We enter the time of Advent, a time of remembrance of the invocation and expectation of the coming of the Lord. We are given the opportunity to see in these days a reality full of surprises and newness, a time in which much can happen. We especially open ourselves to a future characterized by the newness that the Lord may establish. Following Jesus in our present becomes new, our walk is the direction and orientation that opens hopes that are dormant and hidden.
You can practice the expectation of the Lord, the vision of faith in invisible realities (cf. 2 Cor 4:18), renewal of the hope for the Kingdom that we will build with the poor by practicing mercy. At this time we need a vigilant spirit which is the salt of the whole act, which is also the light of thinking, listening and speaking to every human. Vigilance helps us to fight against slumber and especially against spiritual bewilderment, to scan the horizon to grasp who and what is coming. In this strenuous exercise of vigilance, which engages the mind and heart, we are supported by a firm hope in the Lord “who does not delay in fulfilling his promise.”
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First Sunday of Advent (Year C)
Jeremiah 33:14-16 will fulfill the promise of good
The prophet describes the work that will be accomplished by God in the fullness of time: resurrecting the Word given to Israel, causing it to sprout, justice will bloom; Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in peace. We are faced with the great messianic perspective. We can get a glimpse of the gathering the two elements of the priesthood and of royalty in a single person or in a solitary function. All actions will anticipate Jesus Christ, giving expectation, the strength and the joy of being fed. Only with great prospects is it possible to nurture hope.
Ps 119:103: How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
2 Cor 1:20: For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.
1 Thessalonians 3:12- 4:2 The Lord makes you abound in love
Love is such because it grows incessantly: “May the Lord make you increase and abound in love”. And such a love has two great essential dimensions. It is “mutual” and “for all”. Therefore love is absolutely unconditional: love people “as they are” and not for what they are. Such is the love of God for all His children! And such is the love of Paul for his children in Thessalonica. Love grows thanks to the dynamics of a spiritual and moral life. The commandment of love is indeed the horizon of Christian practice, and love is such because of its need to continuously grow. Hence the perspective and the invitation to “progress even more.”
Dt 30:9: the Lord your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands,
Mt 12:34: For out of abundance of the heart the mouth speaks
Luke 21:25-28,34-36 Your liberation is near
When the Lord comes, the earth and the sky will be shaken, many men will die of fear says the Gospel, because the coming of the Son of God announces the eternal Kingdom of justice and peace. Only then there will be the full manifestation of the glory of God who through Christ, has whispered always that the way to salvation is not the quest for power, but freedom of the heart. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. No one is exempt from a heavy heart, not even those who in their lives have tried to follow the Lord; therefore the invitation is to be vigilant and pray without measuring words and actions. A free heart, capable of recognizing the coming of the Son of God, without fear, is a heart that is not weighed down because it has never broken the relationship with the Savior of the world.
Sir 51:9: “And I sent up my prayer from the earth,
and begged for rescue from death”.
Heb 11:35: “Others were tortured, refusing to accept release, in order to obtain a better resurrection”.
For Personal or group reflection
– Is there anything in this time that feeds your waiting?
– How do you grow love?
– What do you do to free your heart?
