A Commentary and Reflection on the Readings for the First Sunday of Advent – Year C. The Liturgical Sense of the Scriptures Podcast, by Catholic Author and Theologian David L. Gray. READINGS: Jeremiah 33:14-16, 1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2, and Luke 21:25-28, 34-36.
The Liturgy of the Catholic Mass Teaches Us How to Hope in Anticipation of Christ Jesus
The human response to life’s impending perils often oscillates between clinging to hope and succumbing to despair. While hope envisions life, despair anticipates death. In this context, hope need not be tied to the divine or metaphysical. One shallow wellspring of hope might be the anticipation fueled by an inner survival instinct, regardless of the daunting circumstances described by Henley in “Invictus”:
“Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.”
The man of Invictus was not an Atheist – he does “thank whatever gods may be for” his “unconquerable soul;” however, his hope has limited capacity because he only hopes in himself.
Here, in today’s First Reading for the First Sunday of Advent – Year C, from Jeremiah 33:14-16, the prophet of both doom and hope offers something transcendent beyond mere self-reliance. He speaks directly to the hearts of the Israelites, who were besieged by King Nebuchadnezzar and the formidable Babylonian Empire around 588-586 B.C., during the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah. Jerusalem faced a catastrophic convergence of famine, disease, and the imminent breach of its walls. The Babylonians, led by King Nebuchadnezzar II, had launched relentless campaigns, casting the ominous shadow of impending doom over Judah. At the time of his writing, Jeremiah was imprisoned by King Zedekiah, as his prophecies predicting the fall of Jerusalem were considered both seditious and demoralizing. Yet, amidst this darkness, Jeremiah’s words held a beacon of hope, promising the advent of justice and righteousness.
True hope is the expectation of something not yet seen. Thus, faith and hope are profoundly intertwined, for faith is the evidence of that which we have hoped for. In the instant case, when the Lord God speaks through Jeremiah, declaring, “The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah. In those days, at that time, I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days, Judah shall be saved, and Jerusalem will live in safety,” He is not promising the Israelites immediate reprieve from the consequences of their disobedience, as forewarned by prophets Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Isaiah. Instead, Jeremiah is offering a vision of hope beyond their current exile—a future redemption for their children and their children’s children that they can rejoice in.
Despite their persistent unfaithfulness, God promises to remain faithful to the covenant He established with them from the beginning. This divine assurance transcends their present suffering and illuminates a path toward ultimate salvation and restoration, a beacon of hope that guides them through their darkest hours.
Remaining faithful to God not only solidifies our hope but also enriches our capacity to anticipate His promises. This is why the Apostle Paul, in today’s Second Reading from 1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2, exhorts us to “be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones” and to “conduct yourselves to please God, just as you are doing—do so even more.”
In today’s Gospel Reading from Luke 21:25-28, 34-36, we hear of a time when the signs of the heavens will cause great fear and perplexity. “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”
In a way, nothing has changed; we remain as exiles, as 1 Peter 2:11 reminds us: “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against the soul.” Indeed, we have lived in exile since our first parents bore the consequences of their disobedience. Yet, paradoxically, everything has changed, for we now dwell in the grace of the promised Branch of David, the advent of Immanuel—God with us.
This paradox, where our state of exile persists, yet our circumstances are imbued with divine promise, calls us to remain steadfast in our conduct. We are to present ourselves blameless before God, vigilant in our love for Him, untroubled by anxieties of the future. For there is nothing coming that is greater than the parousia and promise of our Lord who has come in flesh and blood to commune with us in this world, and who comes as flesh and blood to commune with us as the Holy Eucharist, and who will come again to judge the living and dead.
This is just one way how the readings at Mass this Sunday connect to the Liturgy and how the Liturgy is forming us how to live our lives in the world. Be in the world what you have received through the Liturgy.
