First Sunday of Advent

Lectionary: 3

Reading I

Jer 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.”

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14

R. (1b)  To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
   teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
   for you are God my savior,
   and for you I wait all the day. 
R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
Good and upright is the LORD;
   thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
   and teaches the humble his way. 
R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
All the paths of the LORD are kindness and constancy
   toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him,
   and his covenant, for their instruction. 
R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

 

Reading II

1 Thes 3:12—4:2

Brothers and sisters:
May the Lord make you increase and abound in love
for one another and for all,
just as we have for you, 
so as to strengthen your hearts, 
to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father 
at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones.  Amen.

Finally, brothers and sisters, 
we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that,
as you received from us 
how you should conduct yourselves to please God
and as you are conducting yourselves
you do so even more.
For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

 

Alleluia

Ps 85:8

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Show us, Lord, your love;
and grant us your salvation.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Lk 21:25-28, 34-36

Jesus said to his disciples:
“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, 
and on earth nations will be in dismay, 
perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will die of fright 
in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, 
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see the Son of Man 
coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
But when these signs begin to happen, 
stand erect and raise your heads 
because your redemption is at hand.

“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy 
from carousing and drunkenness 
and the anxieties of daily life, 
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.
For that day will assault everyone
who lives on the face of the earth.
Be vigilant at all times 
and pray that you have the strength 
to escape the tribulations that are imminent 
and to stand before the Son of Man.”

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

 

The definition of HOPE is, “The expectation of things to come.” As Christians, we should be exuding a particular knowledge that Jesus Christ will come again and will bring with Him a new heaven and a new earth. This is a central aspect of our faith and should influence the way we conduct ourselves; living our lives with the knowledge that there is more to this world than what we see before our eyes. There is more to our existence than striving for material possessions and comforts. We are working towards a higher purpose with our thoughts and actions influenced by this purpose. This is part of what The Season of Advent is about. It is one of the shortest seasons of the church but is not reduced in importance because of that. Each Sunday for the next four weeks will be focused on particular aspects of our faith which we will immerse ourselves into through prayer and contemplation. Penance and good works are central themes of Advent and a recommittal to our faith, driven by the reminder that Christ will come again and there will be a final judgement.

 

Today the first candle of The Advent Wreath is lit. This is the Hope Candle. We are encouraged to embrace our hope in all things that come from God. We live our lives with God in the moment but also keep in mind that there are better things to come that are not of this earth and do not have their origins in society. Living in the moment, we foster our relationship with Jesus Christ and look forward to the day when we will join with Him forever. A certain confidence can be generated knowing that our God loves us so much that our entire existence will culminate in indescribable joy and love. We are destined for greatness and should live our lives with that knowledge and understanding. Each day should be an exercise in self-improvement to make ourselves worthy of what is being given to us. This is not done to earn what is being given to us but to conduct ourselves as ones who are journeying to an ultimate goal which will define us forever. Transforming ourselves in the moment, making the necessary corrections in our behavior, and being open to a relationship with God prepares us for our destination. This is all for our benefit. For it is through these actions that we become better people and live our lives the way God wanted us to, towards a goal of perfection.

 

The Apostle Paul speaks of The Lord making us increase and abound in love. This love is a reaction to His presence. When we let God in, we are then able to feel His presence and His love for us. This will cause us to act a certain way. Love becomes the foundation of all our thoughts and decisions. We can then interact with God, ourselves, and other people enveloped in this love which has its origin in God. We can become confident in our faith and in ourselves. This leads to an expectation of great things in our lives now and forever. The Love of God has the capability to give us a confidence and understanding of all things beyond our normal perceptions. With God in our lives there are no limit to what we can become and what we can experience. We should really set our aspirations around these things instead of constantly limiting ourselves by keeping God out. Letting God in is the key to greatness. Jesus reminds us in the Gospel Reading today to be vigilant and to live our lives in expectation of things to come. He warns us not to be caught off guard by the temptations of this world and put them before that which has its origins in God. That which comes from this world will pass away with this world. If we remain with God then He will remain with us. This puts us in a position not to fear that which is to come but instead embrace it with expectation and joy.

 

Deacon Tom

 

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Lectionary: 161

Reading I

Dn 7:13-14

As the visions during the night continued, I saw
    one like a Son of man coming,
        on the clouds of heaven;
    when he reached the Ancient One
        and was presented before him,
    the one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship;
        all peoples, nations, and languages serve him.
    His dominion is an everlasting dominion
        that shall not be taken away,
        his kingship shall not be destroyed.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 93:1, 1-2, 5

R. (1a) The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
The LORD is king, in splendor robed;
    robed is the LORD and girt about with strength.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
And he has made the world firm,
    not to be moved.
Your throne stands firm from of old;
    from everlasting you are, O LORD.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed;
    holiness befits your house,
    O LORD, for length of days.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.

