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(1st Dec 2024) Homily for the First Sunday of Advent

READ: (Jer 33: 14-16; 1 Thes 3: 12-4:2; Lk 21: 25-28, 34-36)

REFLECT: Hope for Justice, spiritual discipline and vigilant prayer…

Dear friends, today we are beginning the season of advent, preparing, expecting in hope, love, peace and joy to welcome Baby Jesus into the world. We are aware as well about the advent wreath, wherein four Sundays of advent, four different candles are lighted, with a different theme like candle of hope, candle of faith, candle of joy and candle of peace. Just as the candle burns brightly, illumines the dark, so also the Light of the world, Jesus, by his birth will light up the world with hope, love, peace and joy and establish a better world for each one to live. So, on the first Sunday of advent, we will be lighting the candle of Hope and in order that our hope is alive and active in God, we need to make a haste but intense preparation of prayer and perseverance. It is for this preparation of a smooth path, for a hopeful future the liturgy of the word invites. So I would like to share with you three points of reflection based on the readings of the day.

1.      Be Just and righteous:

Justice is a concept of ethics and law dealing with people and situations in a fair way equal and balance way with everyone. None of us wish to be justified or treated unjustly. Because, justice demands that we treat each one with dignity, equally and justly. In the bible, we notice that justice and righteousness are often mentioned together because they reflect God’s character and His expectations for humanity. Both Justice and righteousness manifest fairness, integrity, and love. They promote equity, uphold dignity and equality and live according to God’s moral standards. When we practice both we obtain grace through God, to transform our lives and societies. They both ultimately point towards God’s plan of redemption and salvation. Something similar we find in the first reading from Prophet Jeremiah.

The first reading prepares us for a just day for the day of justice. The Lord says through Prophet Jeremiah, “I will raise up a just shoot from the descendent of David, he will do what is right and just in the land, and the Lord is our righteousness. We see here that God promises to cause Just and righteous branch to spring up, to execute justice and righteousness in the land, because the Lord himself is just and righteous. Therefore, a just and righteous God provides us ways and means to execute justice and righteousness through Jesus, the just and righteous Baby. Yes the baby Jesus comes to bring justice on earth and he will treat all of us equally without any discrimination and differences. A just and righteous God only could act on justice and righteousness. But the justice and righteousness of God is different from the concept of the world. Although it is legal and lawful, it arises out of love and mercy of God. So justice and righteousness is the mercy seat of God and loving grace of God we could say.

That’s what Pope Francis very meaningfully states that “It is a justice that comes from love, from the depths of compassion and mercy that are the very heart of God, the Father who is moved when we are oppressed by evil and fall under the weight of sins and fragility. Moreover, Pope Francis exhorts us that we also are called to exercise justice in the same way in our families, communities and the Church. And this means not with harshness, judgment and condemnation, dividing people into the good and the bad, but by focusing on mercy and understanding each other's weaknesses so we can help each other rise above them, in summary, not by dividing, but by sharing.” Yes, God’s justice and righteousness are different from us. We act on it strictly but God handles it with love and mercy. God understands our vulnerability and weakness and comes down to us to help us, to enable us and to take us to himself.

Today, we all know what is happening in the world; justice gets delayed, people are denied justice, people don’t support justice and ignore people who support it. Today, we need to realize that a God of justice and righteousness would bring a just and righteous world, where everyone is recognized and realized of their dignity and reality of life.  Let us believe that God will bring justice on earth, he will prevail justice and righteousness as a tool to measure the quality of life. Let us take to heart that God does not use punitive measures to judge us rather pure measure of love and mercy to live life meaningfully.

2.      Discipline yourselves:

In a moral sense, we all know that to discipline oneself means to practice self-control, establish healthy boundaries, and cultivate habits that align with values, goals, or faith. It even involves making decisions and maintaining focus, even one is faced with challenges, temptations, or distractions. We see disciplining is more significant in all areas of life. It sets the standard of our living; the manners and good behaviors enable us to present ourselves well to the people at different point of times. But when we talk about disciplining oneself in a spiritual sense, it would mean that we direct our lives in accordance with the principles of God. That’s what we hear in the second reading from St. Paul’s letter to Thessalonians.

We see three aspects that are mentioned by St. Paul in today’s second reading; abound in love for one another, strengthen your hearts to be blameless in holiness and conduct ourselves to please God. So what constitutes to be children of God and a disciple of Jesus is love, holiness and pleasing God. This is the core identity of being children of God. So such a disciplining comes by following the commands and instructions of God. The ways and commands of God is the best way of being a disciple of God. Just as different departments of the world has its own disciplines to function better, so also as children of God, as disciples of Christ, we need to have certain disciplines to welcome Baby Jesus into the world. The three concrete disciplines of love, holiness and sense of pleasing God are the virtues that add beauty to life as children of God.

