34 “But keep watch on yourselves, or your hearts will become dulled by carousing, drunkenness and the worries of everyday living, and that Day will be sprung upon you suddenly like a trap! 35 For it will close in on everyone, no matter where they live, throughout the whole world. 36 Stay alert, always praying that you will have the strength to escape all the things that will happen and to stand in the presence of the Son of Man.”
1st Sunday of AdventBe vigilant at all times.… Your redemption is at hand. (Luke 21:36, 28)
So begins another Advent—with words of warning to stay alert, but also with words of confident reassurance. Isn’t it funny how we are so quick to focus on the verses that sound threatening but lose sight of the ones that remind us how faithful God is and how deeply committed he is to us?
Do you believe that right now, God wants nothing but good things for you? After all, he has been pouring out grace on his people for millennia. From the very beginning, he has been leading us to the day of our “redemption,” so why would he stop now (Luke 21:28)?
In today’s first reading, we see St. Paul praying that the people of Thessalonika will deepen in their love for each other as they wait for the Lord’s return (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13). Paul didn’t say this because he thought that the Thessalonians were doing poorly. Quite the opposite—he begins his letter by praising them for their “work of faith and labor of love” (1:3). Paul wasn’t correcting them or admonishing them; he was congratulating them and urging them to keep up the good work!
The same is true for you. God isn’t upset that your faith in him or your love for other people isn’t greater than it is. He knows your heart; he knows how much you want to please him. He delights in the faith and love that you do have—incomplete though it may be. Now he is urging you to take another step so that you can be even more faith filled and loving.
We are entering Advent, a season of grace when God invites us to journey deeper into his love and his presence. Over the next four weeks, you’ll find numerous opportunities to connect with the Lord, whether it is at Mass, in prayer, or in your encounters with other people. Make the most of them. Trust that each situation is another opportunity for your redemption to unfold even more.
“Lord, draw me closer to you this Advent!” Amen!
Jeremiah 33:14 “Here, the days are coming,” says Adonai, “when I will fulfill this good promise which I have proclaimed for the house of Isra’el and the house of Y’hudah.
15 When those days come, at that time,
I will cause to spring up for David
a Branch of Righteousness.
He will do what is just and right in the land.
16 When those days come, Y’hudah will be saved,
Yerushalayim will live in safety,
and the name given to her will be
Adonai Tzidkenu [Adonai our Righteousness].”
Psalm 25:4 Make me know your ways, Adonai,
teach me your paths.
5 Guide me in your truth, and teach me;
for you are the God who saves me,
my hope is in you all day long.
8 Adonai is good, and he is fair;
this is why he teaches sinners the way [to live],
9 leads the humble to do what is right
and teaches the humble [to live] his way.
10 All Adonai’s paths are grace and truth
to those who keep his covenant and instructions.
14 Adonai relates intimately with those who fear him;
he makes them know his covenant.
1 Thessalonians 3:12 And as for you, may the Lord make you increase and overflow in love toward each other, indeed, toward everyone, just as we do toward you; 13 so that he may give you the inner strength to be blameless, by reason of your holiness, when you stand before God our Father at the coming of our Lord Yeshua with all his angels.
4:1 Therefore, brothers, just as you learned from us how you had to live in order to please God, and just as you are living this way now, we ask you — indeed, united with the Lord Yeshua, we urge you — to keep doing so more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you on the authority of the Lord Yeshua.
---------------------
Questions for Reflection or Discussion:
[Mass Readings:
1st Reading: Jeremiah 33:14 “Here, the days are coming,” says Adonai, “when I will fulfill this good promise which I have proclaimed for the house of Isra’el and the house of Y’hudah.
15 When those days come, at that time,
I will cause to spring up for David
a Branch of Righteousness.
He will do what is just and right in the land.
16 When those days come, Y’hudah will be saved,
Yerushalayim will live in safety,
and the name given to her will be
Adonai Tzidkenu [Adonai our Righteousness].”
Responsorial: Psalm 25:4 Make me know your ways, Adonai,
teach me your paths.
5 Guide me in your truth, and teach me;
for you are the God who saves me,
my hope is in you all day long.
