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“Advent and Triumph of Christ” (detail)
by Hans Memling, 1480 |
Readings for the First Sunday of Advent [2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
Readings and Commentary: [4]
As this Advent season begins, we offer this passage from “The Spirit of Advent” by Mark Searle:[5]
“Human beings cannot live without hope. Unlike the animals, we are blessed -or cursed- with the ability to think about the future and to fear our actions to shaping it. So essential is this to human life, that human beings cannot live without hope, without something to live for, without something to look forward to. To be without hope, to have nothing to live for, is to surrender to death in despair. But we can find all sorts of things to live for and we can hope for almost anything: for some measure of success or security, or for the realization of some more or less modest ambition, for our children, that they might be saved from our mistakes and sufferings and find a better life than we have known; for a better world, throwing ourselves into politics or medicine or technology so that future generations might be better off. Not all these forms of hope are selfish; indeed, they have given dignity and purpose to the lives of countless generations.
But one of the reasons why we read the Old Testament during Advent is to learn what to hope for. The peoples of the Old Testament had the courage to hope for big things: that the desert would be turned into fertile land; that their scattered and divided people would eventually be gathered again; that the blind would see, the deaf hear, the lame walk; that not only their own people but all peoples of the earth, would be united in the blessings of everlasting peace. Clearly, their hopes were no different from ours or from any human being’s; lasting peace, tranquil lives, sufficiency of food, an end to suffering, pain and misery.
Thus we hope for the same things as the Old Testament people for their hopes are not yet realized. But we differ from them in two ways. First, the coming of Jesus in history, as a partial fulfillment of God’s promise, immeasurably confirms and strengthens our hope. Secondly, we differ from the Old Testament people because Jesus has revealed to us that God is not afar off, but is already in our midst. Hence the importance in the Advent liturgy of John the Baptist and Mary; because they recognized the new situation, they serve as models for the Church in discerning the presence of our Savior in the world.”
Isaiah 2:1-5
This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz,
saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In days to come,
the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest mountain
and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it;
many peoples shall come and say:
“Come, let us climb the Lord’s mountain,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may instruct us in his ways,
and we may walk in his paths.”
For from Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and impose terms on many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks;
one nation shall not raise the sword against another,
nor shall they train for war again.
O house of Jacob, come,
let us walk in the light of the Lord!
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Commentary on Is 2:1-5
This selection presents Isaiah’s vision of a time of unity, the great messianic destiny. He sees a time when all peoples will recognize God as the one true God and flock to his call. (Isaiah uses the “highest mountain” metaphor in the Hebrew context. High places were places closest to God. Mountain tops frequently were places where altars were built. “Highest” would then be above all others.) The “highest mountain” means that all other beliefs become subservient to the One God. He sees the unity of all the nations under one God and one Messiah.
The prophet sees the Law of the Lord governing all peoples and a time of great peace as a result of the universal unity of people in faithfulness to God. “O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!” Isaiah implores the faithful of the house of Jacob (the Israelites) to fulfill his vision quickly.
CCC: Is 2:2-5 762; Is 2:2-4 64; Is 2:4 2317
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Psalm 122: 1-2, 3-4, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the Lord.”
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
May those who love you prosper!
May peace be within your walls,
prosperity in your buildings.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Because of my brothers and friends
I will say, “Peace be within you!”
Because of the house of the Lord, our God,
I will pray for your good.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
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Commentary on Ps 122: 1-2, 3-4, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
Psalm 122 is a song of praise that anticipates the great procession into God’s house. While the Hebrews would have used this as a literal processional song, we see it as anticipating our entry into the New Jerusalem, the Kingdom of God. It supports Isaiah’s vision of the messianic kingdom (Isaiah 2:1-5); it also points to Jerusalem as the center and source of the law and David’s as the dynasty of this unified kingdom with the Lord our God providing the source of peace.
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Romans 13:11-14
Brothers and sisters:
You know the time;
it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep.
For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed;
the night is advanced, the day is at hand.
Let us then throw off the works of darkness
and put on the armor of light;
let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day,
not in orgies and drunkenness,
not in promiscuity and lust,
not in rivalry and jealousy.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.
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Commentary on Rom 13:11-14
St. Paul calls the Romans to repentance, reminding them that the time of salvation, the day of the Lord’s return, is closer than it was when they first heard the word of God. He calls them to act as children of the light, and to throw off sinfulness. He tells them to put on Christ and become spiritually focused. These verses provide the motivation for the love that he encourages in Romans 13:8-10. "All Christians 'put on' Christ in Baptism (cf. Gal 3:27). Starting with this initial configuration to Christ, they are steadily transformed into him by frequent reception of the sacraments, particularly the sacrament of Penance." [6]
CCC: Rom 12-15 1454, 1971
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Matthew 24:37-44
Jesus said to his disciples:
“As it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
In those days before the flood,
they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage,
up to the day that Noah entered the ark.
