November 29, 2009 First Sunday of Advent Jer. 33:14-16; 1 Thess. 3:12-4:2; Lk. 21:25-28, 34-36 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________   Readings: http://www.usccb.org/nab/112909.shtml   ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________   Jesus directs us: “When these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads, because your redemption is at hand.” He clearly tells us. “Your redemption is at hand.” The days that Jeremiah said were coming are the days of peace and fulfilment, of justice and security - a very encouraging picture. The Gospel paints a very different scene. It tells us that there will be suffering before these days really appear. And why will there be suffering? Because we have to be transformed, rather than the cosmos.   Paul prays for our transformation. He prays that we will abound in love, that our hearts will be strengthened, that we will be blameless in holiness, that we will conduct ourselves to please God.   We know that the days of our redemption have already dawned with the coming of Jesus. But because our own transformation is always ongoing, we move yearly through the liturgical celebration of the mystery of our salvation. While Advent is set aside to commemorate Jesus’ coming in the flesh as well as his final coming in glory, it is also a time for us to open ourselves to the Lord’s coming into our lives and our world today. In order to do this, we must read the signs of the times.   Fear has made us suspicious of people of other races or religious beliefs. Sometimes our anger has grown into a desire for revenge, and our fear has taken on features of paranoia. Some public officials have betrayed the trust we placed in them. They lied to us, misappropriated our money and led us astray. They seem too often to have placed their own personal advantage ahead of their responsibility to those who placed them in office.   If these are the signs of our times, how can we say that our redemption is at hand? In the face of all this dismay, we see heroism and patience and understanding; we see honesty and unselfish service of others; we see genuine holiness and fidelity. There are people in the world, in government, in the church, in our neighbourhoods and in our families who are committed to justice and peace. Their lives testify that the reign of God has indeed taken hold. Advent reminds us that we too can be transformed into it, and so it calls to us all: “Stand erect and raise your heads, because your redemption is at hand.”        |   Next: Second Sunday of Advent >>   Go Back to SERMONS (Year C)