8 Adonai is good, and he is fair;
this is why he teaches sinners the way [to live],
9 leads the humble to do what is right
and teaches the humble [to live] his way.
10 All Adonai’s paths are grace and truth
to those who keep his covenant and instructions.
14 Adonai relates intimately with those who fear him;
he makes them know his covenant.
Gospel: Luke 21:25 “There will appear signs in the sun, moon and stars; and on earth, nations will be in anxiety and bewilderment at the sound and surge of the sea, 26 as people faint with fear at the prospect of what is overtaking the world; for the powers in heaven will be shaken.[Luke 21:26 Haggai 2:6, 21] 27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with tremendous power and glory.[Luke 21:27 Daniel 7:13–14] 28 When these things start to happen, stand up and hold your heads high; because you are about to be liberated!”
34 “But keep watch on yourselves, or your hearts will become dulled by carousing, drunkenness and the worries of everyday living, and that Day will be sprung upon you suddenly like a trap! 35 For it will close in on everyone, no matter where they live, throughout the whole world. 36 Stay alert, always praying that you will have the strength to escape all the things that will happen and to stand in the presence of the Son of Man.”
2nd Reading: 1 Thessalonians 3:12 And as for you, may the Lord make you increase and overflow in love toward each other, indeed, toward everyone, just as we do toward you; 13 so that he may give you the inner strength to be blameless, by reason of your holiness, when you stand before God our Father at the coming of our Lord Yeshua with all his angels.
4:1 Therefore, brothers, just as you learned from us how you had to live in order to please God, and just as you are living this way now, we ask you — indeed, united with the Lord Yeshua, we urge you — to keep doing so more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you on the authority of the Lord Yeshua.]
---------------------
1. The first reading opens with these words of great promise and warning: “The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah.” How would you describe the fulfillment of that promise? As you prepare your heart to celebrate the coming of the Lord at Christmas this year, what additional steps can you take to commit your life to Him in a deeper way?
2. In the Responsorial Psalm, we ask God to “make known” to us his “ways,” to “teach” us his “paths”, and to “guide” us in his “truth” (Psalm 25:4-5). In what ways does God teach and reveal his intentions to you? What can you do each day, especially during Advent, to be more attentive to his promptings?
3. In the second reading, St. Paul exhorts his brothers and sisters in Thessalonica to “increase and abound in love for one another and for all.” He goes on to say that loving one another is the key to “being blameless in holiness” at the “coming of our Lord Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13). Why is there such a strong relationship between love and being ready to receive Christ at his “coming”? What are some practical steps you can take to demonstrate more deeply Christ’s love, and your love, to your family and to others? In what way will this love in action help them to be more ready to receive Christ?
4. The Gospel reading focuses on the difficult signs that will occur prior to Jesus’ Second Coming, rather than on his First Coming at Christmas? Why do you think that is so? How would you describe the similarities and differences between his First and Second Coming?
5. In the Gospel, with regard to the signs that will arise during the end times and the final return of Christ, we are cautioned to be “vigilant,” so that day doesn’t catch us “by surprise like a trap” (Luke 21:34). What does being vigilant mean to you? There are many things that can keep us from being vigilant, e.g., sin, temptations, distractions of the world, and fear and anxiety. What are some things you can do to overcome and root out any of the obstacles that can cause you not to be vigilant?
6. The meditation ends with these words: “We are entering Advent, a season of grace when God invites us to journey deeper into his love and his presence. Over the next four weeks, you’ll find numerous opportunities to connect with the Lord, whether it is at Mass, in prayer, or in your encounters with other people. Make the most of them. Trust that each situation is another opportunity for your redemption to unfold even more.” What additional steps can you take during this grace-filled season of Advent to deepen your relationship with the Lord through prayer, the sacraments, Scripture reading, and fellowship with other brothers and sisters in Christ?
7. Take some time now to pray and ask the Lord to use this Advent Season to draw you closer to him and to prepare your heart to receive him more deeply this Christmas, and when he comes again in glory. Use the prayer at the end of the meditation as the starting point.
“Lord, draw me closer to you this Advent!” Amen!
---------------------
No comments:
Post a Comment