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1ST SUNDAY: ADVENT HOMILY- YEAR B
THEME: WATCH AND PRAY.
BY: FR. KARABARI PAUL
Jesus said to his disciples: “Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time will come.”
Today we begin our Advent journey which comprises four Sundays. Advent is a period of spiritual preparation for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. This periodic spiritual exercise has different forms. Firstly, it recalls the actual coming of Jesus more than two thousand years ago. It also points to the daily coming which could either be the end of the life of an individual, or encounter in blessings. And finally, His coming at the end of time. In whatever form it assumes, preparation; being ready is key.
ALSO RECOMMNEDED: 1ST SUNDAY OF ADVENT: HOMILY – YEAR B
Preparation is one of the regular activities of the human beings. We prepare for work, exams, interviews and in expectation of visitors, we clean our rooms, houses, offices, towns and cities. We put on nice clothes and some women fix hair, nails and other things. Sometimes, decoration is done and the scene for reception is beautified. In all, we do not want to be taken unprepared. However, we never put in same efforts to prepare ourselves for divine visitations. Rather, the days ahead will be spent in shopping, parties and material related things for Christmas and New Year celebrations. We are more interested in bonuses, gifts, dresses and other things. Purple is used this period to remind us of the need to develop a penitential attitude that wears hope.
Spiritual judgements are more to be dreaded than any other calamities; and we should most carefully avoid those sins which justly provoke the Lord to leave men to themselves and to their deceiver. Isaiah in the the First Reading (Isaiah 63:16d-17; 64:1, 3b-8), prophesied after the fall of Jerusalem, and the Babylonian captivity, at a time when the Jewish people were overwhelmed by the loss of their capital, Jerusalem and Temple. The Jews as at the time were asking God how could this happen to them. Isaiah saw God as their only hope and so called upon Him to come to their rescue using two images: Father and Redeemer.
In Ancient times a father was the Patriarch of the extended family, responsible for providing the family with food, shelter, and protection. In Jewish society, he was responsible for maintaining the covenant with Yahweh as well. Realising that the Jewish people have sinned and human fathers are unable to save them, Isaiah called on God to be father to the nation, to provide for the people and to help them remain faithful to His covenant. A redemeer was someone who assumed the responsibility of freeing one who was indebted. At that time when debt could lead to imprisonment or being reduced to the condition of slave, a redeemer was anyone who saved a relative or other from such a fate. With the Jewish people enslaved both by foreign conquerors and by their own sinful ways, Isaiah saw God as the only one powerful enough to save them and so called on God to act as their redeemer. Every sinner is a debtor. Sins put a chain on the soul and only God can free us. We must be watchful and prayerful not to repeat the same actions that enslaved the Jews.
So, Jesus in the Gospel (Mark 13:33-37) warned us to “Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time will come.” When we sleep, we lose sight of what matters most. To watch and pray is stay attentive. It requires a constant spiritual acuity, a preparedness of soul and character. A man that is watching can’t be taken unaware. Sleeping brings about forgetfulness.
Watching and praying provide us with an armour against what could drive us into spiritual sleep and forgetfulness.
To be watchful is to block every avenue of sin. If we are serious about living a victorious Christian life we must do three things: 1) Burn the bridges to our old lifestyle. It is the reason we also do penance. Any bridge you refuse to burn gives Satan an invitation and re-entry point into your life. The new believers at Ephesus did something radical; they brought out all their books on witchcraft and pornography and burned them in public. They lived by the words, ‘Don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.’
2) Establish prayer as a top priority. Prayer puts a shield of divine protection around you; don’t start your day without it. Jesus said, ‘Stay alert; be in prayer so you don’t wander into temptation’ (Matthew 26:41). Unless you acknowledge your vulnerability for sin, you won’t pray against it and you will end up experiencing defeat. The most effective weapon the enemy has against you – is you. Your old nature must be crucified daily, and prayer is how you do it.
3) Fill your mind with God’s Word. Jesus said, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God’ (Matthew 4:4). Three different times in the wilderness Satan tried to get Jesus to submit to temptation, and each time Jesus responded, ‘It is written.’ After the third attempt Satan gave up and left Him alone. Why? Because he can’t prevail against you when you know God’s Word and stand on it. So have your ‘It is written’ armour ready. Build yourself up on the Word of God and Sacraments before the attack comes. By so doing, Jesus’s coming cannot take you unaware. GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE. May God have mercy on us, heal our world and land, bless and protect us all through Christ Our Lord Amen. Good morning.
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