Posted on 12/01/2012 9:34:38 PM PST by Salvation
St. Andrew Novena to say from the Feast of St. Andrew until Christmas -- multiple times a day -- focuising us on the real meaning of Christmas. Has anyone done this?
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.
Readings:
Jer 33:14-16
Ps 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14
1 Thes 3:12-4:2
Lk 21:25-28, 34-36
We preach not one advent only of Christ, wrote St. Cyril of Jerusalem in the fourth century, but a second also, far more glorious than the former. For the former gave a view of His patience; but the latter brings with it the crown of a divine kingdom.
The term advent, as well see, is drawn from the New Testament, but when St. Cyril (named a Doctor of the Church in 1883 by Pope Leo XIII) was writing his famous catechetical lectures, the season of Advent was just starting to emerge in fledgling form in Spain and Gaul. During the fifth century, Christians in parts of western Europe began observing a period of ascetical practices leading up to the feasts of Christmas and Epiphany. Advent was observed in Rome beginning in the sixth century, and it was sometimes called the pre-Christian Lent, a time of fasting, more frequent prayer, and additional liturgies.
One of the prayers of the Roman missal from those early centuries says, Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to prepare the ways of Thy only-begotten Son: that by His coming we may be able to serve him with purified minds. This echoes todays reading from St. Pauls first letter to the Christians in Thessalonica, in which he exhorts them to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen.
The Greek word used by St. Paul for coming is parousia, which means presence or coming to a place. The Vulgate translation of the phrase the coming of our Lord Jesus (1 Thess 3:13) is rendered in adventu Domini. The word parousia appears twenty-four times in the New Testament, almost always in reference to the coming or presence of the Lord. It appears in Matthew 24 four times, the only place the term appears in the Gospels; that chapter records the Olivet Discourse, Jesus prophetic warnings about a coming time of trial, destruction, and the coming of the Son of man (Matt 24:27). Todays Gospel reading, from Luke 21, is a parallel passage warning of distress, startling heavenly signs, and the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
What connection is there between the foment of earthly tribulation and cosmic upheaval, and preparations to celebrate Christs birth? If we consider the Christmas story cleared of sentimental wrappings, we see events as dramatic, raw, bloody, and joyous as can be imagined: the birth of Christ, the slaughter of the innocents, the praise of angels, the murderous rage of Herod. Christmas is about birth, but also death; about rejoicing, but also rejection. It is the story of God desired and God denied. It is the story every man has to encounter because it is the story of Gods radical plan of salvation, the entrance of divinity into the dusty ruts and twisting corridors of human history.
Advent orients us to the heart of the Nativitynot in a merely metaphorical way, but through the reality of the liturgy, the Eucharist, the sacramental life of the Church. It is a wake-up call, perhaps even an alarm rousing us from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life. The birth of Christ caught many by surprise. Likewise, we can find ourselves trapped in the darkness of dull living and missing Christs call to raise our heads as salvation approaches.
Advent calls believers to become aware of this truth and to act accordingly, said Pope Benedict XVI in a homily marking the beginning of Advent in 2006. It rings out as a salutary appeal in the days, weeks and months that repeat: Awaken! Remember that God comes! Not yesterday, not tomorrow, but today, now! Jesus told his disciples to be vigilant, prepared, and prayerful.
The same is true for his disciples today, so they might escape the tribulations of spiritual darkness and stand purified and prepared before the Son of Man, the son of Mary.
(This "Opening the Word" column appeared originally in the November 29, 2009, issue of Our Sunday Visitor newspaper.)
