First Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 2:1-5, Romans 13:11-14, Mt 24: 37-44

 

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

 

Stay awake! We are speaking about the Lord Jesus, who wants us to be alert and to be aware that salvation is in our midst, now and always. Stay awake! It is so easy to miss the beauty of the Lord in every moment of our lives. Stay awake because the Lord promises to be with us now and always. We are beginning this wonderful preparation for Christmas. We begin Advent, the waiting and the longing for the coming of the Lord.

Isaiah, in our first reading today, has incredible images. We have to think of Jerusalem and then think of the mountain of the Lord. Mount Zion—it is really just a hill in Jerusalem—is the center of the earth because it is where God dwells. God is calling all men and women, all nations and peoples, to come and follow His way of life: living in the divine love and rejoicing in the gifts of God. The greatest gift of all is the gift of Jesus as our Savior. This Advent is the time to prepare once more to celebrate Jesus in the flesh.

In order to understand this enormous mystery, we have to understand a bit of its history, starting with creation and the formation of the Jewish people, the chosen people, who are the delight of God. We can take some time in Advent to think about the incredible history of salvation, all pointing to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The images of Isaiah all invite us to walk in the light of the Lord.

That light is to be found in the Scriptures, in creation itself, in the Church (even with all of its sinfulness) and in one another. Only if we have eyes of faith will we begin to see the light of the Lord.

The Letter to the Romans also speaks about living in the light and throwing off all that leaves us in darkness. Easier said than done, but it is the work of our whole life. Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh. As we walk through this Advent, striving to live in light, we can keep our hearts and our minds fixed on the love that God has for us. This is the only way to make no provision for the desires of the flesh. Dwell in His love. Be aware of His love. Delight in His love (abbot Phillip).

The Gospel tells us to be ready. God can come to us at any time. For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. This is not meant to frighten us in any bad way, but to help us remain alert and waiting for the Lord at every moment. What a different life we have when we are looking for the Lord in everything that happens to us and in all that we do! Let us walk in the light of the Lord! What joy we can have and what rejoicing with one another in the Lord.

Peace and all good!

Fr. Valery Burusu

Parochial Administrator