a priest's musings on the journey
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Sermonette: First Sunday in Advent C 2006
Sermonette First Sunday in Advent C
Zechariah 14:4-9
4On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives, which lies before Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley; so that one half of the Mount shall withdraw northward, and the other half southward. 5And you shall flee by the valley of the Lord’s mountain, for the valley between the mountains shall reach to Azal; and you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of King Uzziah of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. 6On that day there shall not be either cold or frost. 7And there shall be continuous day (it is known to the Lord), not day and not night, for at evening time there shall be light.
8On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea; it shall continue in summer as in winter. 9And the Lord will become king over all the earth; on that day the Lord will be one and his name one.
Luke 21:25-36
25“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. 26People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. 28Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
29Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; 30as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. 31So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. 33Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 34“Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, 35like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Today we begin a new liturgical year and a new liturgical season as we enter Advent. We move to cycle C in the lectionary, and leave the Gospel of Mark for the Gospel of Luke. We will basically follow St Luke’s Gospel in course during this coming year; but, on this first Sunday of the new liturgical year we begin with the end of the Story. All of today’s readings describe that Day when Christ will return in clouds of glory, to once and for all banish evil and establish the reign of Justice and Peace that God gave him when he conquered sin and death on the Cross.
When I hear the words in the Gospel reading concerning the signs in the heavens and the distress among the Nations and the fears that grip humanity, I can not help but think about those Left Behind novels/movies, that are meant to scare us into the kingdom of God. That point of view misses the entire purpose of these apocalyptic passages. These words are not given to terrorize us; they are given to offer us hope. The hope that good will conquer evil, that love will overcome fear and suffering, and that in the end God will vindicate the oppressed and save His beloved.
The events described in these readings are not descriptive of some Great Period of tribulation and suffering that will occur just before Christ’s Return. These readings describe life as it is for us, who still live world where Christ reigns, but where we are still influenced by the rebellious forces of the Evil One. They describe human history and our struggles against suffering, evil and oppression. To be fair to our Evangelical brothers and sisters, the Scriptures do give the sense that human suffering and the rebellion of Evil against God will get worse before the Day of God’s final vindication. All one has to do is watch CNN for thirty minutes to become convinced of the reality that these readings are trying to portray. Our world is gripped with fear and overwhelmed with the oppressive powers of evil; not only far away in places like Iraq and Darfur; but in our own neighborhoods, even in our very own hearts. Frankly, I don’t see how people with no faith wake up in the mornings and get on with their lives! Even though I have a very deep faith in Jesus Christ, there are days when I am overwhelmed with the pain and suffering in my own life- not to mention how powerless one feels when one thinks about the ravages of war, disease, greed and the abuses of power in the world (and the Church!).
Luke is not writing to frighten or to depress us; he writes to remind us of our Hope. Our hope is in Christ, who is coming to rescue us, to liberate us, to overthrow the powers of darkness and to establish God’s Reign of love and peace forever! Jesus tells us to be alert, to watch and to pray, because His coming will be when we least expect it. Just when we when feel that we can not bear the pain of our oppression any longer, then He will come to deliver and save us.
This sense of expectant waiting and alert watchfulness gets at the root of what this season of Advent is all about. We eagerly yearn from this Day of Peace to arrive in its fullness. During these weeks we are attentive, looking for the signs of His appearing, watching for those glimpses of Hope that show us that the Day of our Redemption is drawing near. It’s a time of excitement and anxious anticipation: we can hardly wait for its arrival- it’s like we are all children on Christmas Eve all over again, waiting for morning and all of the surprises that await us.
This is the same sense of expectation that I felt as I awaited the births of my sons. When I first heard the news that I would be a father, I was filled with joy and anticipation. I have never been so excited- and I wanted to experience every moment of the preparations for his arrival. As the months progressed, it seemed as if he’d never come. Those were the longest nine months of my life- and I can’t even imagine the longing his mother had for the birth. But, just when we thought we would we couldn’t wait any longer, he’d let us know that he was with us already. He’d poke mommy’s belly or roll his head around, to let us know he was already a part of us.
