December, 2018

The Holy Father's Prayer Intention

Evangelization – In the Service of the Transmission of Faith -- That people, who are involved in the service and transmission of faith, may find, in their dialogue with culture, a language suited to the conditions of the present time.

'For this same reason was it said by the Lord, through the mouth of Job, concerning the devil: His body is like molten shields, shut close up with scales pressing upon one another. One is joined to another and they hold one another fast, and shall not be separated (Job. xli. 6, 8). By these words He makes clear that the spirits of evil have, between them, such harmony of purpose that in no way can they be separated one from another. For by the body of the devil is understood the whole array of the malignant spirits. And because of their strength these same malign spirits are spoken of as molten shields, and they are described as scales pressing upon one another, and as, holding one another fast, and as being joined to one another, because of this surpassing unity and concord which they possess in every kind of malice and desire of evil-doing. Would indeed if it could be that this so great unity and harmony might be broken, and the kingdom of evil be destroyed!'

St. Bruno

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28)

"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb"
(Lk 1:42).

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/3710115/posts

Saint of the Day — Blessed Rafal Chylinski

Information: St. Bibiana

Feast Day: December 2

Born: 4th century in Rome

Died: 361

Patron of: against epilepsy, against hangovers, against headaches, against insanity, against mental illness, epileptics, mentally ill people, single laywomen, torture victims

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Sunday, December 2

Liturgical Color: Violet

Today the Church honors Bl. Liduina
Meneguzzi. At age 24, she joined the
Sisters of the Congregation of St. Francis
de Sales and was sent to work as a nurse
in Ethiopia. She displayed great courage
helping the injured during World War II.

Catholic Culture

Advent: December 2nd

First Sunday of Advent

MASS READINGS

December 02, 2018 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God, the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ with righteous deeds at his coming, so that, gathered at his right hand, they may be worthy to possess the heavenly Kingdom. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

show

Recipes (7)

show

Activities (19)

show

Prayers (8)

show

Library (1)

Caryll Houselander and the Flowering of Christ | Janet Golden

» Enjoy our Liturgical Seasons series of e-books!

Old Calendar: First Sunday of Advent

For Catholics, the new Liturgical Year commences with the first Sunday of Advent. In this new liturgical year, the Church not only wishes to indicate the beginning of a period, but the beginning of a renewed commitment to the faith by all those who follow Christ, the Lord. This time of prayer and path of penance that is so powerful, rich and intense, endeavors to give us a renewed impetus to truly welcome the message of the One who was incarnated for us. In fact, the entire Liturgy of the Advent season, will spur us to an awakening in our Christian life and will put us in a ‘vigilant’ disposition, to wait for Our Lord Jesus who is coming:

‘Awaken! Remember that God comes! Not yesterday, not tomorrow, but today, now! The one true God, "the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob", is not a God who is there in Heaven, unconcerned with us and our history, but he is the-God-who-comes.’¹

The Season of Advent is therefore a season of vigilant waiting, that prepares us to welcome the mystery of the Word Incarnate, who will give the ‘Light’ to the womb of the Virgin Mary, but essentially this time prepares us not only to welcome this great event but to incarnate it in our lives. We could say that the true light enters the world through the immaculate womb of Mary but it does not stay there. On the contrary, this light flows out into our dark, obscure, sinful lives to illuminate them, so that we can become the light that illuminates the world. For this reason, let us live this time of waiting not only to celebrate a historical memory but to repeat this memory in our lives and in the service of others. To wait for the Lord who comes, means to wait and to watch so that the Word of Love enters inside us and focuses us every day of our lives.

As Blessed John Henry Newman reminded us in a homily for the Advent Season: “Advent is a time of waiting, it is a time of joy because the coming of Christ is not only a gift of grace and salvation but it is also a time of commitment because it motivates us to live the present as a time of responsibility and vigilance. This ‘vigilance’ means the necessity, the urgency of an industrious, living ‘wait’. To make all this happen, then we need to wake up, as we are warned by the apostle to the Gentiles, in today's reading to the Romans: ‘Besides this you know what hour it is, how it is full time now for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed” (Rm 13:11).

