December 3
First Sunday of Advent
“Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.”
Readings
Reflection
What is hope? I would suppose we each could define hope in our own way based on our life experiences. We may also base hope on those things we look for in the future.
However today, on this First Sunday of Advent, I would suggest that hope is a theological virtue. Instead of hoping for something to make us happy in this life; a momentary salve, “We desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the Holy Spirit” (CCC 1817).
This type of hope demands that we be active, not passive. We must use the gifts that God the Father gives us that help us to look beyond what we know and experience in our daily lives, towards the eternal kingdom. We may ask how we look for something we have never seen?
The Church tells us that the kingdom is here, but not fully here, meaning that we can see signs of God’s kingdom around us, but that there is more to come. We can only hope and dream about what our future with God will entail. The Advent Season reminds us that we are constantly drawing closer to God because the Christ Child is coming near. For this reason, our minds turn to what can be. To hope and dream about God’s gift to us is active, not passive. God the Father sent Christ among us as the Good Shepherd to lead us gently toward the place in the kingdom. The Season of Advent prepares us for that journey!
Peace,
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