THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
November 29

We grow in spiritual life by celebrating and participating in the paschal mystery of Jesus. The paschal mystery includes the incarnation, passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. Every time we come together to celebrate the Eucharist, we celebrate these events. We also celebrate the mystery of our salvation throughout the year by assigning each event a season. Thus we have the season of Advent, Christmas, Lent, Passion, Resurrection and Ordinary time. We call this the liturgical year.

Today we begin Advent, the first season of the liturgical year. The word Advent means coming, coming of Jesus as a saving event. In fact, the Gospel reading for the first Sunday of Advent begins with a warning. Jesus says:
“Be vigilant so that that day will not come upon you as a surprise.” Evidently, this is in reference to the Second Coming of Jesus. One may wonder why we talk about the Final Day on the very first day of the year. It is not by accident. It is important that we must be aware of our destination before we begin our journey. Jesus came into history not to keep us here on earth but to prepare us to stand before the Lord holy and undefiled and lead us to eternal life. Thus incarnation is complete with the Second Coming of Jesus where He presents us to the Father.

Whether Advent is all about Jesus’ first coming in the history or His second coming at the end of time what is important for us is his coming in our life. During this Advent, therefore, our challenge is how do we make the coming of Jesus a reality in our life. Definitely there are numerous ways. I would like to mention three of them.

1. Keep the Focus on the Reason for Celebration

There is this story. One day a few ladies came to a restaurant. They were in a very happy- go- lucky mood. Out of curiosity the manager asked them. “Why are you here, today? What is special?” “Oh. Today is the birthday of my only child. We are here to celebrate it,” one of the ladies said. “Where is the child? I would like to greet him,” he said. “We did not bring him. He is at home.” she said. “Do you think he would have allowed us to enjoy this food if we brought him with us? He would be a real disturbance,” she added. A birthday celebration with out the birthday baby being present! The focus of the celebration was shifted from the center to the periphery. Advent is a holiday season for many. Naturally people are busy with buying and sending gifts, organizing parties and so forth. All these are important. They are part of the celebration and life is meant to be a celebration. But, the Gospel reading on this very first day of Advent begins with a warning; Jesus says, “Be vigilant and Stay awake.” If we are not vigilant, there is a danger of missing the REASON for our celebration. The reason for this season is Jesus: the Birth of Jesus and the second coming of Jesus. If we are not attentive to the coming of Jesus, his coming becomes a non -starter in our lives.

2. Open to change

The good news of Jesus’ First coming was that He chose a human body as his dwelling place. By assuming a human form He restored human dignity. The human body became the temple of God. The incarnation of Jesus must take place in every human person. The Divine must penetrate into every cell of our lives. Therefore, it is not enough to focus on his coming alone, but we need to prepare our lives to welcome him. We need to allow him to enter into our lives and transform us. Our challenge during Advent is like clay in the hands of a potter. We need to place ourselves in the hands of God and allow him to shape and reshape our image until he forms a pot of his liking. St. Erenaus said this: As long as the clay is wet, moist and supple, the shaping is painless; but on the other hand, if the clay is hardened and reactive, it can break under the influence of the Potter. In Adam, the clay became brittle and hardened, so the shaping became painful and even impossible. What kind of clay are you? We can make the clay of our life moist and supple by doing a number of things: By reading the bible every day during these 25 days; attending Mass on weekdays; preparing for a good confession; attending the bible studies and so forth. Therefore, one needs to ask: What is it that I need to stop doing and what is that I need to start doing during this Advent?

3. Meet Jesus in the ‘Neighbor’

The incarnation of Jesus made every human person another meeting place of God. The uniqueness of Christianity is that we can relate to God only through our neighbors. In the story of the Good Samaritan, the priest and the Levite tried to reach the temple by avoiding the victim on the road. Not they, but the Samaritan who stopped on the way to meet the victim caught the attention of God. Where do I find Jesus? Remember, Jesus was born in a manger, not in a palace or any other place of luxury. Jesus is there where people are struggling to celebrate their life with human dignity…Jesus is there where there is a person in need. During this season, let us try to be generous to people who are in need. Thus let us make this Holiday season a Holy season

THE SEASON OF ADVENT

Advent is a ‘Liturgical Season’ that began in the ninth century. The word advent is derived from the Latin root: adventus which simply means ‘coming’. In the context of our religion it means the coming of Jesus as a saving event. Obviously, this is good news as it gives new hope. People naturally prepare themselves and joyfully wait for this event. So, summarily, advent is a time of Hope, Joy and preparation.