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First Sunday of Advent
Matthew Reinhardt, Consecrated Member of Regnum Christi
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Luke 21:25-28, 34-36 Jesus said to his disciples: "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand. Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man." Introductory Prayer: Heavenly Father, I gladly spend a few minutes with you, to be close to you, because you know how much I need your presence and grace in my life. You deserve to be the center of my thoughts and desires; but often I let myself be taken up by the anxieties of daily life. Sorry Lord, but at least here I am right now, hungry for you alone. Today, Lord, I accompany the whole Church as we begin the Advent Season and begin to prepare for your coming to earth as a baby on Christmas morning. Petition: Lord, prepare my heart for your coming at Christmas. 1. The World Then and Now: When Christ came to earth 2,000 years ago he encountered a world similar to the one we live in: far from God and full of anxiety. The lives of many people of Christs time were devoid of meaning because God had not yet sent his Son into the world. Today, as then, our world often lives as if Christ had never come to earth. But hope is not lost. Christ is our hope! Is my life full of meaning rooted in Christs saving message, or do I permit worries and selfish desires to choke my spirit? 2. Christ Is Coming: Advent and Christmas are all about Christ coming to earth to give us hope. On that cold, quiet, star-filled winters night in a little, poor cave in Bethlehem, God was born into our world. The Almighty came into the world as a small, poor, innocent baby adored only by his mother and father and some animals. Yes, this child is the reason for our hope, infinite hope, because he is an infinite God making an infinite act of love for us. To permit my soul to be filled with this quiet, gentle hope, what noise within my heart first needs to be shut off? 3. A Heart Checkup: Surprises can be pleasant, like an unexpected birthday party or a successful close on a big business deal. But they can also be unpleasant, like the pop quiz given at school or a sudden car accident. Will Christmas take me by surprise this year? The good news is that I know that he is coming: less than a month away. Christ tells us, Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy and thus allow that day to catch you by surprise. Advent is a time to wake up to Christ in our life. We need to prepare our hearts for his coming on Christmas morning so that he can be received by us with warmth and joy. Christ is the reason for the season! Conversation with Christ: Lord, help me during this Advent Season, which begins today, to see that the priority in my life is preparing myself and those around me for a truly spiritual Christmas. I know it is a busy time of year. Help me remain focused on what is essential -- you being born into our hearts. Resolution: I will begin some form of daily Advent reminder for myself and those I live with so we can prepare our hearts for Christmas: Advent wreath, Advent calendar, Jesse Tree etc. |
The centurion was perhaps a Syrian, certainly a pagan, an officer in the Roman military. He was clearly a good person, an admirable man.
Yet this foreigner must have respected and cared about his Jewish serving boy so much that he wanted him relieved of the dreadful suffering. Furthermore he was willing to open himself to the censure of his superiors and to the behind-the-back remarks of his associates and subordinates by begging humbly to this wandering Jewish healer to cure his Jewish serving boy. But what really astounded Jesus was the solidity and firmness of the mans faith.
Has Jesus found faith like this among us? Advent is a time for strengthening our own faith. Its a time when we renew our faith and trust in Jesus. Perhaps if we work at strengthening our faith, we will be pleased to hear Jesus speak of us, although not as fulsomely as he spoke of the centurion, I have seen your faith grow.
Reflecting on todays Gospel, what hope does this story give us, in our faith and in our relationship with Jesus?
On this first Advent Sunday, our readings direct us to the Lords Second Coming, not His first. Why?
Gospel (Read Lk 21:25-28, 34-36)
We must know the context of our Gospel reading today to truly understand its meaning. Earlier in the chapter (see Lk 21:20-24), Jesus describes for His disciples a catastrophic event that will take place within their lifetimes (see vs. 32). Jerusalem and its Temple would be destroyed by the Gentiles. Those days would be filled with horror. The Christians were to flee to the mountains when they see the city surrounded by armies. This must have given the disciples, all Jews, a jolt. Leave the holy city of Jerusalem when it is attacked? How could any devout Jew do this? Surely this instruction from Jesus was the first hint that the relationship Jewish believers had with the Old Covenant was about to undergo a dramatic change. [Note: We know from extra-biblical historical writings that the Jewish Christians did flee when the Romans arrived, because of these words of Jesus; they all survived the assault.]
Jesus described the destruction of the city and the Temple in the language and symbolism of Old Testament prophecies that had foretold the first time God visited His judgment that way on His people, at the time of the Babylonian Exile. It is important to recognize this. The apocalyptic language, so familiar to His disciples, helped them understand that the coming catastrophe was a judgment against Jerusalem for its rejection of the Messiah. That was why believers were to flee. The Old Covenant was coming to an end; the New Covenant would take its place. When the Romans encircled and sacked Jerusalem in 70 A.D., destroying forever the Old Temple, they were actually agents of Gods just judgment on His faithless, disobedient people.
