All around us, we are now hearing Christmas music, seeing Christmas displays go up and being told that the Christmas season is here. But for us as Catholics, that is not really the case. We are now in the season of Advent, the season where we prepare for the coming of Christ. Advent reminds us to have our hearts set on Jesus and to remember the different comings of Christ: His first coming at Christmas, His daily coming to us, and His second coming at the end of time. In the First Reading and the Gospel today, we have the chance to focus on the two bookends of Jesus’ coming: His first coming among us and his second coming in glory.
As we turn our hearts to ponder the coming of Jesus, all of the Christmas season hubbub around us has even gotten to me. So to help us dive more deeply into Advent, let me tell you a story about one of my family’s Christmas Eve celebrations. For as long as I can remember, my mom’s side of the family always had a Christmas Eve party. My Mom is the oldest of eight and the Christmas Eve party through the years was hosted by various aunts and uncles and my Grandma and Grandpa on her side.
One year in particular stands out in my mind. That year, there had been a gigantic ice storm that knocked out power for many in Columbus, including my Grandma and Grandpa, and they were set to host the Christmas Eve party. Thankfully, my uncle Marv had a gas-powered generator which he brought over to their place. It provided enough juice to have some lights on, but dimly. So there we were in the midst of this icy winter night, with a gas generator powering the house, and it was awesome. I can’t remember a more intimate time spent with that side of our family. Every hour or so the lights would flicker a little bit as the generator ran out of gas and one of the uncles would trudge out into the cold to refill it. I can still remember snuggling together with a bunch of my cousins in front of the fireplace in Grandma and Grandpa’s living room. We didn’t have TV, sound systems, or much power to the house…and it was great. When worldly comforts were taken away, our relationships with each other were more than enough.
In the Gospel for this first Sunday of Advent, Jesus speaks of some dramatic things to come. He foretells a time when the “powers of the heavens will be shaken.” He speaks of signs in the sun, moon and stars, and the fact that the oceans will roar. Essentially, Jesus is pointing to a time when all of creation will come to an end as we know it. This current world is passing away and one day the end of time will come.
The Good News is that Jesus Himself is greater than any of the hardships ahead. He reminds us that He, the Son of Man, will come with “power and great glory.” His coming on the clouds is the symbol that Jesus is greater than anything that may happen in the world. Even the passing away of this creation can’t stop Jesus from ushering in a new creation, a new Heaven and new earth, as we hear elsewhere in Scripture.
Twice, Jesus reminds us of the importance of standing when His second coming happens. He says: “But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.” And then later: “Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.” This image of standing reminds us that we are called to stand on a foundation which will last, One Who is greater than anything in this world: Jesus Himself. So as we hear about the end of time and Jesus’ ultimate victory, it is a reminder to live our lives with Him as our Foundation, because He will help us to be victorious in Him.
Even now, in our lives, we have signs that this world is not the ultimate destination for us. This world tends to fail us. Ice storms, wildfires, tornadoes, earthquakes, tsunamis–all of these remind us that this world is not our ultimate home, it is not where we find security. And in a sense, these failings that we experience now, these disruptions in the order of the created world, are a preview of the ultimate trials Jesus talks about in the Gospel today.
And beyond nature’s failings, sometimes even those we love let us down. As much as our family and friends can be a great support and blessing, sometimes even they can be a trial for us. Nothing and nobody in this fallen world is totally dependable except Jesus Himself.
On that post-ice storm Christmas Eve night years ago, when modern technology and creation itself were failing us, we were able to lean on our relationships with each other. This Advent, Jesus invites us to lean on our relationship with Him when we encounter the difficulties of life and the ways that creation and even other people sometimes let us down. His coming at Christmas, which we now look forward to, opens up for us the opportunity for that firm relationship with God which endures everything.
During Advent, we hear from the prophets who longed to see the first coming of Jesus at Christmas. In this Sunday’s first reading, we hear the hopeful words of the prophet Jeremiah looking forward to the coming of a “Just Shoot” from the house of David, One who would bring about security for God’s people. Jeremiah says, “In those days Judah shall be safe and Jerusalem shall dwell secure.” We now live in a time where Jesus, that Just Shoot from the family of David, has come for us. The question is: will we dwell secure in Him and find our safety from the dangers of this world in His grace and strength?
During this Holy Season leading up to Christmas, we are invited to be intentional about becoming more secure in our relationship with Jesus. We can do this in many ways. Here are a few suggestions I humbly offer for you to think about:
- Consider coming to Daily Mass during the week. This is a great opportunity to receive Jesus in the Eucharist more than just once a week and see how He wants to work and speak into the struggles and joys of your daily life.
- Take some time to soak in scripture every day. The Word Among Us and other magazines like it have the daily scripture readings from Mass along with a little commentary to help you unpack God’s Word. Being rooted in Scripture allows us to stay secure in Jesus, because it makes us ever more familiar with His voice.
- Have an Advent Wreath in your home and light it every day as a way to remember the time of preparation we are going through this Advent. Use the lighting of the candles as an opportunity to pray and listen for what Jesus is speaking to your heart.
I want to invite you to pray about what simple things you can do this Advent to increase your reliance on Jesus. As Advent begins, He challenges us to reflect on where we find our security. If our security isn’t ultimately in our relationship with Him, then we are setting ourselves up for failure. Let us pray for this season to be a time when we allow ourselves to be more firmly rooted in Him.
+ Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us your Son, who protects us from all evil and brings us through the trials of this life. Jesus, help us to see the ways we can become more secure in You during this Advent Season. Holy Spirit, help us repent of those sins which keep us from being rooted in Jesus, so that we can be confident and secure in Him no matter what we face. We ask this through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.+