We must start our journey to ascend to the mountain of the Lord, to be illuminated by His Words of peace and to allow Him to indicate the path to tread (cf. Is 2:1-5). Moreover, we must change our conduct abandoning the works of darkness and put on the ‘armor of light’ and so seek only to do God’s work and to abandon the deeds of the flesh (cf. Rm 13:12-14). Jesus, through the story in the parable, outlines the Christian life style that must not be distracted and indifferent but must be vigilant and recognize even the smallest sign of the Lord’s coming because we don’t know the hour in which He will arrive (cf. Mt 24:39-44)

1 Pope Benedict XVI, Celebration of First Vespers of Advent, Vatican Basilica, December 2006

Excerpted from the website of Congregation for the Clergy

The traditional Collect (or opening prayer) of the last Sunday of the Church year began "Stir up the wills of Thy faithful people, we beseech Thee, O Lord..." With this request to God to "stir up" our wills, this day was traditionally called Stir-Up Sunday. Because the Ordinary Form celebrates the Solemnity of Christ the King on the last Sunday of the year, "Stir-Up Sunday" is often the First Sunday of Advent. The traditional Collect of the First Sunday is asking God to stir up His might: "Stir up Thy might, we beg Thee, and come." Many families create a traditional plum pudding or fruit cake or some other recipe that all the family and guests can "stir-up." This activity of stirring-up the ingredients symbolizes our hearts that must be stirred in preparation for Christ's birth.

What You Need to Know About Advent

A short explanation of the Advent season and its significance in the Liturgical Year.

The History, Customs and Folklore of Advent

Resources for Celebrating Advent in the Home

Jesse Tree Instructions

Jesse Tree ~ Day 1, Creation

Jesse Tree Overview
The Jesse Tree dates back to the middle ages and came from Europe. Even some ancient cathedrals have Jesse Tree designs in their stained glass windows. The "tree" is usually a branch or sapling and is decorated with various symbols that remind us of the purpose and promises of God from Creation to the Birth of Jesus Christ.

Jesse was the father of King David and God promised David that his Kingdom would last forever. Two centuries after the death of King David, God spoke through the prophet Isaiah and said:

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots: and the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and fortitude, the spirit of knowledge, and of the fear of the Lord. (Isaiah 11:1-2)

Each Jesse Tree ornament usually consists of a handmade symbol or drawing that represents one of the major stories of the Old Testament along with a brief verse of Scripture from that story.

scroll down on http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/3709960/posts?page=27#27

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Jeremiah 33:14-16

1st Sunday of Advent

The days are coming, says the Lord . . . (Jeremiah 33:14)

We often talk about “The Christmas Story,” as if it were one single story. Actually, it’s made up of a number of individual stories, each of which tells us something unique about the Christ child. The story of the Annunciation tells us about Mary’s openness to God’s plan. The story of Zechariah and Elizabeth tells us how John the Baptist—Jesus’ forerunner—was called at birth. The stories of the shepherds and the Magi tell us that Jesus is worth searching for.

There’s another story we don’t often think about because it’s not as long. It’s the story of the innkeeper whose closed doors led Mary and Joseph to the manger. But just imagine for a moment that he did manage to find room for them after all. His inn, not the manger, would be honored throughout the world. There would likely be a grand church marking its location, and pilgrims would flock to it year after year.

As Advent begins, let’s not be like the innkeeper. He missed a grand opportunity because he didn’t make room for Jesus.

Many of us will gather with family and friends this Christmas. Anyone who has hosted these gatherings will tell you how time consuming the preparations can be. They want to create a pleasant, welcoming environment, so everything has to be just right. But no matter how much work is involved, they don’t mind. The thought of seeing everyone together makes the work feel lighter.

Let’s have this same attitude toward Jesus. Let’s get ready with joy and anticipation, even if it involves some work on our part. Let’s embrace the opportunities to pray a little more, to examine our lives, and to show more love to the people around us.