The early Christian communities celebrated the incarnation of Jesus differently with different names such as: Advent, Epiphany and Nativity. All these three names denote the same reality: the redemptive revelation of God.

The incarnation of Jesus was celebrated at different dates. In some places it was celebrated on January 6. Christmas was also celebrated in the months March or May in certain other places. The celebration of Christmas on the 25 of December started in the fourth century. There were two prominent reasons for this change.
1. The ‘Solar Festival of the Romans’ was celebrated on December 25th. In order to counter the Roman Pagan religion, the church decided to celebrate the Birth Day of Jesus, the real Sun that enlightens the world, on December 25th.
2. December 25th is the longest night of the year. The longest night symbolically indicates the dominance of darkness over the world. Evidently, the world is in need of a sun that can overthrow the rule of darkness. Jesus is the light (sun).The celebration of the birth of Jesus on December 25th is right, fitting and proper.

The Historical development of Advent

A. In the eastern Churches and in France, in lieu of the Nativity of Jesus, people celebrated the Baptism of Jesus. According to their theology, it was at the time of His baptism that the Divinity of Jesus was fully revealed. The Baptism of Jesus was the only recorded incident where the entire Trinity was present. On the other hand, in the Western Churches, the visit of the three Wise Men was celebrated on the Feast of the Epiphany. Again in the Eastern Churches, the epiphany was a Baptismal Feast. It was the time for the renewal of Baptismal vows. Hence they observed this period of preparation as if it were Lent. Modeled after the 40-day lent, they observed 40 Lenten Type days before the Baptismal Feast. They started this on November 11, on the feast day of St. Martin. This was known as St. Martin Lent. Actually this practice started in the diocese of Tours (380) and then in 581 the Council of Macon reduced these days into four weeks and introduced in France. In short, Advent was an ascetic period in the East.

B. The Epiphany was not a baptismal feast in the Western Churches. It was the visitation of the three Wise Men. The focus was on the Birth of Jesus. Naturally advent was not a Lenten period but a period of Liturgical Celebration.

C. The Roman Liturgy was introduced in the Gallican Church in the 9th Century. Because of this new Liturgy, their understanding of Advent went through a Change. Advent became a mixture of Lenten and Liturgical celebrations. In the Gallican Church, Advent was also a period of preparation for the Second Coming of Jesus. This Gallican understanding of Advent influenced the Roman view of Advent. Hence from the 10 the century onwards, Advent added a new nuance, the expectation of the second coming of Jesus.

D. There was a second reason for this new development in the understanding of Advent. The redemptive work that Jesus inaugurated would complete only with the final judgment and with the inauguration of the eschatological era. Thus Advent acquired a wider meaning: the expectation of the Final Judgment, his coming in Majesty.

E. In the 20th century with the advancement of theology, Advent acquired a third dimension: the coming of Jesus in Mystery. Jesus has come in history. He w9ill come in Majesty. But he has never left the church. He is present in the church through the sacraments and many other ways.

The Spirit of Advent

The Spirit of advent is expressed well in the parable of the bridesmaids who are anxiously awaiting the coming of the Bridegroom. There is profound joy at the Bridegroom’s expected coming. And yet a warning of the need for preparation echoes through the parable. Advent is therefore not simply a time of celebrating a historical event, it is not a just period of hope but a time for deepening our awareness of the presence of Christ in us and in his Church. Between His first and second coming, Jesus is still coming in grace. It is ca time of awareness and awakening. The prayer of Advent is:
Come, O Come, Emmanuel!
And ransom captive Israel!

