Today is New Year’s Day in the Calendar of the Roman Church. Advent is a season of Four Sundays preparing us for the Feast of Christmas. Sometimes Advent is confused with the Lent which is a season of penance. This comes from the fact that both use purple vestments. This confusion must be avoided. There is little similarity between the two seasons. In Advent the purple represents royalty and kingship. It is a season of rejoicing. It is a time for JOY. We are called upon to be vigilant, to be awake and to be ready for the day of the Lord.
This year the Gospel readings every Sunday are from Luke. Today’s passage is parallel to Mark’s passage we read last Sunday for Christ the King. It takes place in Jerusalem, in front of the Temple on the last day of ministry in Jesus’s journey to the Cross.
The themes of the Advent Season:
In each of the four Sundays of Advent there is a similar theme in each of the three liturgical years. Week one, the theme is a reflection on the O.T. prophecies concerning the Coming of a Messiah. Week Two and Three give us a study of John the Baptist over each of the three years and Week Four introduces us to Mary, the Mother of the Lord.
Week One:
Jeremiah and Daniel are the prophets.
The language of the Gospel passage is Old Testament and apocalyptic, based on the Book of Daniel. It would be well known to Luke’s listeners but foreign to us. It is part of one whole Chapter warning of the Fall of Jerusalem and the Second Coming of the Lord. Luke’s Gospel is written at almost the same time as the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple. We are not sure which happened first! It is written in times of persecution and terror. The call to stay awake is much like our call today to be aware and not alarmed. Bad things happen and will happen. “Hold your heads high because your liberation is at hand”.
Happy New Year to all as we prepare for the Christmas Season.
This year the Gospel readings every Sunday are from Luke. Today’s passage is parallel to Mark’s passage we read last Sunday for Christ the King. It takes place in Jerusalem, in front of the Temple on the last day of ministry in Jesus’s journey to the Cross.
The themes of the Advent Season:
In each of the four Sundays of Advent there is a similar theme in each of the three liturgical years. Week one, the theme is a reflection on the O.T. prophecies concerning the Coming of a Messiah. Week Two and Three give us a study of John the Baptist over each of the three years and Week Four introduces us to Mary, the Mother of the Lord.
Week One:
Jeremiah and Daniel are the prophets.
The language of the Gospel passage is Old Testament and apocalyptic, based on the Book of Daniel. It would be well known to Luke’s listeners but foreign to us. It is part of one whole Chapter warning of the Fall of Jerusalem and the Second Coming of the Lord. Luke’s Gospel is written at almost the same time as the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple. We are not sure which happened first! It is written in times of persecution and terror. The call to stay awake is much like our call today to be aware and not alarmed. Bad things happen and will happen. “Hold your heads high because your liberation is at hand”.
Happy New Year to all as we prepare for the Christmas Season.
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