hope and warning, calling us to embrace the message of the season. So, we must keep watching or our hearts will be coarsened with debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life, and that day will be sprung on us suddenly, like a trap
Dear friends, today we are called to be ready, we are called to repentance, and we are called to embrace the new life the Lord is offering us. We are called to a life of constant struggle towards perfection. Little wonder St. Paul, in our first reading today, says: brothers, we urge you and appeal to you in the Lord Jesus to make more and more progress in the kind of life that you are meant to live: the life that God wants.
This is exactly what this season of Advent is all about and the Church is offering us another opportunity to encounter the Lord personally and to make that encounter a permanent experience. We should place our hope in Christ, for while there is hope, there is life. For it is because of the Lord that we can hope once again, knowing that beyond the sufferings of humanity due to sin and death, there is Light that dispels the falsehoods of evil and the despair of darkness that covers the whole world.
LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we embrace this season in expectation of the coming of Christ your Son, may the Holy Spirit inspire us to have the right disposition that will enable us to embrace the Lord when he comes. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy New Month and God bless you
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