“Hopeful Longing – Living in The Light”
First Sunday of Advent – A
Advent is a two-directional season. In Advent we look backward and forward. We review where we have been and we l look to where we are going. We review the Scriptures that tell of the waiting that went on before the first coming of Jesus into the world. We also review the Scriptures that tell us of the waiting we must still do for the second coming of Jesus into the world. Advent is a time to look back and look forward.
The mood of this season is one of hopeful longing. Each year at this time, we remember the anticipation of these many generations that led up to the birth of Jesus. We re-read the old, old stories of how our ancestors waited and longed for salvation. Each year, we are challenged to remember that once again we should be waiting and longing for his coming again, not as just a preparation for Christmas but more importantly His coming at the end of time. We should be longing, but are we? Well, that’s what Advent is supposed to do, to jar us into doing: longing for the return of Jesus. And how are we to “hopefully long” for Jesus?
Many people in the world today are more concerned with the fact that there are only 28 days of shopping left until Christmas – and the anxiety begins.
How do I get the house cleaned, shopping done, baking finished, prepare for the parties, etc. all before Christmas? But for us, we are concerned with making sure all the Angels on our Angel Tree are taken care of; or volunteering to assist with the Bounty of Hope here on Christmas Day. One of my favorite prayers is the one that I say immediately after we pray together the Lord’s Prayer at Mass. The priest prays: “Deliver us, Lord from every evil, and grant us peace in our day. Keep us free from sin and protect us from all anxiety, as we await in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.” How do we joyfully long for this returning event? We live and we walk in the Light of Christ by doing our good deeds.
In the first reading, from the Prophet Isaiah, we hear tones of peace, serenity, prosperity and unity and harmony. When the Lord comes again, Isaiah says, there will be peace. Isaiah says that weapons of war will be turned into farming tools, and that nations will not fight against one another every again. Wouldn’t that be so awesome?
St. Paul then, in the second reading, says to “throw off works of darkness and put on the armor of light” He says to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” This means to change our attitudes, to change our outlook, to see the joyful things around us and not concentrate of the negative – those things that bring us anxiety and fear. As St. Paul says: “Brothers and sisters: you know the time; it is now the hour for you to wake from sleep – the day is at hand.”
My sisters and brothers, as we begin a new Liturgical year, let us, in the words of St. Paul: “cast off those works of darkness and put on the armor of light.” Let us prepare for the return of Jesus by living and walking in the Light of Christ. Take an Angel from our Angel Tree or sign-up to work our Bounty of Hope on Christmas morning or pay forward the next time you’re in a drive-thru lane. Or simply lift a parishioner in prayer that you know is having a difficult time right now. Whatever you choose, do so with joy and hopeful longing.