First Sunday of Advent Year B

First Reading Isaiah 63:16-117, 64:1, 3-8 May the Lord come when we are doing good

Second Reading 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 The Lord will strengthen us to the end

Gospel Mark 13:33-37 We know no the our the Lord will come.

REFLECTION by Dianne Bergant CSA

Today’s readings contain several images: the faithfulness of those who suffer, even as they lament their predicament; the admonition to watch and wait; the expectation of the coming of the Day of the Lord. As trustees of the one who is coming, we live in the ‘in between’ time of ambiguity and hope. The placement of these readings at the beginning of Advent shapes the context for understanding the entire season. They fix our gaze on the world of human pain and then moves beyond it to the hope of a brighter future. Lamentation and expectation find fulfilment in the Day of the Lord.

Waiting is a prominent image this Sunday. Some people wait to be released from suffering, others await the second coming of Christ. Waiting saps our energies and stifles our enthusiasm. Yet wait we must, and as we wait, we wonder: ‘What should I be doing?’ The readings suggest that we should wait with patient expectation for the day of reconciliation and peace; we should wait in joyful hope that what is to come will come soon. While we wait, we should faithfully fulfil our responsibilities. We believe that we have a future worth waiting for, that there are promises that God will keep. And so we look expectantly to the Day of the Lord, that future day of ultimate fulfilment.