Reflections for First Sunday of Advent

 1 Reading: Is 63:16b-17, 64:2-7

2 Reading: 1 Cor 1:3-9

Gospel: Mk 13:33-37

Today, we begin a great season of Advent and also a new Liturgical Year Cycle. The word ‘Advent’ comes from the Latin word ‘adventus’ which means coming. There are four Sundays in the season of Advent and each of them are focused on a particular theme, i.e.: Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. Our 1^st Sunday of Advent focusses much on the theme of ‘Hope’. Our Lord Jesus Christ is coming and this season is intended to be a time of preparation for his arrival. Jesus came and he is coming again. This season helps us to prepare our hearts to receive Jesus Christ through prayer and good deeds. In this time of Advent, all of us are called to be vigilant and prepared in our lives, to be truly worthy and ready to celebrate the true joy of Christmas.

Our today’s readings, focus much on the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Since we do not know the hour when he will come, we are invited to be watchful and ready. Advent is a time of intent waiting, a time of prayer. Prophet Isaiah in our First reading remorsefully reminds the people of Israel and Judah, showing regret and awareness of their sinfulness which had caused them to be distanced from God. Despite this, because of the mercifulness of the Father, God did not give up on them but continued to love them. 

St Paul in the 2nd reading reminds and encourages the Corinthians to hold fast on to their faith in the Lord. Paul encourages them to continue living their lives worthily of the Lord because of everything they had received; the assurance, strength and the providence in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ in the Gospel elaborates clearly on the nature of the Advent preparation and commemoration. Jesus compares it with an unexpected scene which nobody knows when it will occur. Therefore, we should not be ignorant of the signs of time, as the coming of the time of reckoning and judgement will come at a time least expected by everyone, and no one knows exactly except the Lord himself, when this moment will come. Vigilance is the only remedy to this. This vigilance and preparation involve being righteous, virtuous and prayerful. We are all expecting this great moment when the Lord will come again and therefore preparation is really needed.

The message of Advent is an invitation, calling us to be looking forward, to be ready, to be prepared and we are also called upon to wait in joyful hope. Patience or waiting is something that majority of us find it hard to uphold. As we are in this season, if we do not develop this virtue, we may end up missing the point. Above all, as we are easily taken up with the Christmas Festivities, let us keep this in our mind that we should try to bring the Hope of Jesus Christ to others.

MAINA W ELIAS

III Year Theology