Sunday, December 1, 2002
1st Sunday of Advent
1st Reading: Is 63:16-17, 19; 64:2-7
For you are our Father, whereas Abraham does not know us nor has Israel any knowledge of us. But you, O Yahweh, are our Father, from the beginning, you are our redeemer: this is your name.
Why have you made us stray from your ways? Why have you let our heart become hard so that we do not fear you? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your inheritance.
As when fire sets brushwood ablaze and causes water to boil, make the nations know your name, and your enemies tremble.
No one has ever heard or perceived, no eye has ever seen a God besides you who works for those who trust in him.
You have confounded those who acted righteously and who joyfully kept your ways in mind. You are angry with our sins, yet conceal them and we shall be saved.
All of us have become like the unclean; all our good deeds are like polluted garments; we have all withered like leaves, blown away by our iniquities.
There is no one who calls upon your name, no one who rouses himself to lay hold of you.
For you have hidden your face, you have given us up to the power of our evil acts.
And yet, Yahweh, you are our Father; we are the clay and you are our potter; we are the work of your hand.
2nd Reading: 1 Cor 1:3-9
Brothers and sisters, grace and peace from God our Father, and Christ Jesus our Lord.
I give thanks constantly to my God for you and for the grace of God given to you in Christ Jesus. For you have been fully enriched in him with words as well as with knowledge, even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you. You do not lack any spiritual gift and only await the glorious coming of Christ Jesus, our Lord. He will keep you steadfast to the end, and you will be without reproach on the day of the coming of our Lord Jesus. The faithful God will not fail you after calling you to this fellowship with his Son, Christ Jesus, our Lord.
Gospel: Mk 13:33-37
Jesus said to his disciples, "Be alert and watch, for you don't know when the time will come. When a man goes abroad and leaves his home, he puts his servants in charge, giving to each one some responsibility; and he orders the doorkeeper to stay awake. So stay awake, for you don't know when the Lord of the house will come, in the evening or at midnight, when the cock crows or before dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him catch you asleep.
And what I say to you, I say to all: watch."
Commentary
The first Advent wreath I ever saw was my mother's creation: a wooden barrel hoop covered with red crepe paper, hanging from the ceiling, with four Christmas tree candles perching like small red birds in the base of the circle. I still remember the magic of seeing the first candle lit, the only light in the room, and a child's voice singing, "Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!" What a small thing can hold the soul of Christmas! Advent is for this - a space to wait with longing for the soul of Christmas to grow in us. As Jesus put it: "Make your home in me, as I make mine in you." A few minutes each day to listen to Jesus say those words to us is all it takes. Our role is to stay awake, keep watch: Christmas is God's initiative.