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Christmas Trees

Use of Christmas tree came from a Germanic Tribe. They were tree worshipers. The main reason for worshiping All Green Tree was their growth was upwards. When they accepted Christianity, they retained their reverence for the trees but with a new meaning. As per their thinking the incarnation of Jesus gave human being a God orientation and thus an upward movement. The Christmas Trees symbolizes this new movement in Jesus.

The Advent Wreath

The advent wreath is a circular evergreen wreath with five candles, four around the wreath and one in the center. The circle of the wreath reminds us of God Himself, his eternity and endless mercy, which has no beginning or end. The green of the wreath speaks of the hope that we have in God, the hope of newness, of renewal, of eternal life.

Candles symbolize the light of God coming into the world through the birth of His Son. The four outer candles represent the period of waiting during the four Sundays of Advent, which symbolize the four centuries of waiting between the prophet Malachi and the birth of Christ. The light of the candles remind us that Jesus is the light of the world that comes into the darkness of our lives to bring newness, life, and hope. It also reminds us that we are called to be a light to the world as we reflect the light of God’s grace to others( Is 42:6) The progression in the lightning of the candles symbolizes the darkness of fear and hopelessness receding and shadows of sin falling away as more and more light is shed into the world. Finally the light that has come into the world is plainly visible as the Christ candle is lighted at Christmas.

The first candle is traditionally the candle of Hope or expectation. The remaining three candles are organized around characters or themes as a way to unfold the story and direct attention to the celebrations and worship in the season. The sequence for the remaining three Sundays might be Bethlehem, Shepherds, Angel. Or peace, joy and love. Or John the Baptist, the Magi, Mary. Or the Annunciation, Proclamation, Fulfillment. The third Candle for the third Sunday is traditionally Pink or Rose, and symbolizes Joy at the advent of the Christ. The Center candle is white and is called the Christ Candle. It is lit on Christmas Eve or Day. The central location of the Christ Candle reminds us that the incarnation is the heart of the season, giving light to the world.

The colors of Advent

Historically, the primary color of advent is purple, the color of royalty to welcome the Advent of the King. The purple is also the color used during lent and holy week. It points out an important connection between His birth and death. However, many churches use blue to distinguish between the seasons of Advent from Lent. Royal Blue is sometimes used as a symbol of royalty. Some churches use bright blue to symbolize the night sky, the anticipation of the impending announcement of the King’s coming, or symbolize the waters of Genesis 1, the beginning of a new creation.

The Christmas Crib

The Christmas Crib dates back to St. Francis of Assisi. It was in 1293 that the fist Crèche was celebrated in the woods of Greccio near Assisi, on Christmas Eve. Francis called upon John (Messier Giovanni Velitta), a holy man of that city, about two weeks before Christmas and said to him, I want to enact the memory of the Infant who was born at Bethlehem and how he was bedded in the manger on hay between a donkey and an ox. I want to see all of this with my own eyes.” The man prepared everything that Francis had told him. Greccio became a new Bethlehem. The crowds gathered and rejoiced in the celebration. Solemn Mass was sung. After the Mass, Francis went to the crib and stretched out his arms as though the holy Child was there. The Babe appeared and empty manger was filled with the radiance of the new born King.

St. Francis’ idea of bringing Bethlehem into one’s own town spread quickly all over the Christian world, and soon there were Christmas cribs in churches and homes. The Moravian Germans brought this custom to the United States.
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YOUR KINGDOM COME…!
November 22

This Sunday we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. Jesus is King. He is the King of Kings. In 1925, during the Jubilee year, Pope Pius XI instituted this Solemn Feast of Christ the King. Though this is relatively a new feast, the Church always honored the Kingship of Jesus. The Three Kings from the East paid homage to Jesus at his birth. People tried to make him King on Palm Sunday. “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of Jews.” This was the title Pilate inscribed on the top of His cross. The thief begged Jesus: “Remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” The disciples had no doubt about his Kingship. James and John said’ “Give us a place on your right and left when you establish your Kingdom.”