Our first reading tells us that “the days are coming” when God will visit his people (Jeremiah 33:14). Let’s dedicate the next twenty-three days to making our hearts as open and welcoming as possible so that Jesus will find a comfortable home there.

“Lord, help me to make time for you this Advent.”

Psalm 25:4-5, 8-10, 14
1 Thessalonians 3:12–4:2
Luke 21:25-28, 34-36

Daily Gospel Commentary

Blessed Jan van Ruusbroec (1293-1381)
Canon Regular
The Spiritual Espousals, 1 (©Classics of Western Spirituality)

"Then they will see the Son of Man coming"

"The bridegroom is coming" (Mt 25:6). Christ our Bridegroom speaks this word in Latin: “veni”. This word could be in either the present or the perfect tense and so contains within itself two different times: the time which is past and that which is present. In addition, Christ means the time which is still to come. For this reason we shall have· to consider three comings of our Bridegroom Jesus Christ.

In the first of these comings he became a human being out of love for us. The second coming takes place daily in many and various ways in every loving heart, for he comes with new gifts and new graces according to the measure in which each person is able to receive them. The third coming is that on the Day of Judgment or at the hour of death...

The reason God created angels and human beings was his fathomless goodness and nobility. He wished the blessedness and richness that he is in himself to be revealed to rational creatures so that they might savor him in this temporal world and enjoy him beyond the temporal order in eternity. The reason God became a human being was his incomprehensible love and the need of all persons, for they had been corrupted through original sin and could do nothing of themselves to change their condition. But there were four reasons why Christ, according to both his divinity and his humanity, performed all his works on earth: first, his divine love, which is immeasurable; secondly, that created love which is called charity and which he had in his soul through his union with the eternal Word and through the perfect gifts which he received from his Father; thirdly, the great need of human nature; and fourthly, the honor of his Father. These are the reason for the coming of Christ our Bridegroom and for all that he did.

A Christian Pilgrim

THE SECOND COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST

(A biblical reflection on the FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT [Year C] – 2 December 2018)

Gospel Reading: Luke 21:25-28,34-36

First Reading: Jeremiah 33:14-16; Psalms: Psalm 25:4-5,8-10,14; Second Reading: 1Thessalonians 3:12 – 4:2

The Scripture Text

“And there will be signs in 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.”

“But take heed to yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a snare; for it will come upon all who dwell upon the face of the whole earth. But watch at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of man.” (Luke 21:25-28,34-36 RSV)

Unlike the calendar year, which begins on January 1, the Church’s liturgical year begins on the first Sunday of Advent. Each new Church year uses a different set of Sunday Scripture readings.

Most of the Gospel readings for the Sundays of the next twelve months will be from the Gospel according to Luke. So let’s begin this liturgical year by examining what we know about the author of this Gospel.

Scripture scholars are certain the author of Luke’s Gospel also wrote the Acts of the Apostles, a book about the early Church. However, nowhere in either of these writings does the author tell us his name. Irenaeus, a bishop living at the end of the second century, was the first to identify the author as Luke, a companion of St. Paul.

Epistles attributed to Paul mention Luke three times and one of these passages calls him a physician, meaning he probably made salves and other medicines out of herbs and roots. Luke was not an apostle and, therefore, was not eyewitness to the events he records.

Scripture scholars believe Luke probably wrote his Gospel around 85 A.D. and, like the Acts of the Apostles, he addressed it to a man called Theophilus, a name meaning “friend of God”. Some biblical scholars suggest Theophilus may haave been a wealthy nobleman who provided the papyrus scroll (quite expensive in those days) on which Luke wrote the Gospel but other scholars hypothesize he was not a real person at all but was a character Luke created as a symbol of all Christians who were friends of God.

Today’s Gospel begins with Jesus talking about the end of the world (another example of the same apocalyptic writing style we found in the Gospel reading a couple weeks ago) and it warns us to remain watchful and pray constantly because the great day when Jesus will return will suddenly close in on us. We should not be caught unprepared.

