1st Sunday of Advent

Tomorrow is the first Sunday of Advent, the first Sunday of the Liturgical Year in the Church. We are, once again, prepare for the coming of Christ, our Messiah. Once again, He is coming to make all things new. We, for our task, are to seek Him out. In the readings of this day, we will hear about the end of things again. However, I am going to try to help us in this preparation. We are to fast, abstain, pray, and, moreover, to ready ourselves for the coming of our Lord.

The book of Isias, he foretells the falling away of the Faith,:

'...Hear, O ye heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord hath spoken: "I have brought up children, and exalted them; but they have despised me. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel hath not known me, and my people hath not understood. Woe to the sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a wicked seed, ungracious children. They have forsaken the Lord, they have blasphemed the holy One of Israel, they are gone away backwards...'

We are in dire need of some kind of help, and our Lord has it all at our disposal, if we but ask and are sincere. Remember, all things and times are simultaneously happening forever in front of God, Who is in charge of all.


St. Bernard says there are three comings: "In the first coming, He comes in the flesh and in weakness; in the second in spirit and power; in the third, He comes in glory and in majesty; and the second coming is the means whereby we pass from the first to the third."

An explanation is given to us by Peter of Blois, when he gave his third sermon of Advent:

'There are three comings of our Lord; the first in the flesh, the second in the soul, the third at the judgment. The first was at midnight, according to those words of the Gospel: 'At midnight there was a cry made, Lo the Bridegroom cometh! But this first coming is long since past, for Christ has been seen on the earth and has conversed among men. We are now in the second coming, provided only we are such as that He may thus come to us; for He has said that if we love Him, He will come unto us and will take His abode with us. So that this second coming is full of uncertainty to us; for who, save the Spirit of God, knows them that are of God? They that are raised out of themselves by the desire of heavenly things, know indeed when He goeth, they know not. As for the third coming, it is most certain that it will be, most uncertain when it will be; for nothing is more sure than death, and nothing less sure than the hour of death. When they shall say, 'peace and security', says the Apostle, then shall sudden destruction come upon them, as the pains upon her that is with child, and they shall not escape. So that the first coming was humble and hidden, the second is mysterious and full of love, the third will be majestic and terrible. In His first coming, Christ was judged by men unjustly; in His second, He renders us just by His grace; in His third, He will judge all things with justice. in His first, a lamb; in His last, a lion; in the one between the two, the tenderest of friends.'

Now, let us listen to our beloved Abbot Gueranger:

On His entering into this world, our divine Saviour first showed Himself under the form of a weak Babe, before attaining the fullness of the age of manhood, and this to the end that nothing might be wanting to His sacrifice, so does He intend to do in us; there is to be a progress in His growth within us. Now, it is at the feast of Christmas that He delights to be born in our souls, and that He pours out over the whole Church a grace of being born, to which, however, not all are faithful.

For this glorious solemnity, as often as it comes around, finds three classes of men. The first, and the smallest number, are those who live, in all its plenitude, the life of Jesus who is within them, and aspire incessantly after the increase of this life. The second class of souls is more numerous; they are living, it is true, because Jesus is in them; but they are sick and weakly, because they care not to grow in this divine life; their charity has become cold! The rest of men make up the third division, and are they that have no part of this life in them, and are dead; for Christ has said: "I am the Life."

St. Augustine, when, after a long resistance to the grace which pressed him to give himself to God, resolved to obey the voice which said to him: "Tolle lege"; "take and read." The words from this Sunday's Epistle from St. Paul to the Romans, decided his conversion; he immediately resolved to abandon the worldly life he had up to that point led, and to put on Christ Jesus. Let us begin this very day, and imitate this saint. Let us long for that dear and glorious clothing with which the mercy of our heavenly Father is so soon to cover us; and let us say with the Church these touching words, which we cannot repeat too often during this of the year:

'None of them that wait on thee shall be confounded, O Lord. Show, O Lord, thy ways to me: and teach me thy paths. Alleluia, alleluia. Show us, O Lord, thy mercy: and grant us thy salvation.

So, during this Advent season, let's find some good reading material. Tolle lege, take and read.



Tomorrow is also the day of St. Andrew, Apostle and brother of St. Peter. Let's hear a little about him:

Saint Andrew was one of the fishermen of Bethsaida, and was the brother of Saint Peter. He became a disciple of Saint John the Baptist. When called himself by Christ on the banks of the Jordan, his first thought was to go in search of his brother, and he said to Peter, "We have found the Messiah!" and brought him to Jesus.

It was Saint Andrew who, when Christ wished to feed the five thousand in the desert, pointed out a little lad with five loaves and a few fishes. After Pentecost, Saint Andrew went forth upon his mission to plant the Faith in Scythia and Greece and, at the end of years of toil, to win a martyr's crown at Patrae in Achaia. When Saint Andrew first caught sight of the gibbet on which he was to die, he greeted the precious wood with joy. "O good cross!" he cried, "made beautiful by the limbs of Christ, so long desired, now so happily found! Receive me into thy arms and present me to my Master, that He who redeemed me through thee may now accept me from thee!" After suffering a cruel scourging he was left, bound by cords, to die upon this diagonal cross. For two whole days the martyr remained hanging on it, alive, preaching with outstretched arms from this chair of truth, to all who came near, and entreating them not to hinder his passion.

Reflection: If we would do good to others, we must, like Saint Andrew, receive our cross with loving gratitude and not desire to be separated from it, until God so wills. To "take up our cross" is Jesus' command; are we perhaps dragging ours?