The Abbot's Homily

Home Page


from
The Abbot's Desk
  • Homily
  • Notebook
  • Construction Report

    • The First Sunday of Advent
    Cycle C
    2001

    First Reading
    Jeremiah 33:14-16

    The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah. In those days, in that time, I will raise up for David a just shoot; he shall do what is right and just in the land. In those days Judah shall be safe and Jerusalem shall dwell secure; this is what they shall call her: "The Lord our justice."

    Second Reading
    1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2

    May the Lord increase you and make you overflow with love for one another and for all, even as our love does for you. May he strengthen your hearts, making them blameless and holy before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Now, my brothers, we beg and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that, even as you learned from us how to conduct yourselves in a way pleasing to God -- which you are indeed doing -- so you must learn to make still greater progress. You know the instructions we gave you in the Lord Jesus.

    Gospel
    Luke 21:25-28, 34-36

    Jesus said to his disciples: "There will be signs in the sun, the moon and the stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish, distraught at the roaring of the sea and the waves. Men will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the earth. The powers in the heavens will be shaken. After that, men will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with great power and glory. When these things begin to happen, stand up straight and raise your heads, for your ransom is near at hand. "Be on guard lest your spirits become bloated with indulgence and drunkenness and worldly cares. The great day will suddenly close in on you like a trap. The day I speak of will come upon all who dwell on the face of the earth, so be on the watch. Pray constantly for the strength to escape whatever is in prospect, and to stand secure before the Son of Man."

    Text from Lectionary for Mass
    © 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine
    © 1969 International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc.
    All rights reserved

    My Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

    Advent! We begin again. There is something so refreshing every year as we begin to celebrate once again the great mysteries of our faith. Each year we are invited to know God's faithfulness in our lives and to grow deeper in our awareness of the divine that surrounds us.

    The first reading, from the Prophet Jeremiah, is a prophecy that God will fulfill his promises to his chosen people. As we read it ourselves, so many centuries later, we know that God promises us also His faithfulness in our lives. Some of our ancestors accepted that God would be faithful and keep His promises. Others did not accept such religious thinking. Many of us today want God to act in our lives. When God does not act, we begin to doubt that there is a God.

    The Scriptures in other places give us many examples of people who waited and waited and waited on the Lord, trusting that somehow God would be faithful. Is my faith that strong? What happens when my faith is put to the test? Do I trust?

    Advent is about coming to know God once again and deepening our trust in God. The First Letter to the Thessalonians speaks to us today this strengthening of our lives of faith. This is a challenge that is not new to us, but has been the challenge of all who believe throughout the centuries. The test of our faith--and we see this clearly in all great spiritual writers--is our love for others. Some non-Christian traditions speak about "compassion."

    The Gospel today puts this challenge to us once again: How will I respond when things go really bad? As we begin this new year, most of us are no worried that the end of the world is here. On the other hand, we can ask ourselves if we still pray to stand secure before God?

    Some religious writers in Europe are already speaking about the end of Christianity. This type of thinking seems to take place over and over. People do forget about faith and belief and begin to live with no other value that immediate pleasure and gratification. It does no good to condemn those who might live that way. Instead, we are invited to live our faith in such a way that others can see the value of living in faith.

    So as we begin Advent once again, we are invited to look at our own way of living? Do I reflect the presence of a living and loving God in my life? Do I give witness by the way I live that I believe in salvation in Jesus Christ? Dp I want to live in Christ and in the divine? May this new year draw us joyfully into an experience of God's love for us in Christ and give us energy in living!
    ^  top

    © 2000 The Monastery of Christ in the Desert