Most of us usually associate Advent with getting for the arrival of the baby Jesus but that’s not what this liturgical season is all about. The soft and cuddly baby born in a manger has already come and gone. Today’s Gospel tells us to prepare for Jesus’ second coming, His arrival as the triumphant ruler of the universe. Therefore, during Advent, Christians should anxiously prepare for the return of the adult Jesus.

(Adapted from Jerome J. Sabatowich, Cycling Through the Gospels – Gospel Commentaries for Cycles A, B, and C, pages 232-233.)

Short Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me prepare for the coming of Your Son. I want to accept the grace that He won for me. During this season of expectation, fill my heart with Your love and my mind with Your truth. Amen.

The Gospel in Pictures

Marriage = One Man and One Woman Until Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for December 2, 2018:

“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from…the anxieties of daily life.” (Lk 21:34) Advent is a time of watchful expectation. What anxieties make you “drowsy”? Talk about them with your spouse, and pray for peace.

Is My Life Pleasing to the Lord?

Pastor’s Column

December 2, 2018

1^st Sunday of Advent

You should conduct yourselves in a way that is pleasing to God.

1 Thessalonians 4:1

Everyone who works for a living knows that in order to succeed in business, it always helps to know what the “supervisor” wants and to try to carry it out. I had quite a few “bosses” when I worked in the airline industry: some were great and some were not so great, but my goal as an employee was always the same, to try to do the best job possible. It helps to realize that whatever we do (whether we like our task or not), we are actually working for the Lord and not just for a paycheck; the way we carry out our daily obligations is a measure of our love for Christ.

We can apply this same logic to our relationship with God, because it works pretty much the same way. In today's second reading, St. Paul tells the Thessalonians that they should conduct themselves in a way that is pleasing to God. That seems pretty straightforward. While God does not want to be known as a “boss” or “supervisor,” Jesus does teach us to call God our Father, so this logic applies even more.

Life can get pretty complicated at times, but our relationship with God does not have to be so complicated. We have here an easy way to judge a variety of situations and actions in our lives, by asking ourselves this question: is what I'm about to do pleasing to God? Is what I'm about to say pleasing to God? Is the way I am treating this person pleasing to God? Is my life pleasing to God?

Most of us try very hard to please the person or persons that we love the most. Sometimes the person we try to please the most is ourselves, but too much self-love can lead to selfishness. When we love someone, we do our best to please them; and when we strive to please God, this is another way of telling him that we love him. What makes life worth living for most of us is being in a relationship with people that we love. Placing God as first among those we care about means striving to please Him by what we say and do, being conscious of the Lord in our decision-making and way of life.

The last line of today's Gospel (Luke 21:36) says this: be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and stand with confidence before the Son of Man. It is our faith in Jesus that makes us pleasing to God and allows us to stand with confidence before him. As we grow to love God more and more, we will find that we want our actions, our decisions, and everything that we do to be more and more pleasing to God. As this becomes a way of life, this becomes a relationship, and the Lord is pleased to call us a friend.

Father Gary

Reflections from Scott Hahn

Heads Up: Scott Hahn Reflects on the First Sunday of Advent

Download Audio File

The Last Judgment, Jean Cousin the Younger, c. 1585

Readings:
Jeremiah 33:14-16
Psalm 25:4-5,8-10,14
1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2
Luke 21:25-28, 34-36

Every Advent, the Liturgy of the Word gives our sense of time a reorientation. There’s a deliberate tension in the next four weeks’ readings—between promise and fulfillment, expectation and deliverance, between looking forward and looking back.

In today’s First Reading, the prophet Jeremiah focuses our gaze on the promise God made to David, some 1,000 years before Christ. God says through the prophet that He will fulfill this promise by raising up a “just shoot,” a righteous offspring of David, who will rule Israel in justice (see 2 Samuel 7:16; Jeremiah 33:17; Psalm 89:4–5; 27–38).

Today’s Psalm, too, sounds the theme of Israel’s ancient expectation: “Guide me in Your truth and teach Me. For You are God my Savior and for You I will wait all day.”

We look back on Israel’s desire and anticipation knowing that God has already made good on those promises by sending His only Son into the world. Jesus is the “just shoot,” the God and Savior for Whom Israel was waiting.

