Sunday, November 29, 2020: First Sunday of Advent
Mark 13:24-37
Jesus said, “In those days, after that suffering, the sun will darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
“But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”
I admire people who make the most of every day, who live fully in the present moment and give of themselves wholeheartedly. I think the ability to do that is a gift that doesn’t come easily to most of us. I am reminded of the line,“Make us know our life’s shortness that we may gain true wisdom of heart” in the song Restless is the Heart by Bernadette Farrell. When we truly know how short life is, we don’t take our blessings or our loved ones for granted. We tell beloved friends and family that we love them, we apologize when we need to and we express gratitude to others and to God frequently for all we’ve been given. We don’t sweat the small stuff. We “keep awake” as Jesus encourages in the gospel from Mark. Attentive to God’s movement in our lives, and open to God’s messages of love.
Advent is a beautiful time of year. A time of promise and hope. We can all use the gift of hope this Advent season. Sometimes it is difficult to see where to be hopeful when we are still in the midst of a pandemic that has negatively impacted so many. We can be grateful for all our heroic healthcare workers, for the scientists who are working so diligently to perfect a vaccine for Covid, for waking up to every new day and for life’s small pleasures.
What is your heart’s deepest desire? For what do you long this Advent season?