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Each of the four Gospel writers wrote their Gospels from a specific vantage point and usually with a particular audience of readers in mind. The Gospel writer for lectionary Cycle C, Luke, wrote his Gospel in the middle 80's CE. Luke was probably a non-Jew who wrote to offer those who were already Christians help in understanding their faith. Luke stresses the mercy and compassion of Jesus and that the Christian message is for everyone: Gentiles, men, women, rich, poor, etc. Luke constantly reminds his readers of the joy that is shared by those who experience God's forgiving love in Jesus and emphasizes the role of the Holy Spirit in Jesus' life.

During Advent the Gospel readings from Luke highlight:
· the constant prayer needed by disciples to remain faithful to their mission
· the call of Christians to be advocates of justice (hesed)
· John the Baptist's call to repentance and penance
· the tension of maintaining the proper balance between passive waiting and proactive waiting
· Advent's wake-up call to the world-a countercultural plea to engage in the deeper meaning of the season.

The Gospel for the first Sunday of Advent deals with two primary issues: the need to give witness to Christ in the face of impending religious persecution and the necessity of persevering while waiting for his return.

The Gospel for the second Sunday of Advent introduces us to John the Baptist who called for a baptism of repentance. John called for nothing less than a complete metanoia, a turning away from sin and a turning toward the God who transforms and heals.

In the Gospel for the third Sunday of Advent, Luke insists on practical commitments when it comes to issues of conversion. Neither tax collector nor soldier was to exploit for purposes of self-gain. The citizens on the other hand were to act justly toward the needy.

On the last Sunday of Advent, Mary and Elizabeth, two great women of Scripture, listen to God and become the ultimate paradigm of disciple.

2 posted on 11/29/2003 9:07:41 AM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: All
Advent at a Glance Let's explore the central themes of Advent as presented through Luke's wisdom and experience.

1. Luke's community seeks to deal with the pastoral reality that Jesus' return is not as imminent as the earlier church community believed. Luke was concerned with issues of relationship, relationship with God and with one another, while still focusing on and hoping for the parousia. The end would come soon enough; disciples must keep a watchful, hopeful vigil, but they must also maintain an active pryer life if they are to withstand the temptations of their present reality. Only through constant prayer will the work of transformation and ongoing relationship with Christ grow.

>> How can Advent be a time of renewed prayer for myself and my community?

2. The Scriptures of Advent challenge us to wait for the day of the Lord, but they also demand that justice reign. In the biblical sense, justice (Hebrew: hesed) refers to right relationship with God as evidenced by one's behavior toward God and God's people. The demands of justice are not suggestions, they are commands. Advent asks the tough question: How are we living hesed relationships with our God? If we are God's people, if we are in covenant relationship with God, then we must be advocates of justice wherever injustice takes center stage.

>> How can Advent be a time of renewing our understanding of justice and practicing it more fully?

3. Another theme that echoes through the season is penance. God's people are to recognize, name, and lament over the evil that permeates the world and work to eradicate it. Throughout Advent we hear the ancient prophets who cry, "Repent and change your lives!" The prophets' cry is as relevant today as it was then. They foretold the light that would shine in the darkness. Christ is that light. We are to embrace the light and become the light of Christ in the world.

>> How can Advent be a time of chasing away the darkness in our lives and in our world?

4. Advent explores two realities: the kingdom here and now and the kingdom yet to come. We live in the midst of that tension. We struggle just as Luke struggled to maintain the proper balance between passive waiting and proactive waiting. When we are proactive we cooperate in the work of history making. We enter salvation history with God and seek to alter injustice when we see it. We enter the struggle of the kingdom here and now with a vigilant eye and hopeful anticipation of the kingdom yet to come.

>> How can Advent be a time of entering into salvation history with God?

5. Advent is a wake-up call to the world. Advent's message is a countercultural plea to engage in the deeper meaning of the season. It is a mandate to reflect upon and prepare for the second coming of Christ while looking forward to the celebration of the incarnation, the ultimate gift of God's personhood to the world. We can do nothing less than ask ourselves the questions of human response and responsibility in the face of such a gratuitous gift.

>> How can Advent be a time of challenging the values of our culture that are not in harmony with Gospel values?

[Adapted from Word and Worship Workbook for Year C. Mary Birmingham. New York: Paulist Press, 1998, pp. 44-45.]

3 posted on 11/29/2003 9:16:33 AM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: Salvation
80's CE??? In an essay discussing Advent? The propaganda is pervasive. Resist!
11 posted on 11/30/2003 5:21:28 AM PST by attagirl
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