Readings: Isaiah 63 :16-17, 19; 64:2-7; 1 Cor. 1:3-9; Mark 13:33-37
Advent is about Waiting in Hope
1. Life is full of periods of waiting. Waiting to be born, to grow up, to start school, to graduate, to begin work. Waiting to get married and to begin a family; and of course, waiting for your first child. There are other waiting periods: waiting to see a doctor, to catch a flight, a cab or waiting for a vaccine that will, hopefully, put an end to Covid-19. Won't that be great! Politically, we wait too: waiting to vote at election, for the results, and also, waiting for the incumbent to concede. If things do not go well with us, we wait in hope for better days. There are always some anticipations associated with the waiting period. Say you are waiting for the results of the test ordered by your doctor: you may be anxious about your prognosis. While we wait, most of the time, we always occupy our time with doing something: read a book, go through face book feeds, play games on your phone or do a puzzle. Advent is a period of waiting in hope for the birth of Christ, while anticipating his second coming. So, what do we do while we engage in the waiting game?
2. On this Sunday we begin the liturgical season of Advent, a term that means “arrival” or “coming”. It is a-four-week-period whereby Christians recall the first coming of Christ in his incarnation at Christmas while anticipating his final coming in glory at the end of time. The purple color used during this season, except for the third Sunday, symbolizes hope, a yearning by God’s people and all creation for the transforming light of Christ. The sense of hope generated by this season portrays a time of darkness and gloom, hence the reason to hope for better days.
3. In the first reading, Isaiah the prophet recounts the return of the children of Israel from captivity in Babylon and their feeling of sadness, loss, depression and desperation. He told them that they were responsible for their misery for they had abandoned the way of the Lord. The task of rebuilding their fallen city was so daunting that the prophet cried out and begged for God’s mercy and forgiveness on the people: “You, Lord, are our father, our redeemer you are named forever. Why do you let us wander, O Lord, from your ways, and harden our hearts so that we fear you not? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your heritage. Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down…”
4. Since we must wait for the coming of Christ both at his birth and at his second coming, what sort of life should we live? According to St. Peter, “Since everything is to be dissolved in this way what sort of persons ought you to be, conducting yourselves in holiness and devotion, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved in flames and the elements melted by fire. But according to his promise we await new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. So then, my friends, while you are waiting do your best to live lives without spot or stain so that he will find you at peace.” (2Peter 3:11-15). St. Paul prays in the second reading that “…you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The Gospel urged us: “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.” Matthew 25:31-46 tells us to give food to the hungry, water to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, cloth the naked, care for the ill and visit those in prison. We are not asked to do the impossible but to do the simple. We are not demanded to execute extra-ordinary tasks, but to do the ordinary things in life extraordinarily well. In short, we should be doing good. “Would that you might meet us doing right, that we were mindful of you in our ways!” (Is.64:4).
5. So dear friends, let us be engaged in sporadic acts of virtues, like being honest, trustworthy, coming to the aid of those unjustly treated and speaking out for the voiceless. Let us deepen our relationship with the Lord during this Advent by praying the rosary with our family, reading at least a chapter of the Gospel of our choice every day. Share a meal with your family and talk about the things that matter. Your sacramental life should, by no means, be ignored, like attending Mass and going to confession so to realign your life with Christ. These will keep us alert and watchful so that the coming of Christ may not take us by surprise. Then we will be ready to be admitted into the wedding feast of the lamb. May it be so for us now and always. Amen.
Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP
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