Jesus himself claimed his Kingship when he said to Pilate, “I am King.” In fact Jesus began his ministry announcing the coming of the Kingdom. He said: “The Kingdom of God is at hand, repent.” On this Feast Day, therefore, it is important to consider two things: What is the Kingdom God and how is Jesus the King?

The Kingdom of God is not a place or a territory or an organization. It is a situation or a disposition where one is simply accepting the reign of God in one’s life. Those who accept God’s supremacy in their lives come under His Kingdom. Jesus completely surrendered to the will of God even to the point of his death. Kingdom of God became a reality in his life. Jesus himself asserted it when he said: “Those who see me, see my Father. I am the way, the Truth and the Life.” God confirmed this truth about Jesus at his Baptism and Transfiguration. At the transfiguration of Jesus, God said,”This is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased, listen to him.” The disciples had no doubt about this so Peter said, “Between heaven and earth no name is given for our salvation other than the name of Jesus.” Jesus is the King.

Dimensions of Jesus’ Kingdom

Jesus began his teaching about the Kingdom with the following statement. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of God.” He ended his teaching with similar words: “Enter the Kingdom of God because you fed me when I was hungry……” This set the tone of his Kingdom. It is a new method of functioning, and a new paradigm for thinking. Jesus, the King, is different from all other kings in 6 different ways.
· In his Kingdom accepting God as our Father and doing His will is the ultimate goal and purpose of human existence. God is the ultimate reference point.
· Jesus accommodated differences. The composition of his core group of disciples itself is clear evidence for this. He envisioned a Global Family, so He broke down the “man made walls” that separate us. He integrated differences and made them something to be celebrated as well. On the other hand, the problem we face today is intolerance. An ethnocentric attitude, making my culture as the criteria for evaluating others and the world, only widen the split and creates conflict which is very much a part of our world today.
· In His Kingdom, the role of the leader is to defend and promote the life of the people. In his kingdom the model of leadership is that of a shepherd. Unlike the other kings and leaders, Jesus, the Leader, laid down his life for his people.
· Jesus emphasized the centrality of the human person. He placed the human person, neither the economy nor the religious rituals as the center and the object of development. He preferred human culture to consumer culture that values human dignity and equality. In his kingdom we are the care takers of our brothers and sisters.
· In his Kingdom, the power and strength come from love and service. The role of the King is to serve the people. By serving the poor, Jesus became poor. By serving the poor, our leaders are becoming Billionaires.
· And finally, His Kingdom aims at communion through dialogue and reconciliation.

Kingdom on Earth

A lot of people argue that Jesus’ Kingdom is a spiritual Kingdom or an otherworldly Kingdom. People who hold these views consider religion as a private matter and keep silent in the face of growing secularism. They do not voice when they see God, worship or anything related to the Kingdom of God is removed from the public place. We already started seeing the consequences of this! For Jesus, God’s Kingdom is not a private thing. It is not something to practice in secret places. Remember his words: “If any one denies me in public, I will deny him in front of God, my Father.” The Kingdom of God is a new way of thinking, feeling and acting. It is something that we need to live here on earth. So he taught us to pray:’ Your Kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

To establish a society envisioned by Jesus, requires a structural transformation and a personal conversion. A structural change may not be within our personal reach. We may not experience any drastic change from our world leaders. But we can initiate a personal conversion in our own lives. We all are Kings in our own little world. We can bring changes there. If we can do whatever possible in our way to establish the Kingdom, we are declaring Jesus as our King. On this Feast Day of Christ the King, let us proclaim “Jesus is our King and if God does not watch over the city, in vain watchmen keep the vigil.”

WAKE UP CALL
33 SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Here is a quiz for you. You are sleeping. You are dreaming. A big Tiger is chasing you. You try to run away and you see a lion coming in front of you. You turn sideways, but every side you turn to, you find a ferocious animal coming after you. How can you escape? The answer is: Wake Up. (Fr. Munachi Ezeogue cssp)

Wake up! Be Vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to stand before the Son of Man (Gospel Acclamation). This is the message of the 33rd Sunday in the Ordinary Time. (Daniel 12:1-3; Hebrews 10:11-14,8; Mark 13:24-32) This is a timely message as we are coming to the close of the Liturgical year B. Next Sunday we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. On the penultimate Sunday of the year B, therefore, all the readings focus on the End of Time with a wakeup call.

