First Reading
Jeremiah 33:14-16
The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah. In those days, in that time, I will raise up for David a just shoot; he shall do what is right and just in the land. In those days Judah shall be safe and Jerusalem shall dwell secure; this is what they shall call her: “The Lord our justice.”
Second Reading
1 Thessalonians 3:12—4:2
Brothers and sisters: May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you, so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen. Finally, brothers and sisters, we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that, as you received from us how you should conduct yourselves to please God—and as you are conducting yourselves—you do so even more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
Gospel Cycle Cycle C
Luke 21:25-28, 34-36
Jesus said to his disciples: “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand. “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”
God Himself has promised us salvation. God Himself promises to watch over us and to be with us. God never promises us that everything will be wonderful and that we will have everything that we want. Instead, God promises us freedom from sin and life everlasting. These are probably not very exciting ideas in our present age, when no one believes in sin. At least it often appears that way.
Advent is a time for a new beginning. Each of us can look into his or her heart and wonder if we are truly seeking God. The more that we seek to follow Jesus Christ, it seems, the more we realize that we are sinners. This awareness does not make us feel sad about ourselves. Instead, it simply helps us understand that we fall short of what He invites us to live. So as we follow Him, we realize more and more that we need the forgiveness of our sins.
The Book of Jeremiah sets out for us the goal of this Advent. He is our justice. It is not the world that is our justice. It is not the present world that is our justice. It is not the political parties, wherever we are, that are justice. Only God is justice. Only Jesus Christ is justice.
The First Letter to the Thessalonians is so clear this Sunday: brothers and sisters, we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that, as you received from us how you should conduct yourselves to please God—and as you are conducting yourselves—you do so even more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
We know what Jesus calls us to live. All we have to do is open our hearts and our minds. So much of the present world wants to change His words so that whatever civil society calls holy is now holy. This is not the Word of the Lord. The Word of the Lord Jesus is always clear: Repent and believe the Gospel. Live in purity. Live in love of one another, but a chaste love. Serve the poor. Love your enemies. Seek God in all things.
The Gospel of Luke then warns us that the end can come at any time. We have heard this for the past two Sundays, at the end of Ordinary Time. Be vigilant at all times is what we need to hear. Not because we must live in fear, but because we want to grow in love. When the end comes, we want to be people of love.
Advent is the time to prepare our hearts once again so that Christ can continue His Incarnation within each one of us. He wants to possess us entirely and invites us to follow Him. If we follow Him, we becomes strangers to the ways of the world. It is a process. Sometimes He demands that we follow Him immediately. At other times, He invites us. Sometime we cannot resist His call. At other times, we are uneasy about being so radical.
May this Advent transform our lives so that we become completely faithful in the following the Lord Jesus Christ.