Saturday, December 1, 2012

The Warning and Comfort in Christ’s Coming

First Sunday of Advent, B
December 2, 2012


Introduction

Today is the First Sunday of Advent, the beginning of the Christmas Cycle and of the Liturgical Year. The theme of Advent is preparation for the ‘coming’ of Christ: we prepare to celebrate his ‘first’ coming on Christmas by preparing for his ‘second’ coming as we say in the Mystery of Faith: “Christ has died; Christ has risen; Christ shall come again!”

In the Gospel reading two Sundays ago, the Sunday before Christ the King, we read in the Gospel of Mark the ‘signs’ of  the coming of Christ that will happen on earth:

“And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled: for such things must happen; but this is not yet the end. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be earthquakes in diverse places, and there shall be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.” (Mark 13:7-8)

Some of these signs shall be caused by people: “wars and rumors of wars” and nation rising up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. But some of these signs are not man-made, like “earthquakes in diverse places” and “famines”.

But in today’s Gospel reading, now from the Gospel of Luke, we read of the signs of the coming of Christ that will happen in heaven:

And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the roaring of the sea and the waves. Men's shall faint because of fear, and in expectation of the calamities that shall come upon the earth, for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” (Luke 21:25-27)

When these things begin happen, Jesus said, “Look up and lift up your heads; for your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28)

I. The Coming of Christ: A Comfort

The coming of Christ is should bring comfort to the heart of a Christian. After narrating all the signs of his coming, Jesus used the parable of the fig tree:

“Behold the fig tree, and all the trees: When they shoot forth, you see and know for yourselves that summer is close at hand. So likewise, when you see these things come to pass, you know that the kingdom of God is close at hand.” (Luke 21:29-31)

When St. Paul wrote of the coming of Christ in the clouds to gather the believers in Christ, “both the living and the dead” (Apostles’ Creed),

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (I Thessalonians 4:16-17)

--then he writes, “Comfort each other with these with these words” (v. 18). The coming of Christ is not a message of doom; it is Good News!

II. The Coming of Christ: A Warning

The coming of Christ is not only a comfort, it is also a warning. Because Jesus is coming, no matter what tribulations may come, we have comfort: our troubles will come to an end. But at the same time, the coming of Jesus is a warning. He said,

“Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be weighed down with gluttony and drunkenness, and with cares of this life, and so that day would come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Keep watch, therefore, and pray always, that you may be deemed worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:34-36)

Some people live as if Christ is never coming, so their lives are “weighed down with gluttony and drunkenness, and with cares of this life”. That is why when Christ comes—no matter what signs may be—that day will catch them “unaware”. Therefore, Jesus told us to “keep watch and pray always” that we “may be deemed worthy… and to stand before the Son of Man.”


Conclusion

How are we preparing for the coming for Christ? How are we preparing to celebrate Christmas? Are we looking forward to “gluttony and drunkenness”? Are we “weighed down” by all of the things we want this Christmas? Or, shall we heed the message of Advent? “Keep watch and pray”. Who knows, Christ might come back this Christmas?

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Graphic courtesy of www.pray4zion.org.

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