Monday, 1st Week of Advent

I'll be offering periodic, short Advent reflections this year. Here's the first one. 

It's curious that the Church begins the daily Advent readings with an eye towards God’s universal plan. In the first reading Isaiah tells us that Jerusalem will be the holy city for all nations seeking God. In the Gospel reading from Matthew we hear of the Roman centurion who seeks out Jesus to cure his servant. One anticipates the conversion of the nation's, the other demonstrates the hunger all people have for the Truth.

I find it curious because the overall theme of the first weeks of Advent is that of waiting joyfully for the return of the Lord in glory. By nature this is an introspective act. It implies interior preparation; doubling down on prayer, for instance, and making a good confession before Christmas. There is also a tradition of penance; I know some Franciscans who observe the Black Fast during these days. We are preparing for the Second Coming, but also to receive Jesus anew in our hearts on Christmas. The Gospel reading for yesterday’s Mass called us to be alert and ready, for we know not the day or the hour. We are not to wait passively, but to continue to live the Good News in a spirit of joy. This means being awake, alert, sober and busy with the works of the Kingdom.

In the midst of this self preparation, the Church is reminding us that Jesus came into the world with a clear purpose: to proclaim the arrival of the Kingdom of God in his person. We prepare for the arrival of the Kingdom by repentance and acceptance of the Gospel. Repentance involves acknowledging our own sinfulness, examining our consciences and handing those sins over to the Lord. Then we become free to follow the Gospel message of love and mercy. While the first part of this equation is an act of introspection, the second calls us out of ourselves. We shouldn't get skip step one, but we shouldn't linger in it either. We are called to go out and share the saving message. We aren't called to be members of an exclusive club. We are called to live holy lives, so that others may see our good works and give glory to God. In preaching the Gospel in word and deed we are signs that the Church is the new Jerusalem that all nations are called to enter, sharing in God's merciful salvation.