A Civilization of Love: The First Sunday in Advent 2024

                                                             A Civilization of Love:

The First Sunday in Advent 2024

December 1, 2024

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Jeremiah 33:14-16; Psalm 25; 1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2; Luke 21:25-36

 

The reading from Jeremiah tells us that we must trust patiently in the promise that will slowly unveil itself. We must trust the one who stands behind the promise, the one who makes all that is right come into being. The Gospel of Luke tells us that we may get pulled into the drama around us. This drama is designed to feed on our fears and sensibilities. It will be loud, in your face events designed to unsettle you, and fear is quite powerful. The powers of this world will do what they can to increase our anxiety because it sells and fear is needed to exert control over our actions and beliefs, but we are to remain vigilant, aware of that slowly unfolding promise of goodness and light. We are to increase that light by staying settled and centered so we can see rightly.

 

St. Paul tells us that our love for one another must increase. We are the promise that is sent into the world to slowly reveal God’s presence, and we do so by our loving actions. Love is that quality that settles the drama. Love exists in the human heart; so does hatred, indifference, and selfishness. Our actions have profound effects upon others, because, through our actions and thoughts, we are capable of making more Herods, Grinches, and Ebenezer Scrooges today. We are capable of making saints too. Therefore, we are to keep our hearts open to others. The deepest part of each person was created for love, and we will fulfill God’s plan only if we learn to love. Only through love do we become our genuine selves. 

 

We must remember this: God wished to become one of us, a part of our history, and a companion on our earthly journey. Jesus became the Incarnate One so we can know that God understands our human joy and suffering. This Jesus remains alive, with a living heart, and he both loves us, and receives our love, and every time we love another person, we increase the love for which we were born. Any act of love spontaneously refers back to Jesus, and he continues to invite us into a friendship that is marked by dialogue, affection, trust, and adoration. We often think that we can sit before the tabernacle to adore Jesus, but at the same time, Jesus is adoring us. In fact, his love for us comes first. His heart is the unifying center of our souls. 

 

As a people of faith, we model our lives after Jesus and remember what he did in his humanity: healing the sick, embracing sinners, and showing mercy. This is our path forward as we open our hearts to love. We are called to create a civilization of love. As I listen to your stories, I plainly see your love, and your attempts to create this civilization by responding in the best way possible to those in your lives. The best response to the love of Christ is to love our brothers and sisters, to be people with and for others. There is no greater way for us to return that love to God. This love demands transforming the parts of our hearts that can become selfish. This type of loving became a new principle in human history that emphasized that individuals are even more worthy of our respect and love when they are weak, scorned, or suffering. Through our prayer and worship, we are inspired to be more attentive to the sufferings and needs of others. The heart of Jesus is not indifferent to the way we respond to his thirst for love. Jesus asks for love, and his love of us moves us to return love for greater love. This love is what we see during this period of Advent – a God of love who waits for us and wants to be with us more than we can ever know. These next few weeks are time to notice the drama of the world from afar but letting the love of Christ settle peacefully into our own. Peace, justice, and harmony then has a chance to thrive. 

 

Scripture for Daily Mass

Monday: (Isaiah 2) In days to come, the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills. All nations shall stream toward it

 

Tuesday: (Isaiah 11) A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom. The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him: a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, A Spirit of counsel and of strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.

 

Wednesday: (Isaiah 25) On this mountain the LORD of hosts will provide for all peoples
A feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines. On this mountain he will destroy the veil that veils all peoples.

 

Thursday: (Isaiah 26) A strong city have we; he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us.
Open up the gates to let in a nation that is just, one that keeps faith.

 

Friday (Isaiah 29) Lebanon shall be changed into an orchard, and the orchard be regarded as a forest! On that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book; And out of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see.

 

Saturday (Isaiah 30) O people of Zion, who dwell in Jerusalem, no more will you weep;
He will be gracious to you when you cry out, as soon as he hears he will answer you.

 

Gospel: 

Monday: (Matthew 8) When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully." He said to him, "I will come and cure him."

 

Tuesday: (Luke 10) Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.

 

Wednesday (Matthew 15) My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, for they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, for fear they may collapse on the way.

 

Thursday (Luke 17) As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten persons with leprosy met him.
They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!”

 

Friday (Matthew 9) “Do you believe that I can do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they said to him. 
Then he touched their eyes and said, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” And their eyes were opened. 

 

Saturday (Matthew 9) At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.

 

Saints of the Week

 

December 1: Edmund Campion, S.J., (1540- 1581), Robert Southwell, S.J., (1561-1595) martyrs, were English natives and Jesuit priests at a time when Catholics were persecuted in the country. Both men acknowledge Queen Elizabeth as monarch, but they refused to renounce their Catholic faith. They are among the 40 martyrs of England and Wales. Campion was killed in 1581 and Southwell’s death was 1595.

 

December 3: Francis Xavier, S.J., priest (1506-1552) was a founding member of the Jesuit Order who was sent to the East Indies and Japan as a missionary. His preaching converted hundreds of thousands of converts to the faith. He died before reaching China. Xavier was a classmate of Peter Faber and Ignatius of Loyola at the University of Paris.

 

December 6: Nicholas, bishop (d. 350), lived in southwest Turkey and was imprisoned during the Diocletian persecution. He attended the Council of Nicaea in 324. Since there are many stories of his good deeds, generous charity, and remarkable pastoral care, his character became the foundation for the image of Santa Claus.

 

December 7: Ambrose, bishop and doctor (339-397) was a Roman governor who fairly mediated an episcopal election in Milan. He was then acclaimed their bishop even though he was not baptized. He baptized Augustine in 386 and is doctor of the church because of his preaching, teaching and influential ways of being a pastor.

This Week in Jesuit History

 

• December 1, 1581: At Tyburn in London, Edmund Campion and Alexander Briant were martyred. 
• December 2, 1552: On the island of Sancian off the coast of China, Francis Xavier died. 
• December 3, 1563: At the Council of Trent, the Institute of the Society was approved. 
• December 4, 1870: The Roman College, appropriated by the Piedmontese government, was reopened as a Lyceum. The monogram of the Society over the main entrance was effaced. 
• December 5, 1584: By his bull Omnipotentis Dei, Pope Gregory XIII gave the title of Primaria to Our Lady's Sodality established in the Roman College in 1564 and empowered it to aggregate other similar sodalities. 
• December 6, 1618: In Naples, the Jesuits were blamed for proposing to the Viceroy that a solemn feast should be held in honor of the Immaculate Conception and that priests should make a public pledge defend the doctrine. This was regarded as a novelty not to be encouraged. 

December 7, 1649: Charles Garnier was martyred in Etarita, Canada, as a missionary to the Petun Indians, among whom he died during an Iroquois attack.