Today we start the season of advent. Advent means coming which obviously refers to the coming of Christ. Advent prepares us not only for the celebration of Christmas but for the coming of Christ in general.
There are three comings of Christ of which today’s liturgical readings speak. There is the coming of Christ in history which Jeremiah prophesies in the first reading. There is the coming of Christ in our life here and now of which Paul reminds us in the second reading. And there is the third coming of Christ in an unknown future, which Jesus himself describes in the gospel.
Advent is a season of joy as it looks forward to the fulfilment of God’s long promise of a Savior who is no less than his own Son. Unfortunately, the use of the apocalyptic language in describing the signs of Christ’s coming cannot but fill the listener with fear and trepidation instead.
As I explained in my homily two Sundays ago, Christ comes to bring a new order to a chaotic world. However, in order for the new order to be established, the old order must pass. The image of the malfunctioning of the cosmos graphically portrays this dynamic. The darkening sun, the waning moon and the falling stars are not to be literally understood. Note that these heavenly bodies have been man’s guide for navigation and direction since ancient time (like today’s GPS or google map). Their dissolution simply means that old standards and references will no longer serve with the coming of the Son of Man.
Jesus introduces a new order that topples the old one. Familiar criteria are put in disarray and values are totally turned upside down. “The first shall be last, and the last shall be first… blessed are those who are poor, woe to those who are rich… he who keeps his life will lose it, he who loses his life for my sake will keep it.., etc.”
Advent is a season of hope as it anticipates the coming of Christ. After the extraordinary celebration of the Great Jubilee 2000, Pope John Paul II wrote the apostolic letter, Novo Millennio Ineunte, wherein he recalls the bountiful fruits of the jubilee with gratitude and challenges the Church and the world to face the new millennium with hope.
What awaits us in the new millennium? Man seems to be pessimistic about the future considering the ever increasing adverse effects of global warming, the normal occurrence of super-typhoons and cataclysms, the proliferation of populist world leaders capable of starting a nuclear war, the prospect of an apocalyptic world dominated by robots and AI… Faced with the possibility of such a dark world, the Holy Father tells man nonetheless, “Duc in altum,” (Cast your nets into the deep) as Jesus told Peter after a night of unproductive fishing. In the same manner the Pope tells us not to be afraid to plunge into the future where the promise of a great catch awaits us.
What gives Pope John Paul II such confidence and hope for the future? Nothing less than the very reason for celebrating the Great Jubilee 2000, which commemorates the coming of Jesus among us. Jesus entered human history two thousand years ago; he is still with us today and will continue to be with us in the future. He is Emmanuel, God with us. He promised to remain with us until the end of time. (Mt 28:20)
Indeed, the theme of the Great Jubilee 2000 perfectly captures its message: “Christ Yesterday, Today and Forever.” (Hb 13:8)
It is in the same spirit that Pope Francis will open the Jubilee Year 2025 with the rite of the opening of the Holy Door of the Basilica of St. Peter followed by the celebration of the night Mass of the Lord’s Nativity on December 24. The theme of the Jubilee Year 2025 is “Pilgrims of Hope.”
Thus, the Pope invites us, “We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us, and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision.”