_{Holy Spirit Catholic Church
Homilies}

 _{First Sunday in Advent}

Our Catholic liturgy highlights Advent as expectation of and preparation for the end of time as we know it.  Call it focus on fulfillment of the Paschal Mystery, when the Messiah for whom Jews have waited some 3,000 years and Christians have worshiped for 2,000 years will make his glorious return, and history as we know it will be just that, history.

So we believe that the final coming of Christ will happen, and he will gather the people of God and put the stamp of approval on the completion of the kingdom he inaugurated 2,000 years ago.  We also believe that it's not likely to happen in our lifetime.  Moreover, we happen to live in an evolving culture that thrives on action, not on waiting.  We do not like to wait, and since we don't like to wait, we find ways to fill up the empty feeling of waiting.

Popular culture adores multi-tasking, fast pain relief, instant money from ATM's, instant food from the microwave, instant everything.  College students (and high school students also) emerge from class and immediately activate their cell phones, even when they are walking in a group of classmates and friends.  States pass laws prohibiting texting while driving.  Minds and hearts of young and old are filled with urgent concerns.

The coming of the kingdom of God is not one of these urgent concerns.  Why worry about something that's not going to happen any time soon?  Why, indeed?  In Advent, God answers: "Because it is the wise thing to do.  It's the right way to live." 

To encourage and motivate us, God sent prophets like Isaiah, who drew people into the marvelous vision that we heard described in the first reading.  Here God promises Israel that "the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills."  That is Jerusalem, Mount Zion, actually not a very high mountain at all, but honored as the summit where Israel can be sure God is present and active on their behalf.

God even goes beyond Israel's expectations, as the vision of Isaiah broadens Israel's notion of God's care and concern for people.  "All nations" shall stream toward God's mountain, not just Israelites.  Many people shall come and say: "Come, let us climb the Lord's mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob.  We want to receive instruction in the Lord's ways and learn to walk in his paths."  When people learn to adopt God's wisdom, they can be assured that peoples and nations will convert swords (weapons of death and destruction) into plowshares (implements of life and construction).  What a wonderful world that will be!

Yet, some 800 years after Isaiah, as St. Paul reached the end of his illustrious ministry, he knew that Isaiah's vision was still unfulfilled.  The second reading gives us what Paul told the Romans in the last letter he wrote.  His words are just as relevant for us today as they were for the Christian community then.  "It's time for you to awake from sleep because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed."  He could have said: "The clock is ticking, folks; the clock is ticking."

Then St. Paul lists some of the behaviors that keep people in darkness . . . what the Bible equates with folly or error.  Folly provides good reason to fear the final judgment:  orgies and drunkenness, promiscuity and lust, rivalry and jealousy.  Today Paul might have something to say about greed and deceit, violence and racism, narcissism and hedonism.  In any case, his advice is sound: "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh."

Jesus knew of the common human tendency to nibble along the edge of the gospel he proclaimed rather than plunge deeply into its heart and soul.  Remember the rich young man?  Remember the folks just too busy to come to the wedding feast?  Jesus knew how easy it was . . . and is . . . for people to get immersed in pursuits that do not always conform to the mind and heart of God.  We mean well but we sure are busy.

Jesus also knew of the common human desire to squeeze as much personal pleasure out of an experience as possible and still expect to get to heaven, even if death should arrive quickly and unexpectedly.  Common human tendencies.  Understandable, but not what God considers wise.

Four weeks from now we will celebrate Christmas.  Since we know it is coming, there will be no excuse for not being ready.  The best plan is to get ready right away and not drag our feet.  If you haven't finished shopping, do it ASAP.  Know where and when and what your Christmas banquet will be.  Mail your cards this week.  If we are prepared and prepared early then, if the unexpected does happen, we can face it with far less stress and fear.

The discipline of early Advent is to keep our minds and hearts on the big picture that Jesus draws for us before we get buried in concerns for this year's Christmas.  When Jesus says, "Be vigilant, because you do not know the day or the hour," he is giving us a precious gift of godly wisdom.  Do this and you will welcome the glorious return of Jesus Christ with open arms and cheers, not fears!