SUNDAY DECEMBER 3, 2023
SUNDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT YR B
Isaiah 63:16-17;64:13-8
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Mark 13:33-37
WATCHING IN PRAYER
The Advent season begins the liturgical year of the Church. And naturally advent from the word, (ad venire, towards the coming) is a time of preparation, as well as a reminder to all of the coming of Christ.
Today, the first Sunday of advent, the Church wants to remind her faithful on the need for and the form of preparation that is expected and necessary. It is a needed and urgent preparation that calls for prayerful vigilance. Our Lord puts it as “watching in prayer.”
The imagery presented in the gospel is that of a master who commits his properties and household to the care of a servant and goes on a journey without stating the time of return. The servant is urged therefore to stay focused, be at duty and be expectant of the return of the master at any time. This is the coming we are talking about.
Keeping watch therefore means staying on duty, guarding the household dutifully, doing what is expected of the servant, never loosing focus and being watchful. But more importantly, it means being dutifully vigilant. Working and being in charge of the responsibilities committed to the servant. And knowing that one cannot adequately fulfill the mission yet making sincere efforts to keep guard and be at ones best.
To be prayerfully vigilant or watchfully prayerful, we must take the clue from the first reading. The first reading talks about reliance on God. This was one of the few times that God is addressed as Father by the prophets of Israel. It is a mark of great trust, humility and reliance on God. It means that God is and must be seen as our provident supplier of all we need. That is why the watching is not a purely human thing, but rather a divine and spiritual thing. It is exclusively under the guidance of God that we can keep watch. Why? Because our most difficult problem is not mere physical guidance but spiritual battles and fights that are and can only be defeated by a provident Father.
That is why the reading goes on with declaring God not only as Father but also as redeemer. We need the redemptive powers of our Father to deliver us from our inclinations to sin and iniquities. Inclinations to attachment and lure of sins that distracts us, misdirects us and puts us at enmity with our God.
So the reading continues to plead for our deliverance from our sinful inclinations. As such this period of advent is basically a period of prayerful reflection, reliance and cleansing from sinful inclination to be able to wait, for the coming of Christ. It keeps us in focus on the need to stay afloat in grace because of the temporality of our human existence.
The second reading urges us to be faithful and live in fidelity to our call. As this season of Advent calls us to be vigilant to our call as God’s representatives on earth, who have been commissioned to act on his behalf, waiting for his return. We must live in reliance to his powers, in trust, in fidelity to our mandate and in expectant rewards awaiting us.
Practically, we must cleanse our hearts and minds from all forms of sinful inclinations and habits, be more devoted to our Christian obligations of charity, worship of our God, always desiring spiritual growth, giving helping hand to all, offering service to humanity as occasion presents itself, increasing in grace and living in expectation.
What can we do today as our starting point? Pray the rosary, have quiet time with the Lord at least 20 minutes in personal prayer with Christ, and worship God truly from the heart. Watch for occasion to show love and never deny anyone who comes to you for help. Even you kind words can do the magic. Be JESUS in human form!!!
God our Father and redeemer, at the beginning of this advent season, we beg you, cleanse our hearts, quicken our spirits to desire you more, to pray more, to work better and show greater love. Help us to keep watchful and prayerful vigilance over our lives through Christ our Lord. Jesus, I trust in You.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
