First Sunday of Advent (Lk 21:25-28,34-36) "The Last Crusade"
First Sunday of Advent (Lk 21:25-28, 34-36) “The Last Crusade”
Every time we pray the Our Father we say, “Thy Kingdom Come.” But do we want the Kingdome to come? Probably it depends on what we think the Kingdom of Jesus is like. We might feel like the Kingdom is very far away so why think about it? We have been through a lot of traumas the last couple of years. An accurate understanding of the Kingdom might offer sorely needed hope. Can we influence the coming of the Kingdom?
In 1933, a movie was made called The Crusades. In that movie, movie star Loretta Young says to Richard the Lion Hearted, “You got to save Christianity, you just have to.” King Richard takes up the challenge and he goes off to fight a war to save Christian Europe. A lot of crusades were undertaken in the Middle Ages to drive the Muslims out of the Holy Land. Christians put their hopes in those wars as they tried to establish the Kingdom of Jesus. But we know that there were many atrocities committed in the crusades. Many soldiers died. A lot of time and treasure was spent. When the map was drawn at the end of it all, not much had changed.
In every age, there were crusades large and small undertaken that were meant to save Christianity. We have had campaigns against the Jews, Roman Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, free thinkers, science, and a host of other perceived threats to the faith. Crusades continue to this day. Most crusades today are some kind of moral crusade.
The thought is that if we can just convince everyone to believe what we believe then the Kingdom would come. If we cannot do it with intellectual argument, then maybe we can do it with threats. If we cannot do it with threats, then maybe we can do it by force. In the end, we can believe it is up to us to save Christianity. But that might be a little too egotistical.
As we begin Advent, we always reflect on the Lord’s second coming. Jesus wasn’t around at the beginning of time. He came in time, becoming human. He died, but he will come back at the end of all time. The second coming of Jesus can be equated to the Day of the Lord in the Old Testament. The day of the Lord was described in our first reading. On that day, Jerusalem will be restored. A universal Kingdom will be established for all the nations.
During Advent we hear that Kingdom described often. The most remembered description is in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.
“Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
The calf and the young lion shall browse together.
with a little child to guide them.”
Seems like an ideal time to live in.
But there we are also told that there will be tribulations before the universal Kingdom is established. “Nations will be in dismay” it says in the Gospel of Luke. “People will die of fright.” We live in the time before the final establishment of the Kingdom. And it is a time of turmoil. But the struggles won’t last. We need to put effort into establishing the Kingdom, but at the same time, we can’t hope for complete success. We live in that tension. What we can do when we cooperate with God is what is all important.
We can do things as we wait for Jesus to return. Mostly, we need to live as Jesus taught. The beatitudes are our guide as to how we are to wait for the fulfillment of the kingdom. Jesus showed us the way. We are to live a simple life. We are to be peacemakers. Followers of Jesus are to live with humility. We are to seek holiness. Believers are to always be people of mercy. We are to forgive others as we forgive ourselves. Most of all, we are to realize that we are not called to live in anxiety, but we are asked to live with confidence in the Lord. Someone once said that if we look through the Bible, we can find 365 instances where it says, “Do not be afraid. One time for every day of the year.
A scripture scholar once pointed out that it was Peter who went on the first crusade. In the garden of Gethsemane, he pulled his sword to save Jesus. Jesus told him to put his sword away. In the end, it was a loving God who caused Jesus to live. When time ends, we can rely on the same benevolent God to take care of us. During Advent let’s prepare to meet the God whose mercy is without end. For this is the God that Jesus came to teach us about. Not a terrifying God, but a loving one.
Reflection Questions
- Do I look forward to Jesus’ second coming? Why or why not?
- What will be the best thing about Jesus’ return? When do I wish it would happen?
Dear Parishioners,
During this weekend we will have the several rites for parishioners seeking to celebrate the Sacraments of Initiation during Easter season. At the 9:15 Mass we will be having second graders declare their intention to receive First Communion. This is a chance for us to pray for our children and encourage them as a parish community. The pandemic has kept our community apart. Sacraments were never meant to be a private celebration, no, they were always mean to be a community event. The children need to know that they are not alone in this world, but they are part of the parish and the wider church.
At the 11 a.m. Mass a number of adults will be making their intentions known to celebrate Baptism and Confirmation at Easter. So far, there are seven people who are a part of the Rite of Christians Initiation of Adults. We are gratified that there has been so much interest.
These rites give us hope in the future of the church. There have been so many difficulties in our church lately. It is nice to have some positive news. Please pray for all who are committing to receiving Easter sacraments and pray for our confirmands who will be here next Sunday.
May Our Lady and all the Angels and Saints watch over you this week.
Fr. Mark