It is an undisputed fact that the world will come to an end and the Son of man will appear in the sky to pronounce the final judgment. This can be scary but not for all. The wise and those who lead the many to justice will find their place in the Book of salvation. The Gospel therefore warns us to be alert so that that day may not come upon us as a surprise.

Wake up Call

“Dig the well before you are thirsty.” There is a lot of sense in this proverb. How do we stay awake? How do we make every day as a preparation for the final day? The Scripture proposes three means to make our life ready for God’s favorable judgment.

Read the signs of the time. We are living in a privileged time. With the advancement of science and technology, we can foresee movements in the universe; predict future events and take necessary precautions to face them. A lot of things are happening every day. Some are good, others are not. Every incident, no matter how significant it may look like, has something to communicate. Every happening in and around us has a message. They are God talks. A wise person is someone who is attentive to the signs of the time and responds to it constructively.

Live in the Present. A lot of people are either living in the past or the future. We don’t have any control over our past but can have a lot of control over our future since our present shapes our future. We don’t need a lot of wisdom to see how a high School drop out can become a collage professor. If I know that one day I have to stand before the Lord and give account of my life, then I need to take every day seriously. C.S Lewis said, “If you give me ten minutes to chop down a tree, I will spend my first two minutes sharpening my ax.” We may not have enough time when we feel like we are ready to perform something. Procrastination is a big problem for many. ‘Don’t worry, there is time and take it easy’. Satan successfully uses this phrase today. Focus on what is in front of us today, appreciate it and make the best out of it.

Pray Constantly. To pray constantly means a couple of things. First of all it is all about discernment. Discern to prioritize things according to its values. Secondly, it is all about seeking God’s help to accomplish it.

A person who responds to the wake up call of God shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament and shall be like the stars forever.

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A painter went to paint and the only place to park his car was at a “No Parking” Sign. He put a sign on his car that read, “Painter working inside.” When he came out, another sign was on the car. It said, “Sorry, policeman working outside.”
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FAKE TO REAL
32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Hahti Ke dhand dikkane ka Kuch, Khane ka kuch”. This is a popular saying in India. It means that an elephant has two sets of teeth:-one for eating and the other for show. Evidently this saying is about hypocrisy. There are people who have two faces. They are not the same on stage as behind the stage. We see hypocrisy in every field. Religion is not an exception. The gospel reading for the 33rd Sunday in the Ordinary Time is an invitation to an authentic life. Jesus does this by condemning the hypocrisy of Pharisees and Scribes and also by praising the genuineness and authenticity of a poor widow’s offering (Mk 12:38-44).

FAKE TO REAL

Jesus praised the offering a poor widow. Her offering was real. It was offering was genuine and authentic because of the following reasons:-
1. IT WAS AN ACT OF REALISM. This woman was a widow. Imagine the plight of a widow in a society where only men were counted. Naturally she had no status at all. To add injury to the insult, she was poor too. In other words, there was no reason to believe that her offering would get attention or receive some social favor. She was an insignificant part of the crowd. She did not have any need to impress anyone.
2. IT WAS AN ACT OF SACRIFICE. She did not posses much in her possession. She had to make a big sacrifice from her part to make that offering. The only motivation behind her offering was her choicest love for God. Her love for God made her needs less important. The sacrifice behind her offering made the offering all the more attractive. Two years ago, I had to go to the hospital for a medical procedure. A gentleman offered to take me to the hospital. He said that he was off on that day. Later I found out that he took a day off to help me. I was so touched by the sincerity of his love. My appreciation towards his gesture of charity goes beyond description. A love that does not know pain is not real love.
3. IT WAS AN ACT OF TRUST. Her offering was total. There was no calculation or gambling on her part. It was a wholehearted act. It resulted out of her trust in the providence and goodness of the Lord.

