Homily 518 | 1st Sunday of Advent | Year C
Happy New Year! The 1st Sunday of Advent marks the beginning of a new liturgical year. You might remember that on the last Sunday of the year, just last week, we were talking about the end of the world and being ready for Jesus to return in Glory. Now that it’s a brand new year we talking about… well, the same thing really. Get ready. Jesus is coming.
The church’s year, much like a lot of life, moves in a cycle. We keep circling around salvation history, seeing again with fresh eyes the way that God continues to bring good out of bad. Whenever things look bleak, we should have the expectation that God will act as he has always done and will bring salvation, good out of bad.
The prayers from today’s Mass encourage this “expectation.” Psalm 25/24 is used in the Introit, the Gradual/Responsorial Psalm, as well as the Offertory.
To you, I lift up my soul, O my God.
In you, I have trusted; let me not be put to shame.
Nor let my enemies exult over me; and let none who hope in you be put to shame.
The word here translated as “hope” is really the Latin word expectare, meaning to watch out for, to await, to expect. When life gives us difficulties and suffering, we are told not to look down in gloom, but to “lift up” our souls and “expect” that God will come with a solution. The Collect of today’s Mass follows on this theme. Not only should we watch expectantly, but when we see God coming we should run.
Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God,
the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ
with righteous deeds at his coming
We don’t panic when the trees lose their leaves in the Fall, fearing that maybe they’re all dead. We’ve been around this cycle of seasons enough to know that Spring will come. We should have that same confidence in God. If things seem like winter in your life, don’t panic. Lift up your soul. Get ready to run. God will definitely come. He is to be expected.