First Sunday of Advent
Scripture:
Jeremiah 33:14-16
1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2
Luke 21:25-28, 34-36
Reflection:
ADVENT IS HERE!!!!
Someone asked me recently to share my thoughts or images regarding the season of Advent. Our liturgical planning group at our parish has been doing just that over the past few months. We prayed with the scriptures of advent, shared our thoughts and came up with the theme, Preparing for JOY! I love the Advent readings, they are so full of what I feel advent is all about, joy, hope, promise, prophecy and challenge! Hopefully this will be a time of preparation for the coming of the messiah into the world with the birth of Jesus, his continued presence in each of us, and the second coming of the risen Christ in glory.
The prophet Jeremiah in our first reading today reminds us of how God made good on his covenant promise to Israel in these words:
“In those days, in that time, I will raise up for David a just shoot;
He shall do what is right and just in the land.”
This was good news for Judah and Jerusalem and it is good news for us today!
Our family recently welcomed a new little one, Annabelle Grace, into our lives! Her birth after nine long months gives her parents and all our family another reason to celebrate God’s love and promise in a world that sometimes seems to have forgotten the joy and hope that God promises to all of us. She is a daily presence of what Advent is all about! She is joy, hope, promise and challenge all rolled into one, even when she is exercising her role as prophetess as she cries out in the day and night reminding us she is God’s promise to us fulfilled!
My hope and prayer for all of us this advent season is to spend more time in listening to the prophets and prophetess’ past and present and take to heart their message of joy, hope, peace and love. May we spread their message by the way we live and love, not only those we cherish but also those who challenge us.
Have a Blessed Advent!
Theresa Secord recently retired as a Pastoral Associate at St. Agnes Parish, Louisville, Kentucky.