Knowing that He is a God who keeps His promises lends grave urgency to the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel.

Urging us to keep watch for His return in glory, He draws on Old Testament images of chaos and instability—turmoil in the heavens (see Isaiah 13:11,13; Ezekiel 32:7–8; Joel 2:10); roaring seas (see Isaiah 5:30; 17:12); distress among the nations (see Isaiah 8:22/14:25) and terrified people (see Isaiah 13:6–11).

He evokes the prophet Daniel’s image of the Son of Man coming on a cloud of glory to describe His return as a “theophany,” a manifestation of God (see Daniel 7:13–14).

Many will cower and be literally scared to death. But Jesus says we should greet the end-times with heads raised high, confident that God keeps His promises, that our “redemption is at hand,” that “the kingdom of God is near” (see Luke 21:31).

First Sunday of Advent: "Stand erect and raise your heads!"

"Be vigilant at all times"

Luke 21: 25- 28, 34-36

The Word: http://usccb.org/bible/readings/120218.cfm

This First Sunday of Advent once again reminds us of the two Christmas seasons we are yearly confronted with: one with Christ and the other without him.

If the point of Christmas is simply an annual time of year when we feel good about each other, when we promote peace and good will between peoples, when we gather with family and friends to exchange gifts in beautiful wrappings, then we have only half the story. Why would we suddenly do this? What motivates us to this perspective in our behavior? Why at the end of December? Why do we need a season to do so, what about the rest of the year? A Christmas without Christ makes you wonder about the motivation, besides financial.

While we decorate trees, houses, send cards either via the internet or in old fashioned “snail mail” and collect food and money to give to those less advantaged than ourselves is all good but without Christ, what’s the point of doing so in late December? Christmas without Christ can be placed anywhere at any time. We should be so generous and charitable all the time yet our secular society suddenly wakes up to the real humanitarian benefits of generosity, charity, and kindness. But is that all Christmas is for us? Again, it is only half the story.

The motivation for all this goodness must and can only be a person – Christ Jesus himself. While non-Christians do celebrate Christmas as a festival of good will and perhaps increased financial benefit we Christians must be different. Many good faithful Catholics work hard in retail this time of year, indeed, and their jobs are very important. Yet, the person of Jesus is the real and only reason why we mark December 25th each year as the second greatest feast of our Christian faith – the Resurrection (Easter) being the greatest. Our gift giving is a reflection of the giving of God to us in sending his Son for our salvation. While God’s generosity can never be equaled by us, we know that our thanksgiving and charity must continue far beyond the beauty of this unique time of year.

In this Sunday’s Gospel from Luke we hear an image that I think may sum up what we can do during Advent to prepare and center ourselves. Jesus tells us: “Stand erect and raise your heads for your redemption is near at hand.” (Lk 21: 28).

Now picture that for a moment. It is a posture of vulnerability. Stand up straight with your arms beside your body then raise you head as if looking up to the sky - you’re defenseless and vulnerable. If someone was to attack you in that posture you would be harmed since your attention is focused on something, or perhaps, someone else. It is spoken in the context of Christ’s second coming. Pay attention and be ready to receive him when he comes.

Advent, although an annual liturgical year with its own particular color of violet, its readings from the prophets of Jeremiah and Isaiah and figures of the Gospel story of John the Baptist and Mary, is essentially an attitude of the heart; a kind of posture we take before God: open, vulnerable, receptive and prepared to receive.

Receive more presents? We are to welcome and receive Christ Jesus himself as the gift of the Father who came once 2,000 years ago and who will come again at some future time. In the meantime, we stand open and receptive to receive him every day as we live now in between those two great events in human history the second of which will be the end of all. In particular during these weeks of Advent, the Church invites us into a season of preparation to focus our attention on who is the center of Christmas and who is therefore Lord of our lives.

If in all the stuff that brings joy during this month of December we lose sight of why we celebrate Christmas, then our annual "feel good season" is nothing more than an excuse for a party with no real reason behind it other than maybe it’s good once a year to be nice to each other. In the darkest time of year, on this part of the earth, a festive moment is helpful but we must not forget the reason to be joyful.