Reading II

Rv 1:5-8

Jesus Christ is the faithful witness,
the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth. 
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,
who has made us into a kingdom, priests for his God and Father,
to him be glory and power forever and ever.  Amen.
Behold, he is coming amid the clouds,
and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him.
All the peoples of the earth will lament him.
Yes.  Amen.

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, " says the Lord God,
"the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty."

Alleluia

Mk 11:9, 10

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come!

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Jn 18:33b-37

Pilate said to Jesus,
"Are you the King of the Jews?" 
Jesus answered, "Do you say this on your own
or have others told you about me?" 
Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I? 
Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. 
What have you done?" 
Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not belong to this world.
If my kingdom did belong to this world,
my attendants would be fighting
to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. 
But as it is, my kingdom is not here." 
So Pilate said to him, "Then you are a king?" 
Jesus answered, "You say I am a king. 
For this I was born and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth. 
Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

 

Today marks the last Sunday in Ordinary Time. It is most fitting that this is also the Solemnity of Jesus Christ The King of the Universe. It serves as a reminder to us all who Jesus is. He is not just our king or the king of the world, but He truly is the ruler and creator of all things visible and invisible. When we look around at the beauty of this creation and upwards into the night sky, it should be with wonderment regarding just how endless His creation is. Moreover, the wonderment should be coupled with thanksgiving because all of it was created for us. We are at the pinnacle of God’s creation and are set above it as its caretaker. We are no random occurrence and cannot live our lives that way, thinking that we are masters of our own destiny; able to dictate the terms of our existence while conquering all things that we interact with. Being a part of God’s creation means that we must live in accord with it and not in opposition to it. God dictates the terms of our existence through Natural Law and through instruction while Jesus Christ offers the necessary wisdom and guidance so that we may live our lives in the most joyous way while pursuing an eternity with Him.

 

Jesus receives all power and authority through The Father. To reach the Father we have to go through Him. Through this process we are guided by The Holy Spirit which is The Love of God. In order to achieve full fulfillment in this life we need to acknowledge who Jesus is and treat Him accordingly. If we recognize His kingship, then shouldn’t we be listening to what He is saying? Sacred Scripture offers a guidebook regarding this process of following Jesus. The words within are not optional. Yes, there are many interpretations and there are those who just might try to lead people astray through their own views designed to gain power and influence, but through a close relationship with Jesus and an embracing of one’s faith these errors can be sorted out. Again, this requires listening to The One who has been set above all things and who has received all glory, honor, and power. This also requires listening to The Holy Mother Church. The Church was established by Jesus to help us on our journey to Him. It is through the Church that we can learn more about our Salvation Story and conduct ourselves rightly in relation to Jesus and His creation. This is all part of being submissive to our king.

 

There was a reason why this Solemnity was named Jesus Christ King of the Universe. There is also a reason why it is celebrated today. The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, celebrated this year on Nov. 21, also is referred to as the Feast of Christ the King, Christ the King Sunday, or Reign of Christ Sunday. While the concept of Jesus Christ being King is as old as the Gospels, the feast is fairly recent in the Roman Catholic calendar.

 

The feast was introduced in the Western liturgical calendar in 1925 by Pope Pius XI, via the encyclical "Quas Primas." Pope Pius XI was about to close the Jubilee year of 1925 in the context of the growing secularist nationalism that followed the fall of European kingdoms after World War I, and decided to establish the solemnity to point to a king "of whose kingdom there shall be no end.”

 

Communism and nationalism both stress atheism and subservience to governmental powers above all things. Under each religion and worship are oppressed. There is a focus to replace God with the government and a reliance on the government, supported by the human will, to provide everything while being able to accomplish all things. The government becomes God and the individual person no longer matters. The Church, reminding the world that Jesus Christ is The King of the Universe, sets Jesus in His rightful place and reminds all those who seek to destroy Him that their efforts will never come to any fruitful end. It is through this acknowledgement that we are then able to enforce our faith and strengthen ourselves in preparation to oppose all those forces who have aligned themselves against all that is good in the world and that comes from God.

 

We as Christians need to be fully aware of what we are up against. We live in this world but are separate from it. We acknowledge earthly powers but recognize Jesus Christ above all else that comes from this world and those things that originate in the spiritual realm. Those who oppose Jesus Christ are our enemies and intend to do us harm. Those who are against us are against God. We live in harmony with God’s creation, fostering it as its stewards. We focus on getting closer to God, ensuring that all of our actions and deeds emphasize that point. We love our God and love our neighbor. We also love ourselves. We see the good in all peoples and encourage all to see the same. Life is beautiful. Creation is beautiful. All things that oppose these principles have their roots in evil. We abhor evil. We embrace the good.

 

Nobody is perfect. It is impossible to understand all these things and do them correctly all of the time, but we do have a great advocate to help us when we falter. That advocate in our king and master. Today is His day as well as all other days. Today we are encouraged to recommit ourselves to that understanding that Jesus Christ is indeed The King of the Universe and live our lives by that understanding. What could ever go wrong when we do just that?

 

Deacon Tom