First Sunday of Advent

V/​ I will turn to you O God, 

R/​ to God who gives joy to my youth

V/​ Give me the Wisdom that sits by your throne; 

R/ that I may be counted among your children

Lord, in your all-providential plan, you have led me to this moment to rediscover me in your Word and Wisdom. Aid me to make this time of meditation and prayer enriching, transforming, and liberating for my well-being and others. Amen!

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YR C

Every Advent starts with the message of hope. ‘Advent, says Pope Benedict XVI, is the season of hope par excellence, in which believers in Christ are invited to remain in watchful and active waiting, nourished by prayer and by the effective commitment to love.’ We must strive this Advent to be united in prayer, so that the substantial hope of Christ living in us becomes a leaven in humanity to bring the longed-for peace and harmony.

We must acknowledge that Pope Francis’s declaration of a “Jubilee Year of Hope” is very apt, given the great uneasiness in our world today. The levels of anxiety and stress reported by health agencies, even for young people are alarming. We are also reminded of wars, floods and natural disasters related to climate change, as well as the dreadful displacement of people across the globe driven by poverty, oppression and abuse of power.

For this reason, on this first Sunday of Advent, year C, the message of the scriptures is a potent antidote to the state of humanity at this time. The reading from Jeremiah, chapter 33 proclaims thus: ‘See the days are coming, it is the Lord who speaks, I am going to fulfil the promise I made to the House of Israel and the House of Judah.  The promise is Peace; Peace as embodied in the promised Christ. The prophecies of Old are fulfilled in the mystery of the Incarnation, which is pivotal to Advent and indeed the entire cycle of manifestation.

Advent replicates the prophetic longing which merges with our great longing for peace in our hearts. The scriptures express it as the waiting in hope, which in the wisdom of St. John of the Cross engenders a “spiritual awakening”, that dispels the dark privation of sin and hatred, heralding a time of mutual understanding and reconciliation. This is prayer, made in faith, that becomes a powerful presence of goodness and light in us, in our family, our friendships and in our world.

In our Gospel according to Luke (21, 25-28,34-36.) we receive a strong word of caution, ‘to watch ourselves or our hearts will be coarsened by debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life.’  St Paul compares this watchfulness to that of the well-armed soldier who does not allow himself to be taken by surprise (cf 1 Thess 5, 4- 11). In the same vein, “our adversary”, says Teresa of Avila in the Way of Perfection, “tries to wreak havoc in whatever way he can; and since he does not devise his tactics without attention to detail, neither should we.” (St Teresa of Avila, The Way to Perfection, 19,13).

To this end, we ought to pay close attention to details of our lives, even to the very simple act of being mindful of God’s Presence whatever comes our way, and aspire always to a higher purpose in how we relate to others. This enkindles hope for humanity, which in turn instil peace and the joy of Christ that the world cannot give. Just as Sin, on the other hand, sows nothing but loneliness, anxiety and sadness in the soul. John of the Cross urges us on to a proactive disposition in our endurance; where there is no love, put love and you’ll find love; where there is no peace seek peace and you’ll have peace; where there is no joy, detach from possession and you’ll be worthy of the Joy the Lord incites in the soul totally resigned in hope.

This is so important for good fellowship, unfailing respect for others and complete confidence in God, whom we know by faith loves us.