So, let us adopt the attitude and the posture before God to “stand erect and raise your heads” in this season of grace. Our celebration of the Eucharist reminds us that although Christ has left our physical sight he remains present to us under the signs of bread and wine to be our food to strengthen us on our daily journey. He remains very much present to us in the faith we share, in the kindness and compassion we show to one another, in the scriptures we read and the time we pray, and during Mass in the holy Eucharist substantially and in the person of the priest who acts sacramentally in his name.

There is nothing wrong with feeling good at this time of year but what makes this time any different from another in that regard? Rather, WHO makes this time different and what difference does HE make for me?

Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God,

the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ

with righteous needs at his coming,

so that, gathered at his right hand,

they may be worthy to possess the heavenly Kingdom.

(Collect of Sunday)

Regnum Christi

December 2, 2018 – Make Ready, the Lord is Coming

First Sunday of Advent

Luke 21:25-28, 34-36

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. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon 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. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand. 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 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.”

Introductory Prayer: Heavenly Father, I gladly spend a few minutes with you, to be close to you, because you know how much I need your presence and grace in my life. You deserve to be the center of my thoughts and desires; but often I let myself be taken up by the anxieties of daily life. Sorry Lord, but at least here I am right now, hungry for you alone. Today, Lord, I accompany the whole Church as we begin the Advent Season and begin to prepare for your coming to earth as a baby on Christmas morning.

Petition: Lord, prepare my heart for your coming at Christmas.

The World Then and Now: When Christ came to earth 2,000 years ago he encountered a world similar to the one we live in: far from God and full of anxiety. The lives of many people of Christ’s time were devoid of meaning because God had not yet sent his Son into the world. Today, as then, our world often lives as if Christ had never come to earth. But hope is not lost. Christ is our hope! Is my life full of meaning rooted in Christ’s saving message, or do I permit worries and selfish desires to choke my spirit?

Christ Is Coming: Advent and Christmas are all about Christ coming to earth to give us hope. On that cold, quiet, star-filled winter’s night in a little, poor cave in Bethlehem, God was born into our world. The Almighty came into the world as a small, poor, innocent baby adored only by his mother and father and some animals. Yes, this child is the reason for our hope, infinite hope, because he is an infinite God making an infinite act of love for us. To permit my soul to be filled with this quiet, gentle hope, what noise within my heart first needs to be shut off?

A Heart Checkup: Surprises can be pleasant, like an unexpected birthday party or a successful close on a big business deal. But they can also be unpleasant, like the pop quiz given at school or a sudden car accident. Will Christmas take me by surprise this year? The good news is that I know that he is coming: less than a month away. Christ tells us, “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy and thus allow that day to catch you by surprise.” Advent is a time to wake up to Christ in our life. We need to prepare our hearts for his coming on Christmas morning so that he can be received by us with warmth and joy. Christ is the reason for the season!

Conversation with Christ: Lord, help me during this Advent Season, which begins today, to see that the priority in my life is preparing myself and those around me for a truly “spiritual” Christmas. I know it is a busy time of year. Help me remain focused on what is essential — you being born into our hearts.

Resolution: I will begin some form of daily Advent reminder for myself and those I live with so we can prepare our hearts for Christmas: Advent wreath, Advent calendar, Jesse Tree etc.

Scripture Speaks: First Sunday of Advent

Gayle Somers

On this first Advent Sunday, our readings direct us to the Lord’s Second Coming, not His first. Why?

Gospel (Read Lk 21:25-28, 34-36)

We must know the context of our Gospel reading today to truly understand its meaning. Earlier in the chapter (see Lk 21:20-24), Jesus describes for His disciples a catastrophic event that will take place within their lifetimes (see vs. 32). Jerusalem and its Temple would be destroyed by “the Gentiles.” Those days would be filled with horror. The Christians were to “flee to the mountains” when they see the city surrounded by armies. This must have given the disciples, all Jews, a jolt. Leave the holy city of Jerusalem when it is attacked? How could any devout Jew do this? Surely this instruction from Jesus was the first hint that the relationship Jewish believers had with the Old Covenant was about to undergo a dramatic change. [Note: We know from extra-biblical historical writings that the Jewish Christians did flee when the Romans arrived, because of these words of Jesus; they all survived the assault.]

