By Fr. Antony Christy –
First Sunday in Advent – 2nd December, 2018
Jer 33:14-16; 1 Thess 3:12 – 4:2; Lk 21: 25-28, 34-36
A fresh new liturgical year at hand!
Let us begin to celebrate it. On the first day of this liturgical year, the reminder from the Word is: we are standing on the promises of the Lord.
Advent is a season of waiting, waiting on the Lord for the fulfillment of promises. Just as the people of God waited for the centuries, we are called to wait for the Lord. The world however is growing increasingly impatient.
There was a documentary that went viral a couple of years back… that of an 8-year old boy in Armenia, who was at school when a treacherous earth quake occurred. To the absolute dismay of the father of this boy who rushed to the school premises immediately, the school was nothing but rubbles, piles and piles of stones in a heap. But the father chose a spot and started removing the stones bit by bit… in spite of all the discouragements offered and despair thrown at him, he went on constantly doing it for the next 38 hours! After 38 hours of rummaging, suddenly he heard this voice from the rubble: ‘see, didn’t I tell you my father will surely not abandon us’ and he was stunned to see his son with 12 others trapped under the debris.
Under debris, or boulder blocks, or totally in ruins… the challenge is to remain with HOPE… that we are standing on the promises of the Lord, the Lord our integrity.
1. PROMISES
Promises give meaning to life, they add an element that is not yet but already. A promise to a child will get that child do anything. A promise to a youngster will motivate that youngster into action. A promise to an employee will draw the utmost from the situation. A promise to the polity will gain parties votes. Promise is something that inspires action. We begin with a promise, a promise of a whole year of the Lord’s accompaniment. The first reading invites us to a hope that the Lord is serious about fulfilling the Lord’s promises.
2. STANDING
Stand with confidence before the Son of Man, says the Gospel today. We are standing – that takes three dispositions: One, that we are alert. We do not allow people to deceive us, or we do not permit the situation around us to have the better of us. We remain awake and perceive everything that is going on, picking up every sign that the Lord gives towards action. The second disposition, that we are ready and on the move because our liberation is at hand reminds the Gospel again. It is time that we see not only the history but the Lord of history in action, that we perceive the hand of God in things that are happening around us. Thirdly, that we are firm, strong and standing erect! That we are not overcome by fear or trepidation. We are standing, sure of our steps because we have a promise from the Lord and we need not be shaken.
3. THE LORD
The Lord our Integrity… it is the Lord who gives us these promises and we are sure that they will be fulfilled because we are referring to the Lord our integrity: Jehova Tsidkenu, the Righteous one (Jer 23:6). We have a sure foundation because it is the Lord who promises, the Lord who is Integrity, the Lord who is Righteousness. The Lord is faithful forever.
There could be signs of destruction every where, there could be evil seen thriving all over, there could be difficulties multiplying in all directions, there could be traps set all around for the just to fall and rise no more, there could be plotters and plunderers right at our door steps, there could be powers and principalities hatching together plans to destroy truth and seize control over humanity… but nothing shall triumph, nothing that overtake you, for you are standing on the promises of God! The Lord’s promise is the eternal covenant: For I shall be your God, you shall be my people!
We are standing on the promises of the Lord; we have nothing to fear however dark and dreary the situation may seem. The Lord our integrity is constantly watching over us and waiting to fulfill all God’s promises!
Fr Antony Christy is a Salesian Priest from 2005, who has a Masters in Philosophy (specialisation in Religion) and a Masters in Theology (Specialisation in Catechetics). He is currently pursuing his doctoral research in Theology at Salesian Pontifical University, Rome. Walking with the Young towards a World of Peace and Dialogue is the passion that fires him.