1st Sunday of Advent
(Luke 21:25-28,34-36)
Advent is a time of Watching, Waiting and Wondering. If we keep these activities before our minds, then perhaps we will be ready for the great event which we commemorate and celebrate at Christmas.
Watching; During the last Sundays of the Church’s Year we heard much about the coming of the Kingdom of God and in the parables of Jesus which we read we were given images of that Kingdom. The reality is that the Kingdom of God is among us. We are called to watch out for the signs of that Kingdom; the good news preached to the poor, captives set free, the blind receive their sight, the oppressed lifted up and coming of the Lord announced. Recognising the signs of the Kingdom will lead us to recognise the Lord himself.
Waiting; The waiting we do during Advent is not a tiresome, negative waiting, which frustrates and is unproductive. Our waiting is a ‘waiting upon’ rather than a ‘waiting for’, much the same as the way Mary waited. She went to the hillside to visit with and minister to Elizabeth. Let us wait upon each other with care and compassion during Advent and we may find that we are waiting upon the Lord.
Wondering; A child spends much time wondering; how, why?, when?, where? Wondering is childlike contemplation. How could God do this? Let us wonder at the great mystery that God came out of the heavens, took flesh and became one of us! This is the wonder that we share and by which we are blessed and saved.
The Gospel today says that we “will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory”. Let us Watch, Wait and Wonder at His daily visitation to our souls.