Your Redemption is Near!

(Homily for the 1^st Sunday of Advent Yr. C)

     Today marks the beginning of the new year of the Church, a new liturgical year. What is the liturgical year all about? The liturgical year is the year in the course of which the Church and the Christian community celebrate and meditate the mystery of Christ, from the Incarnation to his Birth, his Passion, Death, Ascension, to the Pentecost. Furthermore, it presents before us, the public life of Jesus, his preaching and miracles, as they are transmitted to us by the evangelists. Be that as it may, the liturgical year is not merely a remembrance or a re-evocation of past events; rather it is rendering actual, present and efficacious now and every time the event of Christ and the mystery of our salvation. Thus, every liturgical year well lived, is a year rich and replete with grace and divine benevolence. The Holy Mother Church, in her wisdom does not want the succession of time in idleness and emptiness, rather she desires that time be enriched and occupied with the events of the redemption wrought by Christ. As such, in the course of the Church’s liturgical year, the ordinary time (kronos) is transformed into a time and moment of grace (kairos) a time of salvation replete with eternity.

     The New liturgical Year begins today with the period of Advent, which was historically instituted for the preparation for Christmas. However, with the passing of time, it acquired a dual significance, as the memorial of the dual coming of the Lord that is his coming among men in the flesh and his coming at the end of time, in glory as Judge and Lord. Advent etymologically means “coming” and historically the word was later used to denote a “visit” of an important figure (like a King to a city), so Advent is a period of preparation for this visit. In St. Bernard’s parlance we can distinguish a triple Advent: First Advent, which is constituted by the Birth of the Saviour, the Incarnation proper. Last Advent will be the future one, the glorious coming of Christ as the Judge of the whole world at the end of time. Intermediary Advent, while in the first and last Advent the coming of Christ is and will be manifest and evident, in the intermediary Advent it is hidden, it is the coming of Christ in the hearts of men. In Christendom, Advent is a four week of anticipation. Anticipation of what or of who? Certainly, the answer to this question will vary from one individual to another, incumbent of course, on individual experiences. For some it could be for a party, for others it could be for vacation or for Christmas bonus. However, these human expectations are not bad in themselves, but there is more to Advent than those vegetative kinds of anticipation. It is a period of preparation for the visit of the Saviour.

   This no doubt introduces us to an important and paramount element of Advent, as a period of expectation, but also of preparation. This second element requires our personal responses. And as such, the pertinent questions we are bound to ask are: What are you preparing for? How are you preparing? Whom are you preparing for? Indeed, these questions bring us face to face with our own existential realities. Some may go to retreat, some may begin to pray more, some become more generous, some indulge in drinking to stupor, some steal and kill and only few really tidy up their lives so that they may become one with the Saviour. We need to prepare ourselves for the coming of our Redeemer; we need to ward off from ourselves all that may be a hindrance for us in this period of spiritual expectancy, of He who is to come, il Veniente. On this idea of ‘coming’ the readings of today converge. In the first reading Yahweh declares through the Prophet Jeremiah thus: “I shall make an upright Branch grow for David, who will do what is just and upright in the country” (v.15). Jesus in his eschatological discourse in the Gospel of St. Luke affirms that “they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory” (v.27). In the second reading St. Paul exalts the Christians of Thessalonica to be prepared for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. 

     The first reading (Jer. 33:14-16) begins with a divine reassurance by the Covenant keeping God, to the Israelites. God says to his people: “Behold, the days are coming...when I will fulfil the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah”. And what is that promise: “I will make a righteous branch to spring forth from David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land” (Jer. 33:15). This wondrous voice of the fulfilment of God’s promise to his people re-echoed in the time and period of despair, in the history of the Israelites, they just returned from exile and upon their arrival they saw everything in ruins. Indeed, the divine reassurance came at the time the people needed it most. The same experience could be applicable to the historical moment we find ourselves today. It does appear we are battered on every side by bitter realities that surround us, ranging from economic and political crises to a near neglect of God. In this moment of despair and despondency, if we turn to God, His reassuring voice and words will resound in our time too. If we wait for him with adequate preparation, He will renew our lives and our society at large. The words of prophet Jeremiah will equally find its fulfilment in us and in our time. In the passage we see the phrase “the Lord is our righteousness”; here righteousness is not an ethical or moral attribute, but the saving act of Yahweh, who accomplishes His words.

