1st SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YEAR C: REFLECTION BY FR. JULIAN EKEH
THEME: CHRIST IS COMING TO MEET MAN
(Luke 21:25-28.34-36)
Today, the New Year of the Church
begins. Today begins a New Season in our lives as Christians. Today is the
First Sunday of Advent.
WHAT IS ADVENT?
Simply put, Advent is a word that
derives from the Latin 'Adventus', which means coming, or arrival. Advent is not applicable to any type of
coming. It is the coming of a notable personality.
The Church uses the word
"Advent" to talk about the Holy Season when her sons and daughters
wait in joy for the coming of Jesus Christ. Thus, Christ is the Notable One we
are expecting His coming. We are not just expecting any type of Man, we are
solemnly, prayerfully, and watchfully celebrating the arrival of God himself,
God who, for us, becomes man, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.
This is a time for recall. When
we call to mind are in a very special way, the fact that Christ had come in the
flesh more than two thousand years ago.
It is a time for Thanksgiving.
When we thank God for His coming daily in our lives, especially through His
Word and the Holy Eucharist.
A TIME OF DIVINE EXPECTATION
During this season of Advent, we
remember vividly the word of Christ "I am coming again." We therefore
use this period to look back on how the people in the past waited for the Lord,
draw a leaf from them while asking how they prepared for that first coming, we
look forward to His second Coming which will involve each and everyone of us.
During this gracious time,
therefore, we are to ask ourselves the expectations of the Lord who told us
about His coming.
When a notable person is coming
into our home as a guest, we make extra effort to live better than we used to.
We inquire from those who received such personalities in the past to know how
they went about it. We try to know what such a person eats. We ask their
friends what irritates them in order to avoid such things. We put ourselves
together to appear good before such a person. We remove things that are
unnecessary. We decorate the whole place, make sure every place smells good. We
try our best to make our revered guests feel welcomed, relaxed, and joyful.
During this period, therefore, we
are called upon to know what God expects from us as He comes. We are to
evaluate how ready we are to welcome Christ in our lives, the type of welcome
we have given Him so far, and the impression Jesus gets at His coming to see us. Jesus returns. Just as
God returned to Adam and Eve in Eden, Jesus returns. Just as Moses returned to
the people after His encounter with God on the mountain, Jesus comes back to us
from the right hand of His Father. Are we running out to welcome Him, or shall
we run away like Adam and Eve? Will He see us romancing with Baal when He
extends hands for embrace?
This is the time of running out,
a time of cleaning up, a time of making room for God in our lives. These are
the expectations of God on us as we enter this New Year of the Church.
INSIGHT FROM THE GOSPEL
AMIDST FEAR THE LORD COMES AS
A MAN
The Gospel presented first of all
the fearful images that made the men wonder "what is coming into the
world." That which was shaking the powers of the heavens.
In the middle of this turbulent
situation, lo and behold, the Son of man was seen coming in a cloud with power
and glory.
Alleluia! This is revealing. The
Lord comes. No power stops Him. Even in the midst of your fears and humanness.
The Lord comes with glory and power. He comes to strengthen the wearied parts
of our lives. He comes to meet me in my weakness. He comes to meet me as I am
shaking. He wishes that I answer even with my shivering body. He wants me to
jump into His arms to receive His encouragement to move on, to receive
corrections on the things I am not getting fine, to seek directions to remain
on track. To keep preparing myself for the day He takes me to my eternal
destiny to live with Him forever.
The coming of Christ therefore
calls for holy fear; fear of being reprimanded by the God who loves us so much,
the fear of losing the rewards in the hands of God who comes. Yes He comes with
goodies. We should put our eyes on the blessings He comes to us with.
Let's not take His coming for
granted. He came as a man to make men feel free and have free access to God.
But many of them missed such a wonderful opportunity.
Let us not take this second
coming for granted. May holy fear inspire our waiting. Let's raise our heads
high above the causes of unholy fears, those things that make us unfit to
embrace Christ, those things that make us feel embarrassed when God calls to
tell us that He is coming, those things that make God feel embarrassed to be
around us.
KEYS TO OPEN THE DOOR FOR THE
ONE COMING
Jesus drops the keys we need to
use as we expect His coming. The keys include constant watchfulness and
prayers.
This season is a time to be
awake. This implies that we use the weapon of holiness, meditation, and prayers
to disallow dissipation, drunkenness, and cares of life from weighing us down
spiritually. It is a season of spiritual ascent. Let's not allow the things of
the world and the desires of our flesh to make us unable to run out to meet
Christ this season.
May God bless His word in our
hearts.
LET US PRAY
Almighty God, we thank You for
the blessing of being numbered among those to long for the coming of Your Son.
As we joyfully expect His coming in glory, help us to conquer our human
frailties. Grant us the grace of hosting You well in our lives that You may
host us too on the last day through Christ our Lord. Amen
Happy Sunday (First Sunday of
Advent, Year C)
Rev
Fr Julian O Ekeh
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