So, why are we thinking about all this history on the first Sunday of Advent? A quote from the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible (pg 60) might help:
Like many religions in the Near East, the Israelites regarded their Temple as a miniature replica or microcosm of the world; it was an architectural model of the universe fashioned by God. Conversely, the universe itself was a macrotemple, where God also dwells with His people. This is best summarized by the Psalmist, He built His sanctuary like the high heavens, like the earth, which He has founded forever (Ps 78:69) These considerations help make sense of Jesus words in their historical context. With the dawning of the New Covenant, God had to clear away the central symbol of the Old Covenant, the Temple. The Church is Gods new and spiritual Temple, built with the living stones of Christian believers (Mt. 16:18, Eph 2:20-22; 1 Pet 2:4-5). In this light, the devastation of the Temple and the judgment of Israel in A.D. 70 can be seen as an overture to greater things. That is, the termination of the Old Covenant world prefigures the destruction of the universe, Gods macrotemple, and the judgment of all nations by Christ (cf. 2 Pet 3:5-7). Thus, Jesus Olivet Discourse (Mt 24-25) is initially fulfilled in the first century as He said (Mt 24:34). But imbedded in Christs words are spiritual truths that point forward to His Second Coming in glory and the end of the visible world.
The destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70 points forward to the return of Jesus at the end of timeat an hour we do not know. So, just as Israelwaited many centuries for the first Advent of Jesus, we are now waiting for His second Advent. The Church gives us a whole season to ponder this. Therefore, we should pay close attention to what Jesus tells His disciples as they had to wait for the coming time of tribulation, for we are likewise in need of His instruction: Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life. We should notice that His concern for His followers is not food and weapons shortages, vigilante groups to ward off the Romans, or political posturing. No, He wants their hearts to be unencumbered. He wants them to be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent. The preparations He urges on His followers are spiritual, not physical. This is our Advent work. We have four weeks to check our hearts for distractions, entanglements, and preoccupations that cloud our minds and siphon our energy away from growth in faith, hope, and lovethe only preparation that will enable us to stand before the Son of Man when, once again, He comes to a people who long to see His face.
Possible response: Lord Jesus, in so much of my life, I seem to be waiting for something. Advent reminds me Im waiting for You!
First Reading (Read Jer 33:14-15)
Jeremiah was a prophet who had to deliver to the Jews the terrible news of Gods first judgment on Jerusalem and the Temple, in about the 6th century B.C. However, in this reading, God makes a remarkable promise that is full of hope: I will raise up for David a just shoot In those days Judah shall be safe and Jerusalem shall dwell secure. Did God keep this promise? We know that Jerusalem and the Temple were both destroyed within a generation of Jesus prophetic announcement. Because of how Judahs history unfolded, we know that the fulfillment of this promise was much deeper than the protection of a territory or a building. Jesus, the just shoot of David, reigns now over a new Jerusalem, which is the Church. He and all who are baptized into Him form the new Temple, where true worship of God takes place. The season of Advent reminds us that we are still waiting for the full manifestation of this triumphant Kingdom. It is present in the world now in a veiled way, but someday, all creation will see and exclaim, The LORD our justice.
Possible response: Heavenly Father, our long wait for the return of Your Son is not if He comes, but when. Thank You for always keeping Your promises.
Psalm (Read Ps 25:4-5, 8-10, 14)
This psalm gives crystal clarity to what our preparation is to be as we wait for the Day of the Lord: Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and for You I wait all the day. Our focus in this time of waiting is always to be on God and His will for our livesthis day, this hour. If we ponder this psalm, it will protect us from indifference, sloth, and self-satisfaction as we wait. It will also keep us from wasting energy on wondering how prepared others are for that Dayalways a temptation. Sometimes we can look at our culture, our neighbors, and even our family members with an eye of judgment. We worry about the sin of others rather than our own. During this Advent, we can resolve to work only on ourselves; our antiphon is an excellent Advent prayer: To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
Possible response: The psalm is, itself, a response to our other readings. Read it again prayerfully to make it your own.
Second Reading (Read 1 Thess 3:12-4:2)
Context will help us understand this reading, as it did with our Gospel. This is the earliest epistle written by St. Paul in the New Testament. It is addressed to a church he established after he preached the Gospel in Thessalonica on one of his missionary journeys. It is full of instructions for daily living for new converts. It is deeply pastoral in nature. These new Christians had many questions, especially about the Second Coming of Jesus. At least once in every chapter, St. Paul mentions the return of Jesus in glory.
When we know this, we can take note of the emphasis in the verses of our readingit is entirely on growing in holiness. A true, sound preparation for the Lords Second Coming, whenever it happens, always includes striving to increase and abound in love for one another and for all to be blameless in holiness at the coming of our Lord Jesus. This emphasis is consistent with Jesus teaching in our Gospel. We are not to bog down in timetables, in discerning supernatural or cosmic signs, political machinations, or idleness as we wait for Jesus to come for us. No, we should make every effort to conduct ourselves to please God.
