Cycle A - Year II:

1 December 2019: First Sunday of Advent

(Liturgical Color: Violet)

Readings:

First Reading: Isaiah 2:1-5

Second Reading: Romans 13:11-14

Gospel: Please Read Matthew 24:37-44

"Getting ready and looking forward!"

The month of December ushers in the cool breeze in the early morning. And likely our thoughts are on the long Christmas holidays already.

But first today, the very first day of December, let us greet each other a "Happy New Year!" That's right, because the first Sunday of Advent is also the beginning of a new liturgical year, a new year's day in our life as a Church.

It is useful to understand some important notes on the new liturgical year. The start of a new liturgical year also marks the transition from one lectionary cycle (that is, A, B, and C) to the next. These cycles are the results of the Second Vatican Council which ordered a change in the Sunday readings at Mass so that Catholics become more familiar with the text of the Holy Bible. Now the Church observes a three-year cycle of readings built around readings from three synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. For this new liturgical year we go back to Cycle A, and thus Sunday readings will be taken mostly from the Gospel of Matthew.

And since it is also the start of a new liturgical season, let us first understand what is the meaning of "Advent". The Advent Season is a period of preparation, extending over four Sundays before Christmas. The word "advent" comes from the Latin "ad-venio", which means "to come to", and it refers to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The liturgical color for Advent Season is violet, the bluer hues of violet (to distinguish it from the violet used during the Lenten Season).

Our Holy Mother Church wants us to make use of the Advent Season as a period of spiritual preparation in three ways: the first and most obvious, in celebration of Christ's birth on Christmas day; second, the coming of Christ in our lives through grace and the Sacrament of the Eucharist or Holy Communion; and finally, the second coming of our Lord Jesus at the end of times. Thus, Advent Season is the start of new stage in our worldly pilgrimage to the house of our Father in heaven.

Our reflection on the Gospel proclamation for first Sunday of Advent: The theme of the Gospel reading is being ready and prepared. Jesus tells His disciples, "So, too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come." (Mt 24:44) And our Lord Jesus says the same thing to each one of us now, be ready and be prepared!

As members of the Church, our preparation includes taking the opportunity to focus on the great event of the Incarnation, which is Jesus' own choice to take on our human flesh by being born of the Virgin. It is an event that demonstrates God's amazing humility and His incredible love and care for us, His sinful children.

And so as Christians, we hope for the Lord's coming because we are sure that He is coming again; there is no doubt about this. And the Season of Advent provides us the opportunity to deepen our waiting in hope for the realization of God's saving promise in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

So then when we encounter the living Jesus today, the same Lord who came into our world to become an infant Child, we come to trust that He cares for us radically, that He is constantly looking for ways to draw near to us. So that we become able to see Him and His loving hand in our daily lives.

Finally, as we begin our new Church year in Advent we are reminded of our main purpose in life -- getting ready and looking forward to our eventual home with the Lord Jesus Christ in heaven.

Let us listen to our Lord's advice to us today:"Stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come!" (Mt 24:42)

A blessed first Sunday of Advent to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!