December 1
First Sunday of Advent
“To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.”
Readings
Reflection
On the first Sunday of Advent, the theme is anticipation. We are waiting in joyful hope for the coming of the baby Jesus. The knowledge that Jesus came to earth as both a child and the Word Incarnate over two thousand years ago gives us a sense of peace and hope for the world. We also recognize that he will come again at the end of time to save mankind from their own sin, defeating the forces of evil in the final battle between goodness and sinfulness.
Not only does the advent of Jesus open up the world to joyful things, but in the first reading today from the prophet Jeremiah we read that the Father is about to fulfill the promise which he had made to the Houses of Israel and Judah. He is about to raise up the great successor to David which he had promised and whose kingdom shall last forever. In the second reading from his first letter to the Thessalonians, St Paul urges us to grow in love as we await the coming of Christ.
In the gospel, Jesus tells us to always stand ready for the moment when he returns. If we are ready and attentive to our Christian duties, then we will have nothing to fear. It is those people who do not have faith who will be most powerfully affected by the events at the end of the world. But those of us who are true believers in the Lord will be able to bravely stand with Jesus and the forces of good when that final battle begins.
Let us not lose the magic of the season of Advent. It is a time of a heightened sense of community and kindness between people. People smile a little more, speak kindly a little more, and engage in traditionally heartwarming activities with their families. Each Advent, as we await this rebirth of Jesus in our lives, we must seek to prepare for that wondrous coming of our Lord Jesus in the form of a little child by making love a greater part of the way in which we live.
Peace,
Deacon Dare
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