The Advent season in its liturgical observance is devoted to the coming of God at the end of history when Jesus shall reign as king. The time is chiefly a celebration of “the coming of God” in ultimate triumph. Our three Scripture readings for the First Sunday of Advent (Year A) challenge us to adopt a timetable in which the seemingly distant parousia (“final coming”) impinges on the present moment. ~ Fr. Tom Rosica
1st Reading: Isaiah 2:1-5
What’s your highest mountain? What’s the most important thing in your life that your directing all your efforts towards? Is God who you worship?
All the tribes will go up – all your mind, will, passion, energies – need to stream toward one right praise of God & you will experience beautiful harmony in your life.
The reason we have interior conflict & sadness is because we are not offering right praise to God alone.
The Isaiah reading is very fitting to begin the Advent season, for we are truly on pilgrimage during the next few weeks – making our long and tedious journey up to the Lord, in order that we may pay him homage and recognize in the Child of Bethlehem just to what length God would go to show us his love. ~ Fr. Tom Rosica
2nd Reading: Romans 13:11-14
Awake from sleep!
The Greek word for sleep is hypnos (13:11)… we can be hypnotized in one way by the normalcy of evil… living in darkness… being asleep from the reality of life.
Noah’s contemporaries were asleep… unprepared for the flood… so caught up in everyday affairs… are you ready for the coming of the Son of Man?
Time
Time is a key theme in the Christian celebration of Advent.
We are living in between the time of the 1st coming and the time of the 2nd coming.
Advent should wake us up. The time is now.
Don’t have time?… well then time is the enemy. We must battle time.
Spiritual Resolutions for the new liturgical year
Happy new year!
During this first week of Advent, choose one activity that will take you out of the “slumber” of commercialism and busyness, and “awaken” a new zeal for the faith. You might attend daily Mass one morning, pray the rosary over the noon hour, or read Scripture instead of watch TV. Make a choice based on what you heard Jesus tell you to do during our prayer time. ~ Opening the Word Series
Meditation for the new year
Take a deep breath and close your eyes. Allow yourself to become still. Now imagine that you have just learned that you are going to die very soon. What is your first thought? What is your first feeling? Hold that thought and the feeling as you take another deep breath. Now see Jesus talking directly to you. Hear him say, “There is still time. Wake up! Stop sleeping your life away!” What areas of your life come to mind as you hear Jesus? Now see him gently touching you on the shoulder and saying, “You have time. So stay alert. Go and….” What is he asking you to do? Listen carefully for his guidance. ~ Opening the Word Series
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