We begin now a New year of grace - a new season of Hope - a new posture of longing for the fulfillment of the reality that has come to us already, which speaks of a future completion for those who have faith!We begin the Season of Advent.
The first two weeks focus - as a tie-over from the last year - on the Second Coming of Jesus; the third and fourth weeks of Advent will prepare us to celebrate the anniversary of Jesus’ first coming: at Christmas.
The gospel passage today - as the readings from the last couple of Sundays - is about STAYING AWAKE! BEING PREPARED FOR THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN! Only if we are “tuned in” to the spiritual realities of the coming of Jesus, will we be able to benefit from his arrival! We must be “spiritually awake,” “spiritually prepared” for the coming of the Son of Man! We do this by seeking the knowledge of who he is - who he revealed himself to be when he came the first time - what his arrival meant for us - and how it needs to affect our daily conduct!
The only way the people of God of the Old Testament could know that they were pleasing God was to follow an enormous amount of legal prescriptions - the Law of Moses was complex and demanding. Jesus summarized the entire Law of Moses by one simple law - simple but of a magnitude that cannot be measured: LOVE!
If we truly LOVE, after the manner which Jesus showed us - to the point of self-sacrificing death (if necessary), then we will be doing all of the Mosaic Law - and any other kind of legal prescription. For true love means loving God first, because he first loved us (this: after we have come to know him by hearing about him and studying about him); then, loving our brothers and sisters who we can see (not being able to see God physically), as we love and respect and take care of ourselves.
The formula is simple: all we really need to do is to do what Jesus said: “Love one another as I have loved you!” If we really understood that one sentence - our lives and the lives of the entire world would be different! There would be peace - there would be justice - there would be holy people on the earth!
In the first reading today from the Old Testament, we see that the people of God rejoiced because they could “go and climb the mountain of the Lord - to the house of God - so that he could instruct them in the way in which he wanted them to live - so that they could walk in his paths!” For they knew this was the only way that they would end up in his Kingdom eternally - by following specific laws that he gave them and taught them himself.
We, the new people of God, can do the same thing: we can “climb the mountain of the Lord’s teachings”- we can “go to the Church” - and find the God’s teachings as they are conceptualized and preserved in the great Deposit of Faith - and be instructed in his ways! For from the Lord’s mountain - from the Church - teaching shall go forth to all nations - and people will learn how to live peaceably and justly, with mutual affection and understanding. And one nation will not raise the sword against another!
At the top of the Lord’s mountain stands Jesus the Teacher! Jesus the Lord! Jesus the Savior! Jesus the Redeemer! Jesus the King of all kings! When we listen to the Church, we listen to Jesus! And we shall be guided in right paths!
There is so much to learn about our Catholic faith - and life as a Catholic. Perhaps during this Advent Season we can deliberately and consciously take time to study our faith more deeply. We need to avail ourselves of every opportunity and means to obtain greater, deeper and more complete knowledge of Jesus, his Father, and the Holy Spirit: who makes it all clear and understandable - and who empowers us to do what it suggests doing!
Let us “go to the Church!” Let us listen to the Word of God as it is proclaimed in many a varied ways - and may our lives become different - as we journey to our heavenly homeland - to the place that is promised us - the place of beatitude that is the object of our hope!
Let us rejoice in the light and Hope of Advent!
