CHAPTER 1
For Year A Weekends
FIRST WEEKEND
First Advent Sunday
Waiting for Jesus not speculatively but realistically
... Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come. (Matt. 24: 37-44)
This weekend, being the first one in the Year A, let us meditate on the active Presence of Jesus in our midst. Our entire Christian life in this world is built up on the biggest hope, as Isaiah once foretold, on Jesus' coming in our midst. While Jesus was alive physically he made all possible efforts to potentially establishing our dreamed-better world. Gospel writers as well as all the Apostles in their Letters, confirm their belief in the repeated promises of Jesus, before his death and even after, about his second coming. They heard him through his Spirit that the Son of Man will come.
In addition to his promise Jesus also cautioned us that his coming would be at an hour we do not expect. Knowing our human fragility and anxiety he encouraged us to stay always awake and wait with hope. In this precarious time of waiting he told us he will not leave us orphans. He too promised he would stay with us, even after his death, in disguise and in signs and symbols and sharing with us all resources of truth and fullness of life, peace and love, justice and unity. He has said: "The kingdom of God is already in your midst." As he was ready to be lifted up to heaven, he emphasized: And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.
Our Christian life is an active waiting for Christ's continuing coming. The stewards of Christ must always be ready for recognizing the Lord's coming by being faithful to the mission in life given them by Christ. Over the centuries, except here and there, we regret to find his foretelling has been realized but not completely and totally. We don't walk in the light of the Lord. Most of us are still slumbering, sleeping tight in our couches and also brooding over our past or groaning over what we lack in. As Paul depicts, we the humans still lead a life not in daylight but in dark night.
Every human person, young or old, dumb or smart, holds a view of his/her own about human life. There are two categories of people in this: People who go on behaving like small babies and people who live as reasonable adults. In fact everything of the world - our relationships, physical beauty, health, strength, mental and intellectual capacities, worldly possessions, name and fame, power, influence are none other than varieties of colorful balloons, very enchanting and attractive, but unfortunately, one day or the other they have to 'burst' and depart from us.
Even among these so-called reasonable adults there are three ways of approaching this stressful life: One group views it as chronos, which means in Greek, essentially life is unredeemed and cyclic. The second kind of people who use rationality more than anything else see life in chaos. In Greek it means unordered, confused, unfashioned, and essentially nothingness. And the third group's view is called xairos. They mean human life is redeemed by God in Christ Jesus and becomes a trustworthy ladder through which humans can climb up and ascend to their climatic destiny.
The third view is worth adhering to. It helps us to lead an optimistic life. Plus, we are enlightened by risen Jesus, through his Scriptures and the Tradition of his Church, we will be scheduling our daily life making it, not just waiting for him speculatively but actively and realistically performing certain spiritual and charitable deeds on his behalf ritually and socially he comes in various disguises- the needy, the sick, and the sacraments.
SECOND WEEKEND
Second Advent Sunday
Repentance is conversion of attitude and action
In those days John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand! It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: A voice of one crying out in the desert, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his path' ... Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance ... Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." (Matt. 3: 1-12)
As we celebrate the coming of the new Messiah in this season of cold, freezing, snow and sleet, we take for meditation this weekend the preaching of John the baptizer, the forerunner of Jesus. John the Baptizer, the last Prophet of the Old Testament, being considered as the last hope for a desperate people at his time earnestly longing for the arrival of Messiah, started his ministry saying: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Repentance is the translation of Greek word metanoia, meaning "after/behind one's mind": 'to think differently after'. Act of repenting means therefore a change of mind accompanied by regret and change of conduct, "change of mind and heart", or, "change of consciousness". It means simply a 'conversion' of attitude and action. John exhorts us to convert ourselves from the way we deal with our religiosity: to change from old twisted religion to new; from fake to genuine; and from reel to real.