I wonder how Mary felt in those months when she was waiting to give birth to God. How blessed she was to be the God-Bearer! How humbled she must have been to realize that the Creator of the Universe had contained Himself in her womb. In these weeks of Advent, we can know some of what she felt. We too are awaiting the birth of Christ- not only in the manger in Bethlehem- but in our own lives, in our own world. During these weeks Christ is growing in us, and we too are being overshadowed by the Holy Spirit; we too are being prepared to be Christ-bearers. God is waiting to be born in us, in those moments when we least expect Him to come; in those moments when we are overwhelmed by suffering and despair; in those moments when others around us are about to succumb to the powers of darkness that assail them. If we are alert, if we are watching and praying - we are able to bear Christ to them in that moment when they need Christ the most. It is in these moments, when Christ makes himself known in the faces of the poor, in the cries of the hungry, in the tears of the oppressed, in the silent sighs of the lonely- it is in these moments that we are reminded that, although we feel that we can not wait another second for His appearing, that He is already with us, He is already a part of us, because we are a part of Him. We are strengthened in hope and faith, and we have the peace of believing that He will one day appear in Glory and vanquish the powers of darkness forever. We have the assurance and trust, that even if we see the sun darkened, the moon turned to blood, and the stars falling from the sky, we do not have to be afraid, because when we see those things, we can trust that the Creator of the Stars of Night has heard our cries for justice and for redemption, and the day of our salvation is closer than we can even imagine- that Day when the Light from Light will shine not only in our hearts, but in all and through all, as all things are once again reconciled to their loving Creator.
“when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near…when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.”
“ Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. On that day there shall not be either cold or frost. And there shall be continuous day (it is known to the Lord), not day and not night, for at evening time there shall be light.
On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea; it shall continue in summer as in winter. And the Lord will become king over all the earth; on that day the Lord will be one and his name one. “
Amen. Let it be so. Even so, Come quickly, Lord Jesus! Amen.
Zechariah 14:4-9
4On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives, which lies before Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley; so that one half of the Mount shall withdraw northward, and the other half southward. 5And you shall flee by the valley of the Lord’s mountain, for the valley between the mountains shall reach to Azal; and you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of King Uzziah of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. 6On that day there shall not be either cold or frost. 7And there shall be continuous day (it is known to the Lord), not day and not night, for at evening time there shall be light.
8On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea; it shall continue in summer as in winter. 9And the Lord will become king over all the earth; on that day the Lord will be one and his name one.
Luke 21:25-36
25“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. 26People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. 28Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
29Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; 30as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. 31So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. 33Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 34“Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, 35like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Today we begin a new liturgical year and a new liturgical season as we enter Advent. We move to cycle C in the lectionary, and leave the Gospel of Mark for the Gospel of Luke. We will basically follow St Luke’s Gospel in course during this coming year; but, on this first Sunday of the new liturgical year we begin with the end of the Story. All of today’s readings describe that Day when Christ will return in clouds of glory, to once and for all banish evil and establish the reign of Justice and Peace that God gave him when he conquered sin and death on the Cross.
When I hear the words in the Gospel reading concerning the signs in the heavens and the distress among the Nations and the fears that grip humanity, I can not help but think about those Left Behind novels/movies, that are meant to scare us into the kingdom of God. That point of view misses the entire purpose of these apocalyptic passages. These words are not given to terrorize us; they are given to offer us hope. The hope that good will conquer evil, that love will overcome fear and suffering, and that in the end God will vindicate the oppressed and save His beloved.
The events described in these readings are not descriptive of some Great Period of tribulation and suffering that will occur just before Christ’s Return. These readings describe life as it is for us, who still live world where Christ reigns, but where we are still influenced by the rebellious forces of the Evil One. They describe human history and our struggles against suffering, evil and oppression. To be fair to our Evangelical brothers and sisters, the Scriptures do give the sense that human suffering and the rebellion of Evil against God will get worse before the Day of God’s final vindication. All one has to do is watch CNN for thirty minutes to become convinced of the reality that these readings are trying to portray. Our world is gripped with fear and overwhelmed with the oppressive powers of evil; not only far away in places like Iraq and Darfur; but in our own neighborhoods, even in our very own hearts. Frankly, I don’t see how people with no faith wake up in the mornings and get on with their lives! Even though I have a very deep faith in Jesus Christ, there are days when I am overwhelmed with the pain and suffering in my own life- not to mention how powerless one feels when one thinks about the ravages of war, disease, greed and the abuses of power in the world (and the Church!).
