First Sunday in Advent – Year C
December 01, 2024 – 10:30 AM
Saint Cecilia Catholic Community
Rev. David Justin Lynch
Jeremiah 33:14-16 | Psalm 25:4-5;8-10;14
I Thessalonians 3:12-4:2 | Luke 21:25-28;34-36
+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, AMEN.
Several weeks ago, you heard Deacon Sharon preach about a coming apocalypse. What is an apocalypse? It is an event involving destruction or damage on a catastrophic scale. While Revelation is the only apocalyptic book in the New Testament, the three synoptic gospels, that is, Mark, Matthew and Luke, each contain an apocalyptic passage like that in today’s Gospel. Biblical scholars believe the authors of those Gospels were foretelling the destruction of Jerusalem in seventy A-D as an end-time event.
Images of the moon, sun, and stars predicted dismay on earth and that people would die from fear of roaring seas and waves. Forces of nature will cause great distress and anxiety because there is nothing we can do to stop them. A multitude of people feel the same way after the recent election. They feel afraid and powerless.
The months leading up to and the period following The November election demonstrated a heightened sense of division, uncertainty, and anxiety. From the heated rhetoric to the intense media coverage and polarized opinions, it often felt as though the stakes of this election were nothing less than the survival of the United States as we know it, leading to a fundamental transformation of American democracy and values. Many people sense that this election will shape the course of the nation for years, if not decades, leading to fears of irreversible change with political, social, or economic consequences.
The recent election traumatized many people. I am still processing how the church can respond to the many people who are scared of the next four years. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been dealing with lots of grief and healing. I’ve prayed with and for many individuals, particularly the immigrants among us, many of whom behave better than native-born citizens. I sense that the mood in the United States right now is one of foreboding quiet, as if the end of everything is too close for comfort, just like the Gospel writers felt in seventy A-D.
Many people are fearful of the incoming government. But all was not calm, and all was not bright, for mother and child in the time and place Jesus was born in First Century Judea. The land was under Roman rule, which meant heavy taxation, political oppression, and limited autonomy for the Jewish people. The socio-economic conditions were harsh, especially for peasants like Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Joseph, her spouse. Just like today, people were scared. They feared the future.
Fear, however, is the least productive of all emotions.
Fear paralyzes. Fear can hold us back from taking action or moving forward. It can stop us from pursuing opportunities, facing challenges, or embracing change. Fear prevents us from realizing our potential and taking necessary steps toward growth.
Fear does not build bridges. Building bridges symbolizes connection, cooperation, and creating pathways between people, ideas, or opportunities. Fear prevents us from reaching out, collaborating, or bridging divides. It keeps us isolated or stuck in a narrow perspective, unable to connect with others in meaningful ways.
Fear does not bake bread. Baking bread represents creation, nourishment, and sustenance. Fear doesn’t lead to productive action or the making of something valuable. Fear stops us from creating, building, or contributing to the well-being of ourselves and others.
The Christian remedy for fear is hope, the traditional theme for the First Sunday of Advent pointing us towards the promise of better times ahead, just like the future God promised to the peoples of Judah and Israel in today’s First Reading.
As Catholic Christians, our hope is based in Jesus. The “righteous Branch” in today’s first reading is a direct reference to a future king who will come from the line of David, a prophecy pointing to the coming of a Messiah who is a descendant of King David. Jesus is often referred to as the “Son of David” to emphasize his lineage from King David. Mary is a descendant of King David through his son Nathan, which aligns with Jeremiah’s prophecy that the Messiah would come from David’s genealogical line. At Christmas time, we will see that God keeps God’s promises. Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise of the hopes of the Jewish people for a Davidic king.
Advent begins a new liturgical year. Advent is a time of hope. Hope fuels new beginnings and an expectation that something better is coming.
Advent is a fresh start for spiritual growth and community worship. Like a new year, it’s our moment to push the reset button, establish goals, and embrace a sense of renewal. Advent points to a time to increase and abound in love, as proclaimed in today’s Second Reading.
Advent marks the expectation of the birth of Jesus Christ, which is a new beginning in the Christian narrative—the arrival of a savior. Jesus brings new beginnings with fresh opportunities, renewal, and hope.
Advent is our opportunity for spiritual reflection and renewal as we prepare our hearts and minds for the celebration of the birth of Jesus. New beginnings can be a time for a fresh start, a time to let go of past mistakes, and a time to embark on new journeys.
Advent is a time of new beginnings. It is a time of rising up from the ashes of disaster and starting over, just like many people in Camarillo, Orange County, and elsewhere are now doing after fires that devastated their homes.
Advent is a time of once again finding our way in the world as Christians, even though surrounding circumstances may feel adverse to us.
Advent is a reminder that God’s promises are trustworthy. God is not a politician who will say anything to get elected to a place of power. God’s power simply exists notwithstanding anyone’s desires. No matter what kind of darkness we face, we can wait with hope because God will bring about justice and righteousness. God’s trustworthy promises bring us hope.
God’s promise of a coming Savior is not just a hope of the past but is an ever-present reality. In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks about signs of His coming in the last days, describing cosmic upheaval and distress. Yet He also says to His followers: “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Jesus invites us not to fear, but to lift up our heads in hope, for the signs of the times are not a reason for despair, but a reason to be alert and expectant.
Jesus warns us, however, not to get distracted by the worries of life, not to allow the “cares of this life” to weigh us down. Advent calls us to examine our hearts and our priorities. Are we focused on God’s kingdom, or have we become too absorbed by the distractions of the world?
The message of Jesus in today’s Gospel is not meant to arouse fear. It is about being spiritually awake and keeping our hearts and minds focused on God. Advent invites us to be alert, to watch for Christ’s presence in our lives today, and to live with the expectation of His return. We are called to stand firm, not in fear, but in hope—knowing that God’s promises will be fulfilled.
To those of you who are sad and fearful from the results of the recent election, my advice is to trust God. In God, there is hope for the future because the universe does not stand still. Its change is constant.
Wars end.
Pandemics end.
Recessions end.
Periods of inflated prices end.
And, Presidents of the United States serve for a finite period of time.
But God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is eternal, past, present and future.
So rather than becoming overly absorbed in current events, focus your life on Jesus. Live out the two Great Commandments to love God and your neighbor. To quote an ancient Persian saying, “This, too, shall pass.” Everything is going to work out just fine, eventually, on God’s timetable. So, live not in fear. Instead, live in hope. AMEN.