Jesus described the destruction of the city and the Temple in the language and symbolism of Old Testament prophecies that had foretold the first time God visited His judgment that way on His people, at the time of the Babylonian Exile. It is important to recognize this. The apocalyptic language, so familiar to His disciples, helped them understand that the coming catastrophe was a judgment against Jerusalem for its rejection of the Messiah. That was why believers were to flee. The Old Covenant was coming to an end; the New Covenant would take its place. When the Romans encircled and sacked Jerusalem in 70 A.D., destroying forever the Old Temple, they were actually agents of God’s just judgment on His faithless, disobedient people.

So, why are we thinking about all this history on the first Sunday of Advent? A quote from the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible (pg 60) might help:

Like many religions in the Near East, the Israelites regarded their Temple as a miniature replica or microcosm of the world; it was an architectural model of the universe fashioned by God. Conversely, the universe itself was a macrotemple, where God also dwells with His people. This is best summarized by the Psalmist, “He built His sanctuary like the high heavens, like the earth, which He has founded forever” (Ps 78:69)…These considerations help make sense of Jesus’ words in their historical context. With the dawning of the New Covenant, God had to clear away the central symbol of the Old Covenant, the Temple. The Church is God’s new and spiritual Temple, built with the living stones of Christian believers (Mt. 16:18, Eph 2:20-22; 1 Pet 2:4-5). In this light, the devastation of the Temple and the judgment of Israel in A.D. 70 can be seen as an overture to greater things. That is, the termination of the Old Covenant world prefigures the destruction of the universe, God’s macrotemple, and the judgment of all nations by Christ (cf. 2 Pet 3:5-7). Thus, Jesus’ Olivet Discourse (Mt 24-25) is initially fulfilled in the first century, as He said (Mt 24:34). But embedded in Christ’s words are spiritual truths that point forward to His Second Coming in glory and the end of the visible world.

The destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70 points forward to the return of Jesus at the end of time—at an hour we do not know. So, just as Israel waited many centuries for the first Advent of Jesus, the Messiah,

we are now waiting for His second Advent. The Church gives us a whole season to ponder this. Therefore, we should pay close attention to what Jesus tells His disciples as they had to wait for the coming time of tribulation, for we are likewise in need of His instruction: “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life.” We should notice that His concern for His followers is not food and weapons shortages, vigilante groups to ward off the Romans, or political posturing. No, He wants their heartsto be unencumbered. He wants them to be “vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent.” The preparations He urges on His followers are spiritual, not physical. This is our Advent work. We have four weeks to check our hearts for distractions, entanglements, and preoccupations that cloud our minds and siphon our energy away from growth in faith, hope, and love—the only preparation that will enable us to “stand before the Son of Man” when, once again, He comes to a people who long to see His face.

Possible response: Lord Jesus, in so much of my life, I seem to be waiting for something. Advent reminds me I’m waiting for You!

First Reading (Read Jer 33:14-15)

Jeremiah was a prophet who had to deliver to the Jews the terrible news of God’s first judgment on Jerusalem and the Temple, in about the 6^thcentury B.C. However, in this reading, God makes a remarkable promise that is full of hope: “I will raise up for David a just shoot… In those days Judah shall be safe and Jerusalem shall dwell secure.” Did God keep this promise? We know that Jerusalem and the Temple were both destroyed within a generation of Jesus’ prophetic announcement. Because of how Judah’s history unfolded, we know that the fulfillment of this promise was much deeper than the protection of a territory or a building. Jesus, the “just shoot” of David, reigns now over a new Jerusalem, which is the Church. He and all who are baptized into Him form the new Temple, where true worship of God takes place. The season of Advent reminds us that we are still waiting for the full manifestation of this triumphant Kingdom. It is present in the world now in a veiled way, but someday, all creation will see and exclaim, “The LORD our justice.”

