First Sunday of Advent
For avid and sensible shoppers, this is the quintessential weekend! This is the weekend for cheap deals! Everybody tries to get the best for the cheapest! In fact, this weekend many in the nation will settle for the cheapest. This weekend we also begin Advent. And I hope that when it comes to Advent, we do not settle for the cheapest. Advent does not come cheap. The scripture readings for this weekend have a very simple message for us – “Don’t settle for cheap!”
Here are my three points for today. I have taken each of the points from the three readings from Isaiah, Paul, and Jesus.
1. Isaiah. In today’s first reading Isaiah says:
"Come, let us climb the LORD's mountain,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may instruct us in his ways,
and we may walk in his paths" (Is 2:3).
When Isaiah prophesied these words, Judah was on the brink of being annihilated by the Assyrians. In fact, the reason for the crisis in the nation was because people, especially the religious and political leaders, took God’s protection for granted. They figured that the nation was too dear to God for God abandon them. Isaiah’s invitation to “climb the mountain of the Lord,” in one sense, was literal. Jerusalem, the city where God’s temple was located was on a higher plain. Each year, the Israelites would make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Passover. On the other hand, Isaiah’s invitation was also a clamoring call to Judah to be humble enough for God to show them God’s way; to be open enough to hear God’s voice; to be disciplined enough to walk the path that God was laying for them. In times of a national crisis, God was inviting Judah to return to the Lord. Isaiah’s invitation is also the invitation of Advent. Advent is an invitation to stand humbly before God; to be open to God’s voice; to see the path God is laying for us, our families, our church, and our world. Advent does not come cheap. Don’t settle for cheap.
2. Paul. There is a second way of reflecting on the Advent invitation. Paul says in today’s second reading,
“Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light” (Rom 13:12).
When Paul wrote these words to the Roman’s he had two specific thoughts in mind. First, the Pauline church was a firm believer of the imminent coming of Christ. At the same time, the coming of the Lord was being delayed more than they ever anticipated. They were literally living in the in-between times. This called for a very unique lifestyle - a demand from Christians to be committed to the world without getting too attached to it. Paul’s second thought concerned those, who, discouraged by the delay of the coming of Christ, did become too attached to the world. To them Paul says, “Let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and lust, not in rivalry and jealousy” (Rom 13:13). Orgies, drunkenness, promiscuity, lust, rivalry, and jealousy – these were the issues that confronted Christians in the Roman society. These need not be our issues. However, the larger message of Paul’s words is still relevant for us. Are there areas where darkness lurks in our lives? Where in our lives do we need to put on the “armor of light?” Advent is an invitation to keep our lives worthy and ready for Christ. Advent is an invitation to abandon the works of darkness. Advent is an invitation to put on the armor of light. And it doesn’t come cheap. Don’t settle for cheap.
3. Jesus. There is yet a third way to reflect on the advent invitation. Jesus says,
“Stay Awake!” (Mt 24:42)
Immaterial of the seriousness of Jesus’ caution, commonsense tells us that we must live lives wide awake. Besides the salvific significance of Jesus’ words, simply on a human level, Jesus cautions us against the uncertainly of life! In Dayton, we have become all too familiar with the uncertainty of life. Among other tragedies, the victims of the mass shooting, and the McBride and Jasko children killed in the tragic accident, should tell us that life is unpredictable. How many people who were with us last Advent are not with us this year? Christ invites to not let the unpredictability of life overtake us. We risk Christ and the salvation that Christ offers if we do! On the contrary, Advent is an invitation to live life intentionally, to stay awake, to live purposefully, to live meaningfully. It doesn’t come cheap. Don’t settle for cheap, fellow disciples! Don’t settle for cheap.
This Advent, unlike the people of Isaiah’s times, let not take Advent and this Eucharist for granted. As we receive Christ, let us stay awake and put on the armor of light. Just one thing! Don’t settle for cheap.