HOMILIES

Dear Audience,
For better understanding of the spiritual message behind this homily I kindly remind you to first read and contemplate the biblical texts before reading or listening to my preaching - a human reflection on the Word of God!

First Sunday of Advent (Year C)

Dec 1, 2024

539

Listen Read

First Reading

A reading from the Book of Jeremiah (33:14–16)

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness.”

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalms of David (25:4–5, 8–10, 14)

(R) To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long. (R)

Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. (R)

All the paths of the Lordare steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his decrees. The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes his covenant known to them. (R)

Second Reading

A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians (3:12–4:2)

And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

Finally, brothers and sisters, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus that, as you learned from us how you ought to live and to please God as, in fact, you are doing, you should do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Gospel

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (21:25–28, 34–36)

Jesus said, “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see "the Son of Man coming in a cloud" with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

“Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

(P) The Gospel of the Lord.
(R) Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily

Here we are, once again, at the very beginning of another liturgical or church year: the Advent Season that lasts for four weeks leading up to Christmas. The word "Advent" is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning "coming". It refers to the coming of Jesus Christ into the world which encompasses past, present, and future. The first coming of Jesus has already happened over two thousand years ago in the town of Bethlehem. He was born into our history, at an appointed time in the past. Our preparation to celebrate His birth gives us a special opportunity for deeper reflection. Even though it is a "past" historical event, this coming of God in the person of Jesus Christ is relevant to the whole world, because it is still through this first coming that mankind finds God, and finds salvation today.

The second coming of Christ refers to the future return of Christ in power and glory when it is believed that He will set up His kingdom, judge His enemies, and reward the faithful, the living and the dead. It is supposed to occur when the world is at its worst. Early Christians believed the second coming to be both frightening and inevitable, and since then all Christians believe that the visible appearance of Jesus may occur at any moment and that we should be ever ready for it.

The third coming of Christ refers to the coming here and now, that is, the times whenever we need him to be present. First of all, Jesus comes when we turn our hearts to Him and seek His voice, cry out to Him for help. He has promised His presence with two or three gathered together, Matthew (18:20). Secondly, He comes to us in the Holy Eucharist. He is truly alive within us when we receive His Body and Blood. Thirdly, He is alive and active in us when we read and meditate on His Word. Fourthly, He comes to us whenever our sacrifices and our sufferings unite us with His own mission.

The Gospel of Luke will be the primary Gospel proclaimed this year. However, there's an interesting thing about the beginning of the new year. Today's Gospel is taken from the last chapter before the passion narrative in which Jesus taught in the Temple and, it is about the end times, also called the end of time, end of days, last days, final days, judgement day, reckoning day, doomsday or the Day of the Lord, which as Jesus warns us in today's gospel, will "catch us by surprise like a trap".

Beginning the new year with the ending, that too a frightening scenario because it speaks about the end of time at first might seem strange. On the other hand, that's the way, for instance, we map out a trip. If we want to get somewhere, we start with the ending. We try to figure out how to get to our destination. So, on this first Sunday of Advent, we look to the end time. The gospel therefore, far from spoiling the joyful celebration of the Birth of God's Son, Jesus, the greatest gift of God to humanity, helps to put everything in proper perspective: the whole year, our whole life in perspective.

In the gospel, we hear Jesus speaking to his disciples about the need for awareness and alertness as they would wait for the "coming of the Son of Man with power and glory". This passage marks the conclusion of a lengthy dialogue with His disciples in which Jesus predicted the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, warned about the persecution and tribulations to follow, and identified the signs that will signal His return in glory. However, Jesus urged them that while others would be gripped with fear when these signs happen, they should not fear. Instead, they should be vigilant and ready. They should remain steadfast and unwavering in their faith and hope amidst trials, knowing that God's redemptive plan is unfolding according to His perfect timing. Yet Jesus did not promise His disciples deliverance from anxiety or tribulations. He rather encouraged them to pray for strength until His return.

What is the message for us?

The early Christians did not find consolation in the promise of a utopia, nor should we. In other words, we are not promised a place or state of things in which everything is perfect. Instead, we can find in our Christian faith the means by which we witness God's unfailing love for us in all circumstances. Jesus' predictions about the end times may sound so horrible and scary, but it is not intended to terrify us. Jesus is just stating the truth and reality of our earthly existence: everything in this world is passing. Nothing is permanent. This world and everything in it, is passing. Our life, including our hardships, trials, tribulations, and our body are passing. In the midst of all these passing realities, Jesus is our only assurance and hope for eternity and fullness of life.
In the face of the fragility and contingency of life and of the whole world, Jesus, the Son of Man will come "in a cloud with power and great glory". We do not know when it will happen or when He will come. It doesn't really matter much to us. We must only believe that each of us will one day find ourselves standing before the Lord and that He will welcome us into his kingdom with grace and mercy and gather us around His table to feast at the heavenly banquet with all the saints that have gone before us. When the end comes, we will be lined up before the Lord to be judged.
Like the first Christians, we may be beset on all sides by failure, pain, sin, sickness, and the fear of death, encounter events and circumstances that could lead us to despair. But we can live in joyful hope, for we know our destination. Through prayer, we can find strength and consolation in Jesus' words and in his continuing presence with us to endure all things and to witness to the action of God in our world. Let us, therefore, get our lives in order, so that, just as St Paul tells us in today's second reading, we may be found "blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints".

(P) Amen.

God Bless You!

Content Options

to download the audio file Sign In » or Register ».
generate Google Translate Layout ».
share this homily via:

Top of Page

More Homilies this Month

Use the Prev or Next buttons to read or listen to the other homilies of the month.

« Prev Next » Second Sunday of Advent (Year C)