On the other hand, the spiritual practices of the Pharisees and scribes were mere gambling. Like a chameleon they changed color from situation to situation. They did things that would inflate themselves. They made certain that their names would be displayed in prominent places before they made pledges. They made sure that the spot light would fall on them always. There was giving only when there was publicity. There was neither a spirit of sacrifice nor a sense of trust. They satisfied with the minimum but exaggerated a lot. As Jesus said, “They go around in long robes and accept greetings in the market places, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of owner at banquets.” Jesus rejected them because of their hypocrisy. Jesus’ criticism was so severe that He even said: “If your righteousness does not surpass to that of the Pharisees and scribes you do not enter the kingdom of God” (Mt 5:20).

BOUNCE BACK

Our acts of commitment never go unnoticed. We will be given in the same measure with which we share our blessings. Whatever we give away in charity will come back to us in one form or the other. On a winter evening Peter saw an elderly lady on the street. She had a flat tire. She did not have a spare tire to replace it. Not knowing what to do and where to turn, she tried to get the attention of other travelers. Peter stopped his car, got her flat tire fixed and helped her to continue her journey. She was very appreciative of his help. She offered him some money. Peter gracefully refused it but told her: “If you see someone in need, do not hesitate to help.” Late in the evening, she went to a restaurant for dinner. Before leaving the restaurant, she placed an envelope for the waitress under the napkin. As soon as the waitress reached home she gave the envelope to her husband and said: “Don’t worry how to pay your medical bill tomorrow. God is taking care of us.” He could not control his tears when he opened the envelope. There were a few hundred dollar bills and a note along with the money: “If you see someone in need do not hesitate to help. I learned this lesson from a stranger today. I want to communicate this message to every one.” God will provide the generous giver. The story of the widow who offered hospitality to Elijah also has the same message (1Kings 17:10-16). As Elijah says, “God never make empty the jar of flour and dry the jug of oil of a generous giver.”

NOT QUANTITY BUT QUALITY

God is full in Himself. His existence does not depend on us. Our offerings are not to enrich God but to help us grow in holiness. Therefore if anyone tries to please God by offering much he will become a laughing stock. On the other hand if we offer whatever we have, even if it is ‘five pieces of bread or a jar of water,’ He will transform them in a way that will help us. God is neither interested in calculated half hearted offerings, or leftovers.

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We are living in a world that measures greatness in terms of performance. The inevitable result of such an attitude is: 1.Many people get knocked out from the stage of competition. 2. Some will not compete in fear of possible failure. 3. Good work of ordinary people remains invisible 4. People who are incompetent resort to negative tactics to capture attention.

Jesus wanted to change this world view on greatness. He did so by focusing the spot light on a poor widow. When people from different walks life were competing to get attention by throwing money into the collection box, a poor widow came quietly and offered a couple of coins. She never thought that someone was watching her. To her surprise, Jesus noticed it. Jesus found greatness in her offering as her offering was an act of love. God hails actions performed out of love and hates that which comes from ego.

Human behavior has three components. They are knowledge, action and feeling. It is feeling that binds knowledge and action together. For example: Consider a scenario where you are visiting your employer who is admitted in the hospital after an accident.
The knowledge factor: My employer is in the hospital. I need to visit him and offer my prayers. Normally people do that.
Behavior factor: The actual visit at the hospital.
Feeling factor: Fear or Love that motivates the action.

It is the feeling that translates the knowledge into action and that is really matters. One may visit him to make an impression on him or from the fear of what the employer may think about him if he fails to visit him. In this situation the feeling that connects the knowledge and behavior is fear, or ego satisfaction. On the other hand one person may make a visit to show his real empathy and concern. Only this person really touches his heart. In the gospel story (story of the widow), the motivating factor was her pure love and trust. It in turn made an impact on Jesus.

God is not interested in our generosity towards him. He is interested in our total commitment. Even if our commitment does not look big before the public, if it is full, it never fails to capture the attention of God. There is nothing small in the eyes of God, if it is coming from the heart.

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