2024 Advent 1

December 1, 2024

 It’s the first Sunday of Advent, an ancient Christian tradition that has fallen on hard times as Christmas becomes more and more about generalized good will, and less and less about preparing ourselves for Christ’s return.

Historically, the Christmas season doesn’t kick off around Thanksgiving time. It begins Christmas Day, lasting twelve days until January 6, which is the feast of Epiphany remembering the coming of the Wise Men and the celebration of the Gospel coming to the entire world.

Advent actually wasn’t meant to be looking towards the birth of Christ, but his return, which is why in the liturgical calendar, many of the Scripture lessons come from Revelation. That is the historical reality, not the present reality, but the challenge is identical: How do we live now in our materialistic, post-Christian culture so when Christ returns, we will be ready? 

Looking back to the Story, we can find many clues. The first comes from Isaiah 9:6.

“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given…” —Isaiah 9:6 

Pay attention to how Isaiah makes his case. A child is born; the Son is given. The eternal Son of God has no beginning or end. He wasn’t born; he was given to us. The child however, ie. Jesus the human being had a beginning just like all of us. He was born. The Eternal, omniscient, all-powerful Son of God was. humble enough to squeeze himself into a tiny baby born in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago. It would be as if you or I became an ant so we could fully identify with ants. If God the Son was willing to humble himself for us, shouldn’t we be willing to humble ourselves for others? Sadly, that message often gets lost in our materialistic dog-eat-dog culture. It doesn’t have to get lost on us, though.