Possible response: Heavenly Father, our long wait for the return of Your Son is not “if” He comes, but “when.” Thank You for always keeping Your promises.

Psalm (Read Ps 25:4-5, 8-10, 14)

This psalm gives crystal clarity to what our preparation is to be as we wait for the Day of the Lord: “Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and for You I wait all the day.” Our focus in this time of waiting is always to be on God and His will for our lives—this day, this hour. If we ponder this psalm, it will protect us from indifference, sloth, and self-satisfaction as we wait. It will also keep us from wasting energy on wondering how prepared others are for that Day—always a temptation. Sometimes we can look at our culture, our neighbors, and even our family members with an eye of judgment. We worry about the sin of others rather than our own. During this Advent, we can resolve to work only on ourselves; our antiphon is an excellent Advent prayer: “To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.”

Possible response: The psalm is, itself, a response to our other readings. Read it again prayerfully to make it your own.

Second Reading (Read 1 Thess 3:12-4:2)

Context will help us understand this reading, as it did with our Gospel. This is the earliest epistle written by St. Paul in the New Testament. It is addressed to a church he established after he preached the Gospel in Thessalonica on one of his missionary journeys. It is full of instructions for daily living for new converts. It is deeply pastoral in nature. These new Christians had many questions, especially about the Second Coming of Jesus. At least once in every chapter, St. Paul mentions the return of Jesus in glory.

When we know this, we can take note of the emphasis in the verses of our reading—it is entirely on growing in holiness. A true, sound preparation for the Lord’s Second Coming, whenever it happens, always includes striving to “increase and abound in love for one another and for all… to be blameless in holiness… at the coming of our Lord Jesus.” This emphasis is consistent with Jesus’ teaching in our Gospel. We are not to bog down in timetables, in discerning supernatural or cosmic signs, political machinations, or idleness as we wait for Jesus to come for us. No, we should make every effort to conduct ourselves “to please God.”

Advent gives us a fresh start on a new year of preparation. May we use it wisely.

Possible response: Lord Jesus, help me welcome another year in which to know and love You and to love others for Your sake.

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Espanol

All Issues > Volume 35, Issue 1

<< Sunday, December 2, 2018 >>

First Sunday of Advent

Jeremiah 33:14-16
1 Thessalonians 3:12-�4:2
View Readings

Psalm 25:4-5, 8-10, 14
Luke 21:25-28, 34-36
Similar Reflections

Please read: Donations appeal letter for 2018

THE NECESSITY OF ADVENT

"May He strengthen your hearts, making them blameless and holy before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus." �1 Thessalonians 3:13

Happy New Year! This is the first day of the Church's year and the beginning of the Advent season. "This holy season teaches us that Christ's coming was not only for the benefit of His contemporaries; His power has still to be communicated to us all" (from a pastoral letter by St. Charles Borromeo, read at the Office of Readings for Monday of the first week of Advent). The purpose of Advent is to prepare us for a deep, personal, life-changing, world-shaking encounter with Christ this Christmas season.

For thousands of years, people have been preparing for Christ's coming and for almost seventeen hundred years have been celebrating Advent. The Holy Spirit has taught the Church that to prepare for Christ, we must:

Pray the Mass with so much love that Mass becomes the center of our lives. Thus, we have the word, "Christ-Mass."
Be immersed in repentance and express this by Advent Confession(s) (see Lk 3:3ff).
Abide in God's Word (Jn 8:31) and share His Word. This is the origin of Christmas cards.
Do penance, especially fasting. This is the connotation of the Advent color, purple.
Do good deeds, especially almsgiving. This is the origin of Christmas gift-giving.

Christ is coming in a new way this Christmas. Get ready this Advent.

Prayer: Jesus, I accept You as Lord of my life and of my Advent.

Promise: "Be on guard lest your spirits become bloated with indulgence and drunkenness and worldly cares. The great day will suddenly close in on you like a trap." —Lk 21:34

Praise: Praise You, risen Lord Jesus, holy and victorious. Come, Emmanuel. Maranatha!