Sunday the 1st of December 2024 - First Sunday of Advent

Jeremiah 33:14-16/ Ps 25(24)/ 1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2/ Luke 21:25-28, 34-36

Today we light the first candle on the Advent wreath. This first candle, which is purple, symbolizes hope. It is sometimes called the “Prophecy Candle” in remembrance of the prophets, especially Isaiah, who foretold the birth of Christ. It represents the expectation felt in anticipation of the coming Messiah.

Last week I once again experienced the joys of travelling by air. All the hassles of getting ready, arriving at the airport early, getting through the tedious security search, boarding the aircraft trying to negotiate a path to my designated seat past people trying to fit their large bags into overhead lockers. Then, to top it all off, I arrived at the destination airport just as a major security alert was starting. No one was able to move anywhere, the means of transport between the terminals had been suspended and the mainline trains that would normally carry thousands of people into and out of the airport were not permitted to stop there. Things rapidly descended into chaos. The result for me was a five hour wait to get a hire car and escape to my destination.

Today we start the time of Advent, a time of waiting, a time of preparing. Unlike my time of waiting at an airport, the Advent time of waiting has a purpose. Waiting for an indeterminate time with nothing to do and with no idea how long it will last is frustrating and time wasting. Our Advent waiting is not like that, it lasts four weeks, it has direction and purpose, and we can clearly see the light at the end of the tunnel, the light of the star pointing the way to the light of Christ coming into our dark world. It is a time of joyful waiting and preparation not miserable frustrated waiting. Advent is a time of hope and anticipation.

The first reading today is about a pending time of doom and destruction for Jerusalem. It encourages those caught up in it to rely on the steadfast support of God in such trying times. When we look around the world today, we see plenty of doom and destruction, but we must put our trust in God, knowing that Jesus has conquered all evil and the plan God has for redemption is being worked through and cannot be thwarted. It is our faith that gives us the hope we have and from that hope grows love, love for God and love for our neighbour. These are the three great lasting things that Paul tells the Corinthians about, faith, hope, and love.

When the world losses faith it leads to a lack of love for neighbour and a selfish lifestyle resulting in a lack of respect for each other and even life itself. We see conflict and war breaking out around the world and law makers abandoning the duty to protect the most vulnerable in society. The baby in the womb, the sick, elderly, and the innocent are all caught up in the quest for the individual to live for themselves alone. Without love we become ultimately self-centred only looking after our own interests without a care for those of others. This is a recipe for the breakdown of society.

With all that is happening in the world it is easy to lose faith and therefore hope as well. It is through our faith that hope is established. Our faith tells us that God has a plan for salvation, salvation that was won by Jesus on the cross. Faith in God’s plan for us will give us the hope we need to overcome the anxieties of this world. With faith there is always hope.

In the Gospel Jesus is calling us to read the signs of the times. There is much perplexity in the world due to the apparent effects of climate change, there is fear and foreboding over the increasing conflicts enveloping the world, the powers of heaven do appear to be shaking. Reading the signs of the times has never been easy and there have always been prophets of doom declaring ‘the end is nigh’ although we do not know when that will be, it is known only to God. The important thing is to remember that our time in this life is short, and it is easy to become weighed down with the cares this life brings. It cannot be good to rely on something that so clearly will come to an end, both for us as individuals and for creation. We need to look beyond this life with its passing pleasures, promises it cannot keep, and distractions that divert us from the truth to our life beyond. As Jesus tells us, we must stay awake, preparing for that time when we will stand before him.

During Advent we can focus on being prepared and full of hope. Pray, go to confession, give to the needy, be ready to meet the Lord who we know is coming, as we pray in the opening prayer for mass today, 'grant us the resolve to run forth to meet Christ with righteous deeds'.

God Bless Brendan