On this first day of December, this first day of the season of Advent, and this first day of a new liturgical year, we are reminded that our relationship with the Lord can always begin anew. Even as we prepare for the coming of Jesus as an infant on Christmas night, we can also make this season an opportunity to receive him more deeply into our hearts and make him more central to the way we live our lives. Let us resolve to give Jesus a new birth in our hearts as we prepare for the celebration of his birth into the world.
Introduction to the Liturgy of the Word
The readings on this first Sunday of Advent cover Christ’s three comings. Jeremiah prophesies that God will send a Messiah, who will bring righteousness and justice to the world. Paul prays that Christ may permeate the hearts of the Thessalonians, increasing their love for each other and for all. Finally, Jesus tells his disciples that one day he will come again in glory to redeem all those who stand virtuously before him. May we be reminded that Christ came into this world two thousand years ago, will do so again at the end of time, but also continually comes into our world through our hearts.
Reflections
Realistically, is there any word that sums up the not-quite-four weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas better than the word anxiety? The anxieties are infinite: What do I get everyone on my Christmas list? When will I decorate the house? When will I write all my Christmas cards? Do I have enough gift wrap, gift bags, bows, and tags? How many will be coming over for Christmas dinner? Will everybody’s plane be on time? Etc., etc. “The anxieties of daily life,” as Jesus put it (Luke 21:34), can overwhelm us and distract us from what is truly important. Each year at this time it is a challenge to place the Lord’s coming above all the nagging details, to prepare our hearts as much as we prepare our homes. Let us not forget that Christ’s true home is within our hearts.
In Jeremiah’s day, Babylon invaded Israel and Judah, overthrew the king, and sent most of the Jewish nation into exile. For the LORD to promise that when the Messiah comes, “Judah shall be safe and Jerusalem shall dwell secure” was a huge deal (Jeremiah 33:16). All these centuries later, given the history of the Holy Land and the Middle East, this seems impossible. Humankind has made a mockery of God’s promise. The Prince of Peace has not yet penetrated the hearts of all people. It is up to us to work for peace and justice, so that people may live safely and securely in the Holy Land and in every region of the world.
Our insecurity makes us anxious. It could be collective insecurity, like the threat of war or a downturn of the economy, or personal insecurity, like the fear of a recurrence of cancer or the possibility of being laid off. It could even be the accumulation of minor insecurities, like the anxieties associated with Christmas plans. The truth is that we can never rid ourselves of every worldly insecurity. But what we can always be secure of is God’s love, expressed most fully in Jesus Christ, our Savior. Even in the worst of times, our redemption is always right at hand.
Question of the Week What will I do to prioritize Christ’s coming over all the persistent anxieties of the season? Can I take ten minutes of each day this Advent to pray? -from Pastoral Patterns
readings of the mass
LISTEN HEREto the Audio Recordings of the Readings of Sunday, December 1, 2024
SELECT HEREfor the Readings of Sunday, December 1, 2024
Offerings
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