Readings: Isaiah 63:16-17,19; 64:2-7
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Mark 13:33-37
"Be alert and watch,
for you don't
know when the time will come.”
With the Feast of Christ the King, which we
celebrated last Sunday, we ended one cycle of our liturgical year. But with the
first Sunday of Advent, we begin another one. This year (which coincides with
our Jubilee celebration of the third millennium - year 2000) is cycle B. Most
of our Sunday gospels are taken from the version of St. Mark.
Today, the evangelist Mark has one message to
echo: keep watch! But this singular theme connects us to that of the
previous Sundays. This is what we observe in the liturgical thematic
arrangements practically in all of the three cycles that we have. Thus, today’s
call to vigilance still bears the eschatological undertones of the message. "Be
alert and watch, for you don’t know when the time will come.” This unknown
time refers to Christ's second coming. But since we begin today the season of
Advent, it is quite worthwhile to meditate and explain "advent” in
relation to the different aspects of Christ's coming.
1. Advent means coming, i.e., the coming of
Christ. But in biblical understanding, this
coming of Christ refers to the “kairos” that is, the appointed time,
which takes place in two familiar settings: one, at the fullness of
time; two, at the end of time.
a. The fullness of time refers to the coming of
Christ in the context of the Incarnation. By having the Word made flesh, the eternal
God comes in time and enters into human history. This coming of Christ as the
Incarnate Word happens just exactly at the fullness of time. The
scripture is so clear that this advent time is the fullness of time. "When
the fullness of time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born a subject of
the Law, to redeem the subjects of the Law” (Gal 4:4).
Sometimes we may wonder why Christ came only some
two thousand years ago. If we take science's position that this world has
already existed for billions of years, Christ's coming seems too late. Why did
Christ not come much earlier? Or else, if we consider the possible nuclear
holocaust, we may think that the incarnation could be best after everything
turns into ashes and the world starts anew with God becoming man. But Christ
came neither before nor after the time he really did. And the answer is quite
simple: neither before nor after was the fullness of time. This fullness of
time then is part of God's eternal plan. And as he reveals himself in the
person of the Incarnate Word, we are also told of his noble purpose: "He
has let us know the mystery of his purpose, the hidden plan he so kindly made
in Christ from the beginning to act upon which the times had run their course
to the end; that he would bring everything together under Christ, as head, everything in the heavens and everything on
earth" (cf Eph 1:10)
The mystery of the Incarnation, therefore, reminds
us of this noble truth: The timeless God enters into human time. It is
the divine kairos taking shape in the midst of human history. Thus, as
Christ comes like one of us and lives among us in a particular moment of
history, the season of advent, which we celebrate year after year, is a
commemoration of this great coming of the Lord.
b. The other sense of Christ's coming is his
coming at the end of time. This end-time context refers to the Parousia.
It is the coming of Christ in its apocalyptic and eschatological sense. It
is the second coming of Christ as the glorious Son of Man, as the Lord of the universe, as the most
righteous Judge who shall settle every account in this world. This is the coming,
which we had been meditating on for the past Sundays: in the Parable of the
Ten Virgins; the Parable of the Talents; the Parable of the Last Judgment.
And this is the coming, which Mark in his gospel today talks about. Indeed, he
is surely to come, but as to when, we not know. So, keep watch!
2. But the Lord comes not only in the context of
the "appointed time" in its stricter biblical sense. In a much
broader sense, he also comes in his church as he abides, guides and unites
himself in the life of his pilgrim people. Thus, in this wider sense, we may
say that advent also commemorates his coming into the very lives of his
believers, both as a loving God of a people and as a personal savior to each
and everyone. This is the reason why we pray not only as a people but also as
persons; and reversely, not only as individuals but also as a church. We
believe in his abiding presence, and yet we pray that this abiding presence be
felt in the unfolding of every concrete situation of human life.
This longing of a people, this craving of every
heart can never escape from his providence. It always has a very special room
in the heart of a sensitive and a loving God. Thus, he comes and he never
fails. Maybe sooner, maybe later. Perhaps expectedly or else, unexpectedly. But
surely he comes in his own time. And when he does come, it will be a moment of
grace.
Try to recall and recollect how God would show his
saving love in the very air the we breath; in the food that we eat; in having
true friends to lean on; in every
reconciliation after misunderstandings; in every success after trials; in every
recovery from illness; in those terrifying moments when we were spared from
death or freed from imminent danger; and indeed, in every moment when we cried
out to him. These are the bold enunciations of God's goodness and love coming
into our lives. These are “bold advents” of God in our lives.
Or else,
let's try to pick up the fragments of our seemingly broken past and learn how
God came unexpectedly into our lives: in the death of a beloved; in the loss of
a job; in the embarrassment before men; in the sufferings of the poor; in the
very emptiness that we feel, etc. These are the ugly faces of life, which God
might have chosen to hide himself in. And yet, without us even knowing his
presence, he transforms these difficult events into moments of grace. These are
the "secret advents” of God in our lives. He comes to us in such difficult
situations, too.
Surely, God takes advantage of the many different
situations of human life: good or bad, happy or sad, light or heavy, difficult
or easy. And either boldly or secretly, God comes to our assistance and makes
haste to help us even as we pray. He comes
at one time like a roaring thunder or raging water. But at another time, he
comes like a soft gentle breeze: Sometimes, we know and feel his presence; but
at other times, we do not. How lucky would then be those faithful ones who
keep watch at his coming. In every moment of grace, at least they are able
to say sincerely and personally: "Thank You, Lord, for coming into my life!”