Luke is not writing to frighten or to depress us; he writes to remind us of our Hope. Our hope is in Christ, who is coming to rescue us, to liberate us, to overthrow the powers of darkness and to establish God’s Reign of love and peace forever! Jesus tells us to be alert, to watch and to pray, because His coming will be when we least expect it. Just when we when feel that we can not bear the pain of our oppression any longer, then He will come to deliver and save us.
This sense of expectant waiting and alert watchfulness gets at the root of what this season of Advent is all about. We eagerly yearn from this Day of Peace to arrive in its fullness. During these weeks we are attentive, looking for the signs of His appearing, watching for those glimpses of Hope that show us that the Day of our Redemption is drawing near. It’s a time of excitement and anxious anticipation: we can hardly wait for its arrival- it’s like we are all children on Christmas Eve all over again, waiting for morning and all of the surprises that await us.
This is the same sense of expectation that I felt as I awaited the births of my sons. When I first heard the news that I would be a father, I was filled with joy and anticipation. I have never been so excited- and I wanted to experience every moment of the preparations for his arrival. As the months progressed, it seemed as if he’d never come. Those were the longest nine months of my life- and I can’t even imagine the longing his mother had for the birth. But, just when we thought we would we couldn’t wait any longer, he’d let us know that he was with us already. He’d poke mommy’s belly or roll his head around, to let us know he was already a part of us.
I wonder how Mary felt in those months when she was waiting to give birth to God. How blessed she was to be the God-Bearer! How humbled she must have been to realize that the Creator of the Universe had contained Himself in her womb. In these weeks of Advent, we can know some of what she felt. We too are awaiting the birth of Christ- not only in the manger in Bethlehem- but in our own lives, in our own world. During these weeks Christ is growing in us, and we too are being overshadowed by the Holy Spirit; we too are being prepared to be Christ-bearers. God is waiting to be born in us, in those moments when we least expect Him to come; in those moments when we are overwhelmed by suffering and despair; in those moments when others around us are about to succumb to the powers of darkness that assail them. If we are alert, if we are watching and praying - we are able to bear Christ to them in that moment when they need Christ the most. It is in these moments, when Christ makes himself known in the faces of the poor, in the cries of the hungry, in the tears of the oppressed, in the silent sighs of the lonely- it is in these moments that we are reminded that, although we feel that we can not wait another second for His appearing, that He is already with us, He is already a part of us, because we are a part of Him. We are strengthened in hope and faith, and we have the peace of believing that He will one day appear in Glory and vanquish the powers of darkness forever. We have the assurance and trust, that even if we see the sun darkened, the moon turned to blood, and the stars falling from the sky, we do not have to be afraid, because when we see those things, we can trust that the Creator of the Stars of Night has heard our cries for justice and for redemption, and the day of our salvation is closer than we can even imagine- that Day when the Light from Light will shine not only in our hearts, but in all and through all, as all things are once again reconciled to their loving Creator.
“when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near…when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.”
“ Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. On that day there shall not be either cold or frost. And there shall be continuous day (it is known to the Lord), not day and not night, for at evening time there shall be light.
On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea; it shall continue in summer as in winter. And the Lord will become king over all the earth; on that day the Lord will be one and his name one. “
Amen. Let it be so. Even so, Come quickly, Lord Jesus! Amen.
:: posted by Padre Rob+, 7:51 PM
1 Comments:
I have never been so excited- and I wanted to experience every moment of the preparations for his arrival. As the months progressed, it seemed as if he’d never come. Those were the longest nine months of my life
Coincidently, this applies to me too... I can't wait to have someone arriving in my everyday life.
I always wonder how God speaks in mysterious ways...
Coincidently, this applies to me too... I can't wait to have someone arriving in my everyday life.
I always wonder how God speaks in mysterious ways...