     The context was the conquest of Jerusalem by Babylon, and the exile of a good number of the Israelites. The restoration of David’s dynasty that was prophesied by Jeremiah seemed not to have been fulfilled as a result of the long duration of the exile period. However, its partial fulfilment was seen in the return from exile. On the other hand, Christians see the fulfilment of that promises with the coming of the Messiah. The divine promises seem to have been kept on hold and the people were in a state of despair, however, the prophecy of Jeremiah consoles and raised a beacon of hope for them. On the other hand, the fundamental message that prophet Jeremiah intends to communicate to us today is that God is faithful; he maintains and fulfils his promises, which are always promises of good. God comes to the aid of our helplessness and confusion with his liberating and saving action, when and how he desires, and nothing can stop Him.

     In the Gospel passage of St. Luke (Lk. 21:25-28.34-36), we are given a message of consolation and of hope in apocalyptic contents, which apparently instils fear in the listeners. It is ad rem to affirm that the apocalyptic literature has its peculiar style, which requires an adequate interpretative key. Therefore, in today’s passage the intent of the evangelist is not to strike us with fear and anguish, rather he wants us to adopt the attitude of hope, a confident waiting on and for the Saviour, and the certainty that the Lord comes to liberate humanity from evil. And no doubt, this is the pivot around which revolves the whole Advent Season. However, from this passage spring triple invitation for Christians of the first generation and of our own generation: First, “Look up and raise your heads because your redemption is drawing near”. Raising one’s head means to work in freedom with one’s gaze fixed on the freedom God. It is an invitation to stand firm in moments of trial and tribulation. Second, “Take heed yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of life”. The disciples of Jesus have to be attentive like the sentinel in the night and avoid styles of life that contradict the Christian Message. Third, “Watch and pray at all times”. Watching and praying all the times, a Christian makes his or her life to become a continuous advent.

      In the Gospel passage, beyond the apparent terrifying images is a message of consolation and of hope. St. Luke suggests to us the right spirit with which we have to live the Advent Season: ●He invites us to see things and to evaluate situations with the eyes of faith and the Christian hope, therefore, with serenity and joy. ●To always be vigilant and attentive for the “coming of the Lord”.  Therefore, the Gospel indicates two important attitudes for us: To watch and to pray. And these two values are essential in the spirituality of Advent.

     The second reading (1Th. 3:12-4:2) serves as a completion of this day’s discourse on how to live the Advent. St. Paul invites us to rediscover the Christian meaning of our life, which revolves around the call to walk towards sanctity: “And may he so confirm your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless in the sight of our God and Father” (v.13). St. Paul indicated to Christians another practical and concrete way of preparing for the coming of the Lord. He equated the Christian life to a journey, for he invited us “to walk and to please God”. To walk involves a continuous movement towards Him, trying to please Him with good deeds. And if the Christian life is a walk, in advent the walking becomes intense because our Saviour is in view.

    In the second part of his letter the apostle presents some ethical exhortation and some theological problems that are of concern to the nascent community. He reminded his readers of his initial catechesis, which was given “through our Lord Jesus”. Indeed, this Christological title denotes that the catechesis of the Church in general and that of St. Paul in particular is founded on the words of the historical Jesus, and perpetuated today by the Living Lord, the exalted Kyrios.

     Beloved in Christ, in this season beaming with grace, the Christian meaning of time and history are well orchestrated, for us Christians Jesus gives meaning to time. He is the Centre of human history. History has its beginning in Him, for He is the Alpha, and its end, for He is the Omega. Time and history culminate in Him. Without Christ time and history are mere accidents, but with and in Christ they are God’s design, a history of salvation. For us therefore, time is not just a succession of seconds, minutes and hours etc. it is a history directed and governed by God.

     Above all else, however, we need to rediscover and appropriate the spirituality of Advent, and as it is suggestive of the readings of today, ours has to be an existence in expectation for the Veniente. Our entire existence as Christians ought to be lived in a continuous tension and propensity towards the One who is, who was and who is to come (cf. Rev. 1:8). We are called to live the Intermediary Advent with gratitude for His First coming and with an attitude of preparation (to watch and to pray) and of hope towards His Second Coming. Beloved friends, is Advent, let us watch, pray and wait in joyful hope for the One who is to come, the Veniente! May the CHILD of Bethlehem give us enabling grace to earnestly watch and pray for His Coming into our hearts!! Amen!!!

(Fr. Vitus M. C. Unegbu, SC)