HOMILY: 1ST SUNDAY OF ADVENT – YEAR B (December 3, 2023)
THEME: “Be watchful! Be alert!”
By: Father Anthony O. Ezeaputa, MA
This Sunday marks the beginning of the liturgical year of the Catholic Church. It is also the first Sunday of the liturgical season of Advent. Happy New Year and Happy Advent to everybody!
Let us begin by understanding anamnesis and epiclesis. They help to explain our liturgical celebrations such as the Eucharist and the liturgical seasons such as Advent, Christmas, Lent, the Sacred Paschal Triduum, Easter, and Ordinary Time.
While anamnesis is based on the Old Testament concept of a memorial, as expressed in Psalm 111:4, “The Lord has made a memorial for his wonders,” epiclesis, on the other hand, refers to the role of the Holy Spirit in making the saving works of Christ present to us now and forever (Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24–25).
ALSO RECOMMENDED: HOMILY FOR 1ST SUNDAY ADVENT IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR B
The historical events of Israel are “types” of the mysteries of Christ, and the mysteries of Christ are “antitypes” of the entire historical events of Israel. Put another way, “antitypes” are the New Testament parallel to the Old Testament “types.” For instance, baptism (1 Peter 3:21) is the antitype of the flood (Genesis 6:13–9:29).
A “type” (history of Israel) is also a starting point for the “antitype” (mysteries of Christ). The crossing of the Red Sea, for instance, is a type of baptism. In other words, the crossing of the Red Sea is the “starting point” of baptism, and baptism is the “continuation” of the crossing of the Red Sea as we progress toward the complete “crossing” where we will meet the Lord.
Additionally, Israel viewed the events of their history as God’s word to her, and as such, that word could not become old or lose its effect. “For the word of God is alive and active” (Hebrews 4:12). It was sufficient to repeat the words that narrated their events to bring each new generation of Israelites into participation in the originating events of the community.
The Lord commands Israel to celebrate Passover as a memorial of their freedom from slavery in Egypt throughout their generations as a permanent ordinance (Exodus 12:14). The Passover meal is not merely an imaginary replication of the Exodus from Egypt; rather, each participant considers himself or herself free of slavery. And they mean real deliverance right now, the kind that their ancestors experienced.
Anamnesis and epiclesis are the dimensions of our liturgy concerned with the “remembrance,” “actualization,” and “continuation” of the wondrous deeds of God throughout the liturgical year.
The Catholic Church understands her liturgical celebrations and liturgical seasons through the Jewish concept of remembering past events like the Exodus and Passover meal. Through the liturgy, the Catholic Church “remembers,” “makes present,” a particular mystery of Christ, and “extends” to her members the merits and satisfaction Jesus gained for us through his Paschal mystery.
Holy Mass remembers (anamnesis) and re-presents (makes present) the over 2,000-year-old Sacrifice of the Cross. On the cross, Christ gained merit and satisfaction for us, while in the Mass, He applies (extends) to us, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the merits and satisfaction of His death on the cross (Epiclesis).
Each of the liturgical seasons—Advent (Jesus is coming), Christmas (Jesus is born), Lent (Jesus calls for conversion), the Sacred Paschal Triduum (Jesus suffers and dies), Easter (Jesus rises from the dead and ascends into heaven), and Ordinary Time (Jesus preaches the Good News of Salvation)—is a remembrance (anamnesis) of one of the past salvific actions of Jesus Christ.
The liturgical seasons allow us to make the salvific events of Christ happen here and now. They also allow us to participate in the salvific events of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit (Epiclesis).
With an understanding of the liturgy, liturgical celebrations, and liturgical seasons of the Catholic Church through the lenses of the Jewish and Old Testament ideas of a memorial, what is the message of the first Sunday of Advent?
Jesus wants us to stay awake like a gatekeeper waiting for the return of his master, who went on a journey (Mark 13:33–37). It is a command to be vigilant, to be mindful, and to be attentive to the here and now. So, the command to be watchful and alert is more than just “don’t fall asleep.”
A tiger was chasing a woman and was about to pounce on her. While the woman runs for her life, she comes to a halt on the edge of a cliff. If she jumps over the cliff, she will die on the rocks below. And if she chooses not to jump but to remain still at the edge, the tiger will eat her alive.
The woman scrambles over the edge of the cliff and clings to a branch sticking from a neighboring tree. She sees a cluster of wild strawberries blooming in a crack in the rock face. She reaches out and grabs a strawberry, and she eats it with delight. That’s the end of the story!
It won’t be out of place if you ask, “What about the tiger?” You could even say something like, “The story can’t end this way.” But the whole point of the story is that we are so preoccupied with the tiger above or the rocks below that we forget to appreciate the strawberry of the moment.
This is the time to be attentive to the here and now, to the strawberries of the moment! It is time to be ready to welcome the master when he returns by doing the work he has entrusted to us (Mark 13:33–37). Have a blessed and fruitful Advent season.
FOR SIMILAR HOMILY, CLICK HERE >>>