The 1st Sunday of Advent 2024

(re-post from 2021)

As we did in the past, we'll reference the Gospel for each of the four Sunday's of Advent, in order, as observed in the traditional Roman Liturgy, known these days as the Extraordinary Form, or Tridentine Rite, or Traditional Latin Mass (TLM). These four Gospels were always repeated, every year, from the time of the Council of Trent in the 16th century, until post-Vatican II. They will provide a clear path for our journey through this Holy Season as we prepare ourselves for Christmas.

The Gospel for the First Sunday of Advent, Luke 21:25-33, takes us to end of the world where we encounter the Second Coming of Christ. It's reminding us that we prepare our hearts and minds not only to recall the birth of Jesus Christ, but also to look for His return. And He will return when "all this" is over.

"All this" can seem so "real" as we slog through our every day lives. But we Catholics know that it's just a temporary state of affairs. Whether or not the world itself ends during our tour of duty on this earth, we need to nevertheless be prepared. Perhaps more importantly, though, we need to remind ourselves that "all this" will end for us, and for everyone else with whom we come in contact, even if the end of the whole world holds off for a while.

Regarding the end of the world, this Sunday's Gospel boldly declares:

And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, by reason of the confusion of the roaring of the sea and of the waves;
 
Men withering away for fear, and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world. For the powers of heaven shall be moved...

A frightening vision, to be sure. Then again, sometimes we need to be shaken from our torpor. It's for this reason that Holy Mother Church urges us - and has for centuries - to meditate on the "Four Last Things": Death, Judgment, Heaven, Hell. It's not intended to be morbid or depressing. It's meant to pinch us so we'll be fully awake and aware. Why? The next verse explains:

And then they shall see the Son of man coming in a cloud, with great power and majesty.

It may seem to be asking too much of us to keep this vision front and center in our lives, but there it is. The Church doesn't back down when it comes to the Truth. And what we're seeing here is just that. That's why the next verse so clearly and confidently urges us:

But when these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads, because your redemption is at hand.

In centuries past the idea the the world was coming to an end played a more immediate, even dramatic, role in people's lives. At different points in history, the expectation of the end of the world took front and center in the lives of everyday people. For example, at the end of the first millennium, some people gathered together on that last day of year 999 (or was it the year 1000?) to await His descent from the clouds. Other times in history have similarly sparked some people's imaginations. For example, in times of war, plague and other natural disasters. Heck, our own time can sometimes seem like the perfect setting for the end of the world, can't it?

But during Advent, our focus isn't on the end of the world per se. It's on His coming - both on the day of His first visible manifestation in this world - the Nativity, and - someday- on the day of His Second Coming. That's where we focus our attention on this First Sunday of Advent.

With all this in mind, let's listen to this from Handel's Messiah. It captures the end of the world like no other piece of music I know. No matter how many times I hear it, it raises the hairs on the back of my neck!