These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him. He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him. (Mt 4:18-22)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/113022.cfm
Andrew, along with Peter, James and John, left everything to follow Jesus. The call of the first disciples becomes the model for all of us. May Advent help us to hear the Lord’s call and to respond with the same faith that Andrew and the others had.
Turning to the disciples in private he said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.” (Lk 10:21-24)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/112922.cfm
Today’s readings are filled with longing and deep desire for the peaceable kingdom where there will be no harm or ruin rather “justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.” Advent faces that longing and quietly proclaims that the Lord’s coming satisfies the deepest hungers of the human family.
Then will the LORD create, over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her place of assembly, A smoking cloud by day and a light of flaming fire by night. For over all, the LORD's glory will be shelter and protection. (Is 4:2-6)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/112822.cfm
A cloud by day, a pillar of fire by night—recalls the Divine Presence during the Exodus from Egypt. “On that day” is a reference to the “great and terrible Day of the Lord.” But instead of provoking “fear and trembling” the coming of the LORD’s glory, God’s presence with us, will be “shelter and protection.” The message of Advent is a message of hope. Advent proclaims not “fear and trembling” but rather “shelter and protection.”
Jesus said to his disciples: “Stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come." (Mt 24:37-44)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/112722.cfm
Advent means the “coming.” It’s original focus is the Second Coming of the Lord, which is why the Lord reminds us to “stay awake” and “be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” Nowadays, in the commercial world, Advent has simply become the holiday shopping season. In the church, we still hear the ancient prophecies and the longing for the coming of the Savior and we continue to pray: Come, Lord Jesus, come do not delay!
“Behold, I am coming soon.” (Rev 22:1-7)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/112622.cfm
We come to the last day of the liturgical year, and we conclude our continuous reading of the Book of Revelation. Tomorrow Advent begins. As Mary accepted God’s will for her life, she invites us to say with her, “Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus!”