They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away.
So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man.
Two men will be out in the field;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Two women will be grinding at the mill;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Therefore, stay awake!
For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.
Be sure of this: if the master of the house
had known the hour of night when the thief was coming,
he would have stayed awake
and not let his house be broken into.
So too, you also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
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Commentary on Mt 24:37-44
St. Matthew’s Gospel shows us the Lord reminding his audience that the people of Noah’s time did not heed the warning of the coming flood and were destroyed because they were unprepared. He speaks of the eschaton, the end times when one person will be taken into the Kingdom of God and another, standing next to them, will be doomed to destruction.
"By associating the terrible events surrounding his Parousia to the great Flood in the days of Noah, Jesus is evoking the purifying, transformative goal God has in mind when intervening so violently in human history: '. . . when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you' (1 Peter 3:20). Despite their terrifying aspects, both the Flood at the beginning of history and the Parousia at its end are to be read as baptismal events, radically transforming the world so that it becomes holier and more acceptable to God." [7]
The second section of the reading gives an analogy of the final judgment being likened to a thief who breaks in at night, unexpected, and makes off with all that is valued. The clear message taken from this reading is the call to preparedness and constant vigilance.
CCC: Mt 24:44 673
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Reflection:
Happy New Year! Indeed, this is what we celebrate today as the old liturgical year ends, and we begin once more the march through the seasons of Christ’s life. We will be walking with him from those first infant steps in Bethlehem and Nazareth to his agonizing trail from Gethsemane to Golgotha. Like the New Year celebration that marks the end of our calendar year, we begin this new liturgical year with hopes and promises. The enormity of what takes place is beautifully captured in our Catechism of the Catholic Church:
522 The coming of God's Son to earth is an event of such immensity that God willed to prepare for it over centuries. He makes everything converge on Christ: all the rituals and sacrifices, figures and symbols of the "First Covenant".195 He announces him through the mouths of the prophets who succeeded one another in Israel. Moreover, he awakens in the hearts of the pagans a dim expectation of this coming.
This eternal announcement is epitomized in the statement found in the Book of Isaiah: “the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills. All nations shall stream toward it.” From far back in our memory, as a people of God, constituted as Christ's living body on earth, we celebrate this season with acts of piety centered on three major efforts:
1. To prepare ourselves worthily to celebrate the anniversary of the Lord's coming into the world as the incarnate God of love.
2. Thus to make our souls fitting abodes for the Redeemer, coming in Holy Communion, and through grace.
3. Thereby to make ourselves ready for his final coming as judge, at death and at the end of the world.[8]
Once again the more modern expression of our Advent mission comes from the Catechism of Catholic Church:
524 When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Savior's first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming.200 By celebrating the precursor's birth and martyrdom, the Church unites herself to his desire: "He must increase, but I must decrease."201
With luck in the United States, the orgy of the commercialization of the season known as “Black Friday” has blunted our focus on the secularization of the season, and we can now focus on what is truly important, our spiritual growth toward becoming a vessel fitting for the Holy Spirit, and a resting place of Christ himself. Our celebration of this festival day surely marks the beginning of our new pledge of fidelity, and our hopes for the year to come. Yet, hopes and faith alone will not accomplish what the Lord wants from us. We must search our hearts and our actions of the past year and select from among our many sinful actions those which, in this year of grace, we will correct. Like a pot used over many years, the stains of use are upon us. We must choose which of those stains to scour clean.
Today, on this solemn feast, let us rejoice with the ancient song “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.” Our Advent season has begun, and our time of introspection is at hand as we await the glorious coming of our Savior and Lord.
Pax
[1] Catechism links are taken from the
Homiletic Directory, published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2] The picture used today is “Advent and Triumph of Christ” by Hans Memling, 1480.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio[4] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[5] Searle, Mark, The Spirit of Advent (
Assembly V. 7-1, © Notre Dame Center for Liturgy, Notre Dame, IN).
[6] The Navarre Bible, Letters of St. Paul (Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003), 127.
[7] Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume III, (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 2012), 735
195 Hebrews 9:15.[8] Mershman, Francis. "Advent." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. (New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 27 Nov. 2010) <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01165a.htm>.200 Cf. Revelation 22:17.201 John 3:30.
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