But, today we find love is selfish and not true at times; holiness is only externally manifested and not internally or intensely; we don’t please God but please the world and all its desires and values. So today, St.  Paul urges us with the instruction to be true disciples and children of God by practicing or taking into account of love, holiness and an act to please God. Today, more than ever, we need to pray for genuine love, holiness and pleasing God. Today we come across or we hear of the different departments or disciplines of academics like science, theology, sociology, history, economy, psychology. Each of these disciplines has the particular ways of functioning according to the norms of its own to reach the goal. Yes, similarly in order to discipline ourselves to welcome the Lord in our midst, we need to abide in the ways and commands of God, So that, we prepare well to welcome Jesus to live with. Let us then discipline ourselves to receive and welcome baby Jesus into the world to love one another, to live in holiness and to please God in all that we do.

3.      Be vigilant and pray:

Vigilance and prayer are interconnected spiritual practices. They are often connected with being spiritually alert and actively involved with God in and through prayer. Vigilance and prayer establishes constant communication with God, which helps us to be alert and awake always. The combination of vigilance and prayer enables us to discern God’s will, resist temptation, and creates platform to seek life of faith and wisdom in God. Being watchful and prayerful makes one’s life alert and awake to the situations we are placed, which could be harmful and dangerous. Vigilance prepares for the unknown and unexpected things in life and helps us deal with issues prudently. That’s what the Gospel reading of the day exhorts us to be watchful and prayerful or to be vigilant and pray for the coming of the Lord in the Season of Advent. The gospel reading of the day calls our attention to be vigilant and pray at all times in order that we may have strength to escape the tribulations and stand before the Son of God.

Jesus warns us that there would be distress, perplexity, fear and trembling but we need to be prepared to face them. The possibility of overcoming such unnecessary fears and despair in life is to be watchful and prayerful. These are the two tools that God give us which could empower us in times of dangers and temptations of life. Today, we have taken for granted this vigilance and prayer. We don’t become vigilant because we wait for the last moment to manage when things go out of hand or out of control. We don’t take prayer as well into serious consideration, because only in time of emergency or urgency we realize that God exits and we try to seek him in prayer. But vigilance and prayer helps us to welcome baby Jesus into the world and meet the little baby Jesus joyfully in holiness.

In the Gospel of Matthew as well we hear, “if a house owner knows when the thief would come he would keep himself ready to protect and keep away from being robbed. For this reason I say you must be ready for the son of man will come at an hour you do not expect or know (Matt: 24: 43-44).” Yes, we do not know the hour when the son of man comes but if we are prepared in vigilance and prayer we will be able to meet him joyfully. We need to understand that being vigilant alone is not sufficient but we need to add prayer too in life. We may remain watchful throughout but if it does not accompanied by prayer, we wouldn’t have strength and grace to withstand obstacles and temptations of life. Both of them, watchfulness and prayerfulness become an aid to welcome baby Jesus in our midst, our Saviour. Therefore vigilance is required for preparedness and prayer is required to be united with God in purity and sanctity.

Pope Francis while recalling the words of Jesus says, “We must not fall asleep and be vigilant at all times and pray. This vigilance is a key aspect of Christian life and it requires that we remain alert and avoid distraction from what is really important in life. Vigilance means keeping our hearts on guard from becoming lazy or sleepy Christians lacking spiritual dynamism and intensity in prayer. We can fall into apathy and become indifferent to all except what is comfortable for us.” Yes, vigilance and prayer help us to overcome all the unnecessary fears and despair of life. It keeps us alert and makes us awake from all slumber and sluggishness. Let us then be watchful and prayer to meet Baby Jesus in our world, in our families and in particular into our hearts.

Today, as we light the candle of hope let our prayer be this; Lord, help us to discipline ourselves in your ways, help us to be vigilant and prayerful to welcome baby Jesus and let your justice prevails on earth as it is in heaven. Let us remember friends that today the candle of hope will be lighted at the altar. Jesus is our hope and in him our hope will not be deceived or disappointed us. Jesus is our hope and let us hope in Jesus and overcome all despairs and distress of life.

RESPOND:

Do we practice and promote justice and righteousness in our world?

Do we discipline ourselves in the spiritual realm in order to be called as children and disciples of the Lord?

Do we keep vigil and pray to be in communion with God and welcome baby Jesus in our midst?

So in hope let us practice and promote justice, discipline ourselves in God’s ways, and be watchful and prayerful to meet and welcome Baby Jesus among us. Amen.

God bless us all… Live Jesus!

Fr. Ramesh George MSFS