1^st Sunday of Advent (B); December 3, 2023

Is 63:16b-17,19b; 64:2b-7.  Ps 80.  1 Cor 1:3-9.  Mk 13:33-37

Deacon Jim McFadden

            Carly Simon in the ‘70s sang, “Anticipation, anticipation is makin’ me late, is keepin’ me waitin’.” As we enter the new liturgical year and season of Advent, which prepares us for Christmas, the song reminds us that we wait in anticipation for the coming of Christ into our hearts because he is close, which we hear in our first reading from Isaiah.  In the Gospel Jesus urges us to be watchful in expectation of his arrival.

            Isaiah begins by speaking very personally to God: “You, O Lord are our father” (Is 63:16).   “Never has anyone heard,” he continues, “(of) any God, other than you, who has done so much for those who trust in him” (64:3).  These words remind us of the words of Deuteronomy of God’s continual, unflinching availability: who is like the Lord our God, so close to us whenever we call upon him? (cf. Deut 4:7).  Advent is a good time to remember that closeness of God who came down to dwell within our midst as one of us.  The prophet goes on to ask God to draw close to us once more: “Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, with the mountains quaking before you” (Is 63:19b).  We prayed for this in today’s responsorial Psalm: “Turn again, Lord of hosts…let your face shine upon us that we may be saved” (Ps 80:15,20).  We often begin the Liturgy of the Hours with the invocation: “God, come to my assistance.  Lord,  make haste to help me.”  This is the first step of faith is to tell God, to remind ourselves, just how much we need him, that we need him to be close to us. 

            And, you know what?  God is not some kind of disinterested transcendent reality, but he really wants to draw close to us but he will not impose himself;  it is up to us to invite him into our hearts: “Come, Lord Jesus! (Rev 22:20) which ends the New Testament.   “Come, Lord Jesus!”—right here, right now!  Yes, the Word of God became Flesh 2,000+ years ago; yes, he will come again at the end of time.  But, for a Christian the most important thing is the third time, a third encounter in which he comes every day into our hearts and relationships in which we participate in his divine Life, which empowers us to do good in our own lives and the lives of others.  Our God is the God-who comes, who always comes; he’s never missing in action as he is always at our side.  More to it, as we intone  the Eucharistic prayer that  “we move, live, and have our being” in him because we are members of his very mystical Body, the Church.  We dwell within him every moment of our existence.  As we participate in his divine Life through prayer, the Sacraments, and service to others, we prepare ourselves for the ultimate encounter, for being with the Lord for eternity. 

            If we ask Jesus to come close to us, we will train ourselves to be diligent, to be watchful.  In today’s Gospel,  Mark presented us with end of Jesus’ final address to his disciples, which can be summed up in two words: Be watchful!  The Lord drives home the point by repeating these words four times.  We need to be watchful because one of the great mistakes we make is to get absorbed in a myriad number of things that distract us from what is ultimately important.  St. Augustine once preached that “I fear that Jesus will pass by unnoticed” (Sermons, 88, 14, 13).  How does that happened?   When we get caught up in our daily concerns, when we are buffeted by political, economic, and social distractions, we can lose sight of what is essential.  Yes, these concerns need to be attended to, but they are not our Ultimate Concern: we need to put them into perspective.  That is why the Lord repeats: “To all, I say: be watchful” (Mk 13:37).  Be watchful, be attentive so that Jesus doesn’t pass by unnoticed. 

            Staying awake, being spiritually alert is not easy; it is really quite hard unless we are diligent in our spiritual practices which are grounded in him.  If we don’t, we will get drowsy;  we will fall asleep.  If we get used to a self-absorbed lifestyle, feeding our egoic preoccupations,  we can create a secure comfort zone in which I become the center of gravity of my life.  If we don’t strive to love God daily and await the newness he constantly brings, we will become indifferent, lukewarm, worldly Christians.  Such a self-referential lifestyle slowly eats away our faith, for faith is the polar opposite of mediocrity.  What Advent challenges us to do have an ardent desire to be with God, to love God with our whole heart, and with our whole soul, and our whole strength (cf. Deut 6:4-5).  The ardent desire to love God is a bold effort to embrace change, the courage to live the Great Commandment, and to stay with the process of transformation.  Faith is not something that makes our life boring, but it is a fire that enflames our heart, energizes our relationships, and animates all aspects of our life.  Unlike a selfish lifestyle that puts us to sleep, faith awakens us to a love story that is meant to endure for eternity.  That’s how we rouse ourselves from the slumber of indifference.  Charity is the beating heart of a disciple of Christ.  Just as one cannot live without a heartbeat, one cannot be a Christian without charity, which means we love our neighbor as ourself, which means no one is excluded.  Everyone is included. 

            So, let us now call upon him: Come, Lord Jesus, we need you!  Draw close to us this Advent.  Rouse us from the slumber of indifference and mediocrity.  Come, Lord Jesus: take our distracted hearts and make them watchful.  Awaken  within us the desire to be with you,  and the need to love you now and forever.  Amen.

Reflection Questions

1.  In your ordinary experience do you have the sense of God’s continual availability to you.  If not, what hinders you from being aware of the closeness of God.

• “Come, Lord Jesus!”—in what ways does Jesus come into your life?  As your relationship with Jesus grows, how do you participate in his divine life?

• How do you endeavor to make your distracted heart more watchful?