His Coming; Our Waiting!

Reflection for the First Sunday of Advent Year A

(Is 2:1-5, Rm 13:11-14, Mt 24:37-44)

The “coming” of our Lord is clearly announced in the readings of this Sunday. This captures the mood of the whole season of Advent and properly defines it. The Prophet Isaiah announced the coming of the ‘long expected Saviour,’ who will restore peace among the nations. St Paul in the second reading relates to the ‘now’ of His coming. “Salvation is nearer to us now…” There is a dimension of Jesus’ advent that is on-going. This can only be experienced when we put off the works of darkness, and “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh.” The Gospel introduces us to the future advent. The characteristic of this second coming is that it will be at a time no one knows. “Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.”

His coming, therefore, necessitates our waiting! Jesus’ advent, both now and in the future, is marked with power and glory. He is coming to meet those who are waiting. But those who are waiting are those who already have received Him! Thus, in His coming, the ‘now’ and the ‘future’ are mingled. Hence, though we do not know His Hour, we have every ‘hour’ if we receive Him ‘now.’ That is why only those who refused to cast off works of darkness would be taken by surprise, for even before His coming, they had already missed Him. Therefore, his coming, both now and at the end, gives life and energy to our waiting.

His coming; our waiting! Obviously, waiting for the Lord is not passive. It draws vision by contemplating His coming, challenges us to work on our moral and spiritual life so as to receive the Lord now, and meet Him at the end. The power and glory of His coming shines out in our waiting for the Lord. Thus our hearts are warm and silent as we move forward to embrace the Lord anew this advent.

Advent celebrates with a penitential joy our waiting for the glorious coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The victory of grace today, and His final triumph over every evil in the world, is echoed in our celebration this season. The liturgical gestures and symbols in this season of advent contemplate our waiting and His coming.

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.

Sunday, December 1^st, 2019.