He recommends a conversion from performing all religious duties not just as external rituals but as spiritual, interiorly on fire. He referred his own ritual action of Baptism in water, the relevance of which he didn't deny: but he wanted us to go beyond the mere ritual. He said: "I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."
There is also another important dimension contained in the conversion process John proposed. He wants us to be prepared to meet the consequences of such conversion. Quoting Isaiah 'prepare the way of the Lord' he tells us to be prepared and to get ready for an awesome ground-breaking or radical view and conduct of our human life. We will be receiving a Messiah who is filled with and expecting us to be leading a life of justice, peace and love.
As the result of conversion, our human view regarding Messiah would be shattered; he is more humble than powerful: more merciful than judging: more peaceful than violent; more tolerant than intolerant. In simple term as John said of Jesus, "This is the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world". This conversion is supposed to be total and wholistic. John was sent to us not simply ringing his tinkling and clattering jingle bell but rather he came with ax, a tool for cutting: "Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire." In the light of Christ we should interpret John's preaching not as a threatening but a positive tips for managing our life. Let us remember Jesus, who called himself as a vine tree, related us to him as the branches. (Jn. 15: 1-6) As John reminded, Jesus emphasized the Father will throw out into the fire if it does not bear good fruits in proper season; even if we are branches that bear good fruits Father would prune us so that we can bear more and better fruits.
The conversion Jesus the Messiah expects from us is not only a change in the moral behavior, but also it is an intellectual change; it implies a new way of thinking of God and of his religion. This is what John the Baptizer advised to his people as an immediate preparation for receiving the new Messiah. And Jesus continues the same demand from his followers as the primary requirement to see the modern life through the spectrum of fiery Spirit which never quenches until we change our mentality, our attitudes, our ways, so that Jesus can really live among us to make this world a place of unity and integrity, of justice and peace.
THIRD WEEKEND
Third Advent Sunday
Never-ending Joy through rare-blend life
The wilderness and the parched land will exult; the Arabah will rejoice and bloom; like the crocus it shall bloom abundantly, and rejoice with joyful song. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God ... Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall see, and the ears of the deaf be opened; Then the lame shall leap like a stag, and the mute tongue sing for joy ... And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and enter Zion singing, crowned with everlasting joy; they meet with joy and gladness, sorrow and mourning flee away. (Is. 35:1-10)
Prophets of OT, while they foretold about the coming of a redeeming Messiah, prophesied also the inevitable results of his coming. One among them is a 'joy-filled life'. It is this prophetic message we meditate this weekend. Isaiah first underlines that at Jesus' coming the entire nature would be rejoicing; and then goes on stating how the needy, the sick, the handicapped, and the ransomed would be filled with joy. In this connection, we remember Jesus acknowledging that all the prophecies of Isaiah had been fulfilled in his coming (Lk. 4: 16-21). And Jesus too confirmed through John the Baptizer's disciples how his joy-oriented glad-tidings would be preached and acted out in the Way of religion he initiated. He said: Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. (Matt. 11: 4-5)
From the beginning of Jesus' Messianic mission he was firm that his followers would be filled with joy and that joy would be complete, if they not only talk his talk but also walk his walk of enduring love and compassion. Accordingly he blended both our hope-filled dreaming of and waiting patiently for rejoicing at his second coming as James writes, the coming of the Lord is at hand; and he is standing before the gates (Jam. 5: 7-9), and our daily chores of love-based performance to make others more rejoicing as in 'persona Christi'.
For such rare-blended life, John the Baptizer is one among many rolemodels and messengers who is pointed out to us by Jesus during this Advent season. John was praised by Jesus for his remarkable life of this rare blend: that he was firm and unshaken- not a reed that is swayed by the wind in his enduring waiting for the Messiah; that he lived a simple and humble life-not dressed royally in fine clothing; that he was more than a prophet and teacher; that he repaired and renewed and turned the hearts of people to be fully complied with God's justice and compassion-When people asked him what they should do in day today life, he insisted they should lead a just and compassionate life (Lk. 3: 10-14)
All disciples of Jesus who profess our faith and love in our Master are asked by him to keenly observe the evidence of his words and deeds and to make a free and right decision in our discipleship. He expects us never to be tired of proclaiming his Gospel of mercy and compassion day in and day out; it should not be merely by words but much more so in activities. In his physical absence we must act as Jesus by making others joyful. The poor were Jesus' great concern. While we make the poor and the needy joyful, our joy is doubled; while they see Jesus the Messiah in our good works, we will be confirmed in hope, patience and faith.
