Welcoming the Advent Season
In the First Reading of the First Sunday of Advent, Isaiah the prophet reports God saying,
“The days are coming when I will fulfill the promise I made…” All the Sundays of Advent this year call us to look to the end times…. or maybe not.
The Second Readings from each week urge us to act toward each other in the manner Christ taught us. Be just. Be kind. Be joyful. Be willing to love as Jesus did. Look for the “Emmanuel” around us. Bring the “Emmanuel” to others. This is so well portrayed in the Gospel of the Fourth Sunday as Mary goes to the aid of Elizabeth. In that action of Mary, both women are blessed by each other and rejoice at the work of God in their lives. This is the call to us to act like those looking for the fulfillment of the promise.
The Sisters of the Living Word and our Associates offer reflections on this season and our part in it. In addition to this issue of Good News, you are welcome to join us from week to week via email messages and on our website for our reflections on this season.
Written by Barbara Mass, SLW (Chicago, Illinois)
First Sunday of Advent Reflection
December 1, 2024
Jeremiah 33: 14 – 16
Psalm 25: 4-5, 8-10, 14
1 Thessalonians 3:12 -4:2
Luke 21: 25 – 28, 34 – 36
The prophet Jeremiah proclaims: “The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise to the house of Israel and Judah. I will raise up A JUST SHOOT; He shall do WHAT IS RIGHT AND JUST IN THE LAND. . . and MY PEOPLE shall DWELL SECURE.” These first words we hear as we begin Advent are words of HOPE and of a PROMISE.
Paul, in his letter to the Thessalonians, AFFIRMS THE PROMISE and URGES US TO LIVE into the call of FOLLOWING JESUS: “. . . may the Lord make you overflow with LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER and FOR ALL . . . may he STRENGTHEN your HEARTS, MAKING them HOLY.”
Luke’s words continue with a CHALLENGE that leads us to CLING TO HOPE: “BE ON GUARD, the great day will suddenly close in on you. . . WATCH AND PRAY for STRENGTH to STAND SECURE before the Son of Man.”
For the next several weeks we will often be saying “Emmanuel” – God is with us. That is our prayer, that is our hope! O HOLY ONE! Hear the CRY OF YOUR PEOPLE, and of our EARTH-HOME: for PEACE, for JUSTICE, for HEALING . . . which we know come through “RIGHT RELATIONSHIPS” . . . within ourselves, with family members, community/parish members, friends, people we hear or read about, THOSE NEAR and THOSE AROUND THE GLOBE, and with OUR EARTH and all creation upon it. O COME, EMMANUEL!
We hear these Sacred Words within a national and global context like never before!
Then, might we hear a different/additional twist to our usual Advent plea?
“O Come, O Come, My beloved followers, I HAVE heard the cries of My people…
In answer to their cries: I created YOU.
COME Walk the Advent journey WITH ME…”
– Emmanuel
Written by Carrie Miller SLW