Word to the Wise
Saturday, December 2, 2023 - Saturday in the 34th Week in Ordinary Time
[Dan 7:15-27 and Luke 21:34-36]"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." [Luke]
This Saturday is the last day of the liturgical year 2022-2023! Tomorrow is the First Sunday of Advent. The Sunday scripture cycle will move to Cycle B and the daily scripture cycle will move to Cycle II. Advent wreaths will appear in many churches and homes. Purple vestments will appear at liturgical celebrations. The hymn, "O Come, O Come Immanuel" will be heard over and over again. For the past couple of weeks the scriptures have been focusing on "last things" that combined the last days of Jesus' earthly ministry and the last days of time - the end of Jesus' "first coming" and the beginning of the time until his "second coming." Advent takes us back to the beginning and the "first coming." Will the "cares and anxieties of daily life" allow us to give Advent its full value? Will we be participants? Or merely spectators?
Advent focuses on Jesus' "first coming!" The passages from Isaiah will reflect the hopes and expectations of the Jewish people for a messiah that would deliver them from constant struggle. The gospel scriptures will give examples of the fulfillment of those hopes. The feasts of the Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8) and Our Lady of Guadalupe (Dec. 12) will highlight the role of Mary in that fulfillment. The role of John the Baptist in pointing out the Savior in our midst will be important. The secular "holiday season" will bring cares and anxieties to compete with "Ho, Ho, Ho!" It is a tough season for anyone experiencing loss. Reaching out to them can help to make Jesus' first coming a reality. Love is more than wrapped gifts. We can BE Advent and help with the cares and anxieties and give the HOPE that Isaiah expresses and the examples of Jesus' ministry present in the gospels. Will we be simply spectators or active participants? AMEN