It is this genuine joy Jesus wants us to enjoy. It is a joy of sharing and sacrificing for the uplifting of the poor, the sick and the needy. We try our best to move and work within the enlightened territory of God; however we should never think there will be no problems and hurdles. They are part and parcel of our discipleship. At those moments, as one leader said, we better have our own vision, and we better have our own will and our own passion and determination; holding always in mind that now the life requires work and sacrifice and sometimes it's painful, but there is a lot of joy and there is a lot of hope and possibility." This is the secret of Advent joy.
FOURTH WEEKEND
Fourth Sunday of Advent
An Unfathomable and Mysterious but Experiential Story
Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.' All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 'Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,' which means "God is with us." When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus. (Matt. 1: 18-25)
We are now almost on the eve of the birth of Jesus. As we end the Advent season of waiting for Jesus' arrival, we are invited by the Spirit to go into the deeper meaning of Christmas celebration. We find Matthew narrating this event not as something happened in history or just a fairytale like those of Santa but rather, as an event of mystery. While proving that Jesus, son of Mary and Joseph is the fulfillment of the promises of God as the prophets foretold in OT, Matthew describes the threefold mystery contained in Jesus' birth.
The first mystery is that Mary, the Mother of Jesus, was ever virgin. If we deeply analyze the history and culture of Jewish people, such statement about a Jewish lady is unhistorical and unrealistic. The second mystery is that Jesus was born not by flesh but by the Holy Spirit. This too is an unethical, unrealistic and unnatural claim. The third is higher than everything and that is this Jesus is 'Emmanuel.' God with us. This fact sounds like any other pagan fairytales or Hindu puranas which talk about God coming to the world in many forms whenever humans need him.
Matthew and so all other NT Writers knew well how we the followers of Jesus, especially those born and grown after the Age of Enlightenment, would be facing tremendous problems both within us and outside of us by believing in this triple mystery of Jesus' birth. This is why Matthew connects the birth story to a popular prophecy uttered by Isaiah who was the greatest of all OT Prophets: The Lord himself will give you a sign; the young woman, pregnant and about to bear a son (Is. 7: 14), and the Evangelist adds to this prophecy: which means God is with us. This is the truth God invites us today to hold on as we celebrate Christmas this year. Thus anything we do and perform regarding Jesus' birth should turn out to be meaningful, resourceful and uplifting. Only when we believe this triple mystery happened in Jesus' birth we can really celebrate this Christmas truly religiously and spiritually. Otherwise it is just another national holiday as many refer to.
Any mystery according to its nature and identity is something not to be taught and debated and understood but rather, it is to be lived and experienced. As in Aramaic and Hebrew languages sentences are read in reverse, so the findings and writings were scripted reverse. First the writers experienced the resurrection of Jesus, then his passion and death, followed by his life and sayings and then, then only they interpreted his birth where they discovered the triple mystery. Throughout the human history, all those believed in this awesome mystery they have been cured, they have been filled with joy and peace and they became real 'Santas' to their kids and friends sharing the heavenly gifts.
We celebrate Christmas, reliving the same experience of the Mary, Joseph and Shepherds. Along with many fathers and mothers who work hard every day, making many sacrifices; along with the young, the sick and the poor, we celebrate, because it is the celebration of our encounter with God in Jesus. If we are convinced of this mysterious but realistic fact, we will certainly be able to transmit the joy of this friendship everywhere.
