November 30: The Day of the Lord (in Advent)

“... out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!” Isaiah 2, 1-5

Each year we witness how Advent tends to be swamped by Christmas music and Christmas “noise.” It should be a quiet time, where we step back to the fundamental experience of Israel (see Isaiah above), the experience of trustful waiting on the Lord’s deliverance. Advent can be a “desert” time, when we try to empty our minds and hearts of the clutter of the past and when we can learn something from the Prophets: the deepest and most real needs in our lives. The long journey of Advent offers to reawaken in us both a hope and a longing for a better future. Clearly this is not just a more secure financial future for us, but a future of Redemption for the entire people of our world.

***

This first Sunday of Advent (and this holy season in the life of our Church) is ultimately about time. A sense of urgency comes from Isaiah. A timely reminder comes from St. Paul (in Romans 13, 11-14) about the salvation we have already found in the light of Christ. And all of this confirmed by Jesus who urges us to live spiritually awake, alive, and prepared “for, not at any moment, but in every moment, God is with us.”

Hoy, la Iglesia Universal celebra el domingo primero de Adviento, iniciando un nuevo año litúrgico. 

De nuevo ha llegado el Adviento, tiempo de espera gozosa, de vigilancia. En el alma brota el anhelo, el deseo vivo de que Jesús llegue hasta nosotros. Por eso repetimos como los primeros cristianos: ¡Maranatha, ven, Señor Jesús!

En este tiempo de alegre esperanza, el Señor nos recuerda el encuentro sagrado que compromete toda nuestra vida: el encuentro con Cristo, que vino hace dos mil años y que vendrá glorioso al final de los tiempos, pero que viene constantemente a nosotros, en su Palabra, en sus Sacramentos, y en nuestra vida cotidiana … y esto nos exige permanecer en vigilante espera para poder descubrir su presencia en nuestras vidas.