First Sunday of Advent, Year C 02/12/2018

Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God

The resolve to run forth to meet your Christ with joy and hope,

Freed from all worries, troubles and stress.

 

Advent means “coming”. This coming is unique; it is the coming of the Lord.  “Behold the days are coming when I will fulfil the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah” (Jer 33:14). These are the words of hope and consolation on this first Sunday of Advent when we are reminded that we are waiting for the Lord’s coming not only at Christmas and at the End of Time, but also in our hearts. With these words, prophet Jeremiah reassures the people that God will fulfil his promises and from the line of David honesty and integrity will come.

Advent par excellence is the season of hope and every year this basic spiritual attitude is re-awakened in our hearts as we prepare to celebrate the feast of Nativity.

Let us meditate on hope, its depth and rediscover it. Are you going through emotional pain and that you are feeling like you are sinking deep and losing meaning of everything? Are you experiencing struggles in your love relationship, family and work? Are you falling into despair because of the many misfortunes and unexpected results of your actions and many other factors? This and much more pain and struggles in life can cause you to think of turning to drinking, eating, working, drugs, gambling and even isolation from others.

Are you or your family member and relatives struggling with cancer disease or any other type of disease? Are you struggling from any addiction?

Advent season comes to revive us, to sustain us and inspire us to never give up. Be positive with prophet Jeremiah and Jesus in the Gospel when he tells us; “look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is near” (Luke 21:28). Positive steps to help you gain hope and be cheerful: be filled with gratitude for every new day and thank God for it and wait for another new day with hope in the Lord. Count other blessings you have received from the Lord and don’t so much focus on your troubles. Be filled with thanksgiving for others and have a cheerful heart which will become your medicine than to live with a crushed spirit.

Christ’s coming meets us with our brokenness and invites us to focus on grace. His coming is the highest gift and grace that can give us hope and consolation.

Behold the days are coming… (Jer 33:14), look up and raise your head…(Luke 21:28) your story will change and while we wait for the Lord, we can pray to the Lord that he will teach us his ways, his faithfulness and his love (Psalm 25). Today, light the first candle of hope in your life, make a small Advent wreath in your heart and start slowly to construct a crib (crèche) in your heart. Ask for the greater patience.

St.Josephine Bakhita,  pray for us.

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