Advent gives us a fresh start on a new year of preparation. May we use it wisely.
Possible response: Lord Jesus, help me welcome another year in which to know and love You and to love others for Your sake.
Advent is simply the Latin word for coming. If we can manage to meditate on any coming in December besides the comings and goings of Christmas shopping, it would be Christs coming to Mary in a stable
But the liturgy of the first three weeks of Advent speaks of another coming, the second and final coming of Jesus at the end of time.
From the earliest days of the Church, people have been fascinated by Jesus promise to come back. Many have claimed to recognize the signs of his imminent return and even have tried to predict the actual date. Theyve had some explaining to do when he failed to show up as forecast.
I have news for you. I am absolutely certain that we, today, are truly living in the last days. How do I know? Because weve been living in the last days since Jesus has ascended into heaven (1 John 2:18, 1 Peter 4:7).
When is Jesus coming back? Thats the wrong question. The last trumpet, Jesus riding on the cloudsis all this to be taken symbolically or literally? Wrong question again.
Have you heard the joke about the young priest who rushes into the pastors office and says The Lord has been spotted walking up the aisle of the church. What do we do?
The pastor looks up with alarm and says: For God sake, Father, look busy!
We should not be wasting our time fantasizing and theorizing about dates, or the nature of the rapture or the final tribulation. This is a distraction. Rather, we are not just to look busy but actually be busy preparing the way for his return.
That means being prepared and ready, not weighted down, neutralized, and utterly distracted by the cares of this world (Luke 21: 34-36). It means, as Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 3, to work to make greater progress in the life of holiness, putting on the character of Christ. It also means preparing the way by calling others to faith in Christ, since all baptized Catholics are called to be evangelizers.
The second coming of Christ, like the first, involves a birth. Only this time, it will be the birth of a new heavens and a new earth (2 Peter 3:13; Romans 8:19-23; CCC 1042). Birth is always preceded by labor and travail. In fact birth is a sort of crisis that puts everyone involved to the test. The labor pains to bring one baby to birth are intense enough. Imagine the labor pains prior to the birth of a whole new creation!
With all due respect to the Left Behind fantasies, faithful Christians wont be spared the tribulation preceding His final coming any more than Mary and Joseph were spared the tribulations surrounding his first coming (CCC 672, 1 Cor 7:26). The idea of a secret rapture snatching Christians away from what the Catechism calls the final cosmic upheaval (CCC 677) appears nowhere in the Bible or tradition. It is an idea concocted by a sectarian Protestant teacher in the 19th century and was immediately rejected as dangerous by other Protestant pastors.
Why? Because if we think well be exempted from suffering, then why prepare for it? And when crisis does in fact come, we may buckle under the pressure.
But doesnt all this talk of tribulation put a damper on the festive holiday spirit?
Are parents any less excited about the birth of their first child because they may have to take a Lamaze class or talk to the doctor about pain meds and caesarian sections? There is no birth without labor. So as we rejoice in hope over the imminent new arrival, perhaps we ought to do everything possible to make sure that the labor goes successfully. That way therell be something to rejoice about.
And we better not dilly-dally. It could be any day now.
A new Church year begins with the season of Advent. How can we start this Church year off on the right foot? Human ventures begin with human efforts and plans. The Church, however, is led by Jesus, the Head of the Church (Col 1:18), and so the Church is both human and divine (Catechism, 779). Therefore, God initiates and we follow Him. Here are some keys to the success of this Church year: The Lord's plans for the Church and for us are far "more than we ask or imagine" (Eph 3:20). His "will be done" (Mt 6:10).One Bread, One Body
<< Sunday, December 2, 2012 >>
First Sunday of Advent
Jeremiah 33:14-16
1 Thessalonians 3:124:2
View ReadingsPsalm 25:4-5, 8-10, 14
Luke 21:25-28, 34-36
MARANATHA!
Prayer for the Helpless Unborn
Heavenly Father, in Your love for us, protect against the wickedness of the devil,
those helpless little ones to whom You have given the gift of life.
Touch with pity the hearts of those women pregnant in our world today
who are not thinking of motherhood.
Help them to see that the child they carry is made in Your image
- as well as theirs - made for eternal life.
Dispel their fear and selfishness and give them true womanly hearts
to love their babies and give them birth
and all the needed care that a mother can give.
We ask this through Jesus Christ, Your Son, Our Lord,
Who lives and reigns with You and Holy Spirit,
One God, forever and ever. Amen.
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