On this First Sunday of the Advent season we can prepare for the coming of Christ by contemplating His love
Reflections on the readings for the First Sunday of Advent (November 28, 2021): JER 33:14-16; PS 25:4-5,8-9,10,14; I THES 3:12—4:2; LK 21:25-28,34-36
MISSIO offers “Mission In Scripture” to nurture a missionary heart, providing reflections on the missionary themes in the readings of Sundays, Feast Days and Holy Days.
Advent calls us to persevere. We must not let ourselves grow lukewarm in living our faith in Christ.
Since the early Middle Ages, Advent has been a time to prepare for the coming of Christ at His Nativity. Moreover, it asks us to look ahead to an unknown and unknowable time when our Lord returns at the end of the world. Many people tend to think of this Second Coming as being far in the future, certainly after our own death. Yet many early followers of Christ believed they would personally experience this overwhelming event. In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells His disciples about the amazing signs in the sky and the distressing, even terrifying, experiences on earth that will occur then. He promises that He, the Son of Man, will appear. Whatever Christ’s listeners felt about His stunning words, He did not want them overcome with fear. They needed to understand that it would be the occasion of their redemption. Still, they had to be prepared. “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy … and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. 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” (Luke 21:34-36).
This is Jesus’ message. Advent calls us to persevere. We must not let ourselves grow lukewarm in living our faith in Christ. We must not think that the end of time is a concern for future generations. Even if this turns out to be true, we still know that we will die. Whether this happens in another decade or another day, it will happen. Our focus must remain fixed on our Redeemer and the love that brought Him to the cross – the same love He asks of us. We celebrate His coming at Christmas and anticipate His Second Coming with confidence. We commit ourselves to following Him in faith, hope, and love. Advent should be a time of joy because we trust Jesus who suffered for us, then rose up so we can live in heaven with Him.
Suggested missionary action: We can begin our Advent journey by focusing less on secular Christmas customs and more on the birth of our Savior and gift of life God has given each of us. We can contemplate how to devote our days to His service and prepare ourselves for life everlasting.