Readings from the First Sunday of Advent: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/cfm
Today marks the first day of Advent - the beginning of the church’s liturgical year. For many centuries, it was understood as a penitential season, akin to Lent, in which fasting and abstinence were its chief features, as the church prepared for the celebration of Jesus’ birth. Although increased fasting and prayer are still encouraged, and purple vestments are worn to signal the penitential overtones of this liturgical season, many of us get lost in the secular and commercial nature of this time.
In the first reading we hear Isaiah wishing that the people of Israel might be caught doing what is right, but more often it seems that is not the case. So they blame God for giving them too much freedom and for not coming through with awesome signs, which would make doing the right thing so simple! They sound like a pathetic lot! If we are honest, we can recognize some of our own projections onto God. How easy it is to blame others or to blame God for moving away from us and for hiding from us. The Psalmist pleads, like a child, “Lord make us turn to you”. (I can almost hear myself or a sibling plead to our parents, “Make her do this. Tell them to do that.”)
Paul reminds us that we don’t need to blame others or God. Through Christ we already have the grace we need to live in fidelity to the covenant. We are invited, not forced, to do what is right. The message is this: Wake up, people! Wake up to your potential! Wake up to your calling to live in the light.
Advent is about presence, not presents. Instead of rushing about searching for presents, we are invited this Advent to take seriously the quality of our ‘presence’ to one another and to God. May we be fully present to the One who longs for us to take seriously God’ presence revealed in Jesus’ incarnation.
Joan Cavanagh
Director of Campus Ministry, Westchester
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