November 29, 2015

 1st Sunday in Advent C Jeremiah 33: 14-16; 1 Thessalonians 3:12 - 4: 2; Luke 21: 25-28, 34-36 It’s Advent...what will I be doing spiritually? So often I’m busy thinking of Christmas: sending out cards...gift shopping...Penance services...homily preparations...trying to find time to be still...responding to the invitations to ‘stop by’...all of these take time and time is vastly reduced during this season. AND the readings tell me to focus on this Advent season as being a time of watchful waiting. This seems to be a task that just can’t be accomplished the way I would like it. I’m thinking of a different twist to my Advent this year: what prevents me from being holy? The readings can help me with this. The first reading today is taken from the prophet Jeremiah. Now God sent him to shape and form the people of Israel into an inspiring example of faith. He was told to build the people up just as a potter takes a clump of clay and molds it and forms it into something recognizable. Well, the people were just too busy and didn’t listen to Jeremiah. But the ideals that he wrote about would come about later...today’s reading describes this. He tells us that God will fulfill the promises that He made to David centuries earlier. David was told to build a house for God...but God would be the builder. The people waited and still ‘no house’. David’s line would remain, even if individuals in that line failed. In this reading Jeremiah predicts how God will raise ‘a just shoot’ in the royal family tree. Unlike others who assumed the throne, this King would do what is right and just...this King will be guided by God’s word. All sorts of questions arise from this oracle: how will it happen... when will it happen...what are the people do as they wait? These are good questions for me today too. Paul gives me a path of follow when he tells the people of his love for them. He says this can be a model for them. Paul’s love is personal and universal. Is my love personal and universal? Do I ‘program’ my loving to be just to the people I want to love or do I include all people in all love? Paul compliments the Thessalonians by telling them that they please God by their lives, the way they live, the example of love that they show others and He encourages them to continue to be ‘love’. He tells them, “For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.” I know the guidelines that I was given...I know the principles of Jesus...I can hear the Spirit within me direct- ing me to love in each situation that comes up in my life. What am I doing? What is it that I’m letting get in the way of following Jesus’ way? NOW IS THE TIME! THE TASK AT HAND ISN’T FOR LATER! I CAN’T WAIT UNTIL IT IS CONVENIENT! THIS MOMENT IS THE ONLY TIME I HAVE! Why do I say this? This is what Jesus is telling me in the Gospel When Luke wrote this Gospel, the communities for which he wrote this were very well aware that the temple of Jerusalem, one of the ‘Wonders of the World’ at that time had been destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. What a shock this was to both the Jewish people and Christians. What would happen next? Luke tells about the predictions that Jesus had made as a prophet about signs that would come next. The language that Luke uses now is apocalyptic which is dramatic, poetic, visionary and symbolic. As I said last week, it is not intended to be understood literally. It points to the ‘dramatic’ coming of the Son of Man who will come in a cloud with great power and glory. We can’t spend time trying to ‘figure it out’ rather it’s a time to listen The passage next quickly moves from different prophetic warnings by Jesus to some very practical advice. WHAT AM I TO DO? Each person must begin a life of preparedness. My house must be in order each and every day. This resonates so abruptly to me: for over a year my house was on the market. I had to keep the counters cleared...keep the house neat...be ready within minutes to do a ‘quick cleaning’ so that perspective buyers would come into a well presented house. I had to be serious about this, and I was. Jesus is telling me that since I am a follower I must take seriously the day that is coming in my life...the day of the ending of my earthly life...and the Day of the Lord. As a believer and follower I must continue to know the teachings of Jesus and put them into practice each and every day. This is what it means to be vigilant at all times. How am I doing? This is the task of Advent. The important message of the readings today is that these ‘days’ are not days of dread or worry. When I was little, many of the ‘tales’ and songs about Santa brought some ‘packaged’ fear — ‘You better watch out...you better not cry...’ etc. Jeremiah gives a tremendous amount of assurance that he day when God will come to fulfill His promise is a wonderful special day for those who wait faithfully. Paul foretells day when God will invite each person to a joy-filled life with all the saints in heaven. Jesus sums up the meaning of Advent: Watch and wait for God, not in fear but with joy- ful hope. Isn’t this a wonderful day to come...a day knowing and being filled with this God who has constantly at every moment loved me and showered grace and grace upon me? Faith Catholic provides guidelines and homilies and the reflection from today’s guest preacher says, “Stand secure before the Son of Man? How can we stand secure? We will be standing there before Him without our bank accounts and security fences. All you and I will have at that moment, when we face the Son of God, will be our memories. It is from them that we will draw up our accounts, that we will find the records of our lives. I want to share what I’d like to have in my own account when I die: —First, I would like to have love for people, particularly the hurting, the rejected - those without privilege and those who have experienced pain and loss. I’d like the record to show that I wasn’t angry or haughty towards others. —Second, I’d like the record of my life to show sensitivity, respect, tender loving care and humility in my relationships. — Third, reliance on the power of God would be an important part of my portfolio as I face Christ. I hope there will be many entries revealing times when I let God be God, when I relinquished my desire to control outcomes, to control other people’s decisions, to control the events of my life. —Finally, I would stand a whole lot more secure before the Son of Man if I could simply continue the conversation we had already been having for a good portion of my life one earth. Wouldn’t it be lovely to meet Christ face to face and discover that He was always near to me, and was my dear friend all along throughout my life here on earth?” That is a wonderful scene...if I’m prepared. What can I do this Advent to foster my preparedness? Sr Sandra DeGidio OSM says, “In this Advent season of watchful waiting for the coming of Christ, joy is waiting for us, peace is waiting for us. As we prepare to celebrate the Liturgy of the Eucharist, let us remind ourselves that the treasures of inner peace and joy can remain constant inner lives. Christ comes into our hearts and assures us that He is the Prince of Peace and Cause of Our Joy. “