Advent Sunday

The week beginning Sunday, 2^nd December marks the first Sunday in Advent and the start of a new lectionary year as we transition to the Bible readings of ‘Year C’.  The word advent comes from two Latin words ‘Ad’ meaning to, and ‘Vent’ which means coming.  Advent is a coming towards.  The message of advent is that Jesus came, Jesus still comes, and Jesus will come again.  On the first Sunday of advent we focus on this last aspect, the fact that Jesus will come again.  The Bible reading assigned to this year is from Luke’s Gospel chapter 21, where we have this warning from Jesus: “Watch out!  Don’t let me find you living in careless ease and drunkenness, and filled with the worries of this life.”  I am sure that this Christmas we will all be filled with the worries over the economy, the future of our country and, within that, our own futures and the futures of our own families.  Jesus’ command is to not let this dominate our lives.  There is something more important for all of us.  The picture that Jesus paints of these times of His return are times of great uncertainty and great fear.  However, for the Christian, there is the hope of escaping all these horrors and standing before the Son of Man.  This advent season let us cling to this hope and keep watching out without being distracted from what is going on around us.