Readings: Isaiah 2:1-5; Romans 13:11-14; Mt. 24:37-44
Advent is a Season of Hope
1. In a world dominated by fear, sorrow, diseases, viruses, sickness, poverty, wars, and violence, Christians are urged to be hopeful. They must shine the light of joy and happiness, and so restore peace to the broken world. Indeed, they must be light to the world and salt to the earth. (Matt. 5:13). This is what Advent is all about. It is a time of great expectation, whereby Christians wait for the Messiah. He will teach us, by his life that God is greater than our collective sadness and despair. As the Jews waited in hope so we wait!
2. This was Isaiah’s vision in the first reading. “In days to come, the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills. All nations shall stream toward it. He shall judge between the nations and impose terms on many people. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.” (Is. 2:1-5). Isaiah predicts that a day shall come when humanity shall live together and walk together in faith, righteousness, and brotherhood. We pray for the realization of this vision with optimism! If we do not desire peace, we will be condemned to the dreadful prospect of wars succeeding wars until the human race destroys itself. Then the words of John F. Kennedy will become a reality, “Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind.” It is sad to note that the instrument of war has far outpaced the instrument of peace, and so if mankind doesn’t pursue peace and peaceful cohabitation with her neighbors, the dark powers of destruction unleashed by science, can engulf humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction. Therefore, Isaiah’s vision is urgent. It urges us to create an environment of peace and hope for humanity.
3. St Paul, in the second reading, cautions against waiting till it is too late to live a life of grace. “You know the time; it is the hour now for you to wake from sleep.” When we sleep, we forget that we have work to do and places to go. It is when we let our guard down, that we can be surprised by events or calamities. Paul exhorts us to “Conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and lust, not in rivalry and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.” The flesh, according to Paul, is our unredeemed self that is always at war with our spiritual self. It is the part of us that is separated from God. It is the rebellious, unruly, proud part of our inner self that is always unwilling to obey the law of love. It doesn’t want to be told what to do. It is stubborn, refuses correction, and wants to be left alone. It wants to be the center of the universe always and sees itself as the standard of measurement for everyone to follow. The flesh hates to be under the authority or to have to yield to anything other than its own desires. The flesh desires something simply because it is forbidden. If Advent must be meaningful and anticipate the birth of Christ, the flesh must be redeemed and submit to the will of God.
4. The Gospel exhorts us to stay awake for we do not know when the Son of Man will come. The vision of Isaiah and the exhortation to be alert make the preparation for the birth of Christ fruitful. During Advent, we do not only wait for the coming of Christ at his birth, but also for his second coming at the end of time. While we wait, we must be engaged in acts of penitence and good deeds. We must purge ourselves of sins by going to confession. Christ must be welcomed into a clean house. Our heart is the temple of the Holy Spirit. It is there that God dwells. We must get rid of malicious thoughts and deeds. Grudges, anger, resentment, and revenge must have no room in our hearts. We must be engaged in acts of kindness and compassion and be committed to a healthy prayer life while being available to assist others in need.
5. As we pray and wait, I suggest we do so with our bible. Please read the 16 chapters of the Letter to the Romans. Then continue with the 6 chapters of the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians. Conclude the last week with the 4 chapters of the Letter of St. Paul to the Philippians. Altogether, that will give us 26 days of journeying with St Paul to the Advent season. May God give us the grace to keep our Advent faithfully. Amen!
Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP
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