Nov. 23rd - First Sunday in Advent

(Jer 33:14-16; Thes 3:12–4:2; Lk 21:25–28, 34-36)

On this first Sunday in Advent, as we look forward to celebrating the first coming of Jesus, the Gospel focuses on His teaching about His return. At this point, Jesus is preparing to enter Jerusalem for what will be the last time. He is trying to prepare His disciples for the fact that He will be crucified, but they should not be dismayed… He will come again. The disciples have asked the same question we would – “when, Lord?” God isn’t going to make it that easy for us, though. As Jesus tells the disciples (and St. Paul reminds the Thessalonians), we must ALWAYS be ready. The events going on in the world cannot cause us to lose hope, for we know that Jesus awaits us at the end of our journey. Jesus warns that there will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars – which was what the people in that time relied on for navigation. The powers of the heavens would be shaken as the old understanding of the Savior and His reign must give way to the reality of Jesus.

• Jesus warns us not to let our hearts become drowsy with carousing, drunkenness, or the anxieties of daily life. During our Holiday celebrations, how do you and your family keep your focus on “the reason for the season”?
• In Jeremiah’s teaching about the coming of the Lord’s Anointed, he paints a picture of a just King ruling over a peaceable land; but in Jesus’s description, the return of the Lord is ushered in with great tribulation and destruction. The people who heralded Jesus’s entry to Jerusalem were surely hoping for the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s version. Why do you suppose these two readings are juxtaposed in today’s Liturgy?
• Today we light the first candle in the Advent wreath – the “Prophet’s candle”, which symbolizes Hope. What is one of your favorite Advent traditions?