Introduction to Advent
Advent is a season of devout and joyful expectation, during which we prepare our hearts to celebrate Christ’s birth at Christmas, reflect on his presence in our daily lives, and anticipate his coming in glory at the end of time.
The preparatory aspect of Advent also carries a penitential dimension, which is reflected in the readings and the violet vestments worn by the clergy, signifying repentance and renewal. The Gloria is omitted, not to convey somberness as in Lent, but, as the revised liturgical calendar notes, “so that on Christmas night the song of the angels may ring out anew in all its freshness.” Unlike Lent, however, the Alleluia is retained before the Gospel, underscoring the season’s joyful hope.
Advent begins on the Sunday falling on or closest to November 30th and ends at Christmas, encompassing four Sundays.
1st Reading – Jeremiah 33:14-16
The days are coming, says the LORD,
when I will fulfill the promise
I made to the house of Israel and Judah.
In those days, in that time,
I will raise up for David a just shoot ;
he shall do what is right and just in the land.
In those days Judah shall be safe
and Jerusalem shall dwell secure;
this is what they shall call her:
“The LORD our justice.”
During Advent, the first readings are prophecies that foretell the coming of the Messiah and vividly portray the peace, justice, and restoration his reign will bring. These prophetic visions resonate deeply with Advent’s themes of hope, anticipation, and preparation for Christ’s coming.
In today’s first reading, Jeremiah announces that God will fulfill his promise of redemption: a Davidic ruler will be raised up and the nation will be secure.
The days are coming, says the LORD,
“The days are coming” introduces an eschatological vision, pointing to a future fulfillment of God’s promises.
“Says the LORD” emphasizes the divine authority of the message. It is not Jeremiah who speaks, but God who speaks through him.
when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah.
After King Solomon’s death, the kingdom of Israel split into two. Mention of both the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah indicates the inclusive nature of the promised redemption.
In those days, in that time, I will raise up for David a just shoot;
A shoot, new life springing from previous life, will be raised up for the Davidic house.
This points to the fulfillment of God’s covenant with David (2 Samuel 7:12-16) and reflects the hope for a just ruler who will restore the community and align it with God’s will.
The promised shoot probably comes from the royal line, but note that it states that it is also for the monarchy. This hints that the Davidic dynasty will have another opportunity to play a central role in God’s salvific plan.
he shall do what is right and just in the land.
This royal figure will embody righteousness and justice — qualities that were often lacking in the later kings of Judah (2 Kings 21-24).
In those days Judah shall be safe and Jerusalem shall dwell secure;
Both Judah, a political entity, and Jerusalem, the religious center of Judaism, are mentioned, extending the promise of restoration to the whole community. When the promise is fulfilled, both the political and religious aspects of the nation will be redeemed.
this is what they shall call her: “The LORD our justice.”
The name Jerusalem literally means “foundation of peace.” Here, the city is given a new name: “The LORD our justice,” which underscores that God himself is the source of righteousness she will enjoy in the Messianic age.
This promise of safety, security, and justice indicates that the people were not safe and secure at the time the prophecy was proclaimed, and indeed, Jeremiah issued this prophecy during a time of deep turmoil. The kingdom was on the verge of collapse, overwhelmed by external threats from the Babylonians and enduring internal political instability and moral decay. The social fabric of the nation was unraveling, as injustice, idolatry, and corruption flourished among both the leaders and the people. Spiritually, the nation had turned away from God, which left them vulnerable, not just to physical threats but to a deeper, spiritual desolation.
These words from Jeremiah were a radical message of hope to a people in need.
2nd Reading – 1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2
Brothers and sisters:
May the Lord make you increase and abound in love
for one another and for all,
just as we have for you,
so as to strengthen your hearts,
to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father
at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen.
Finally, brothers and sisters,
we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that,
as you received from us
how you should conduct yourselves to please God
and as you are conducting yourselves
you do so even more.
For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
For the first three weeks of Advent, the second readings exhort us to live faithfully and responsibly in the present as we await Christ’s second coming, offering encouragement and guidance that bridge the reality of the Incarnation with the hope of his glorious return.
In today’s reading, Paul urges us to live lives pleasing to God as we prepare for the coming of the Lord.
Brothers and sisters: May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you,
The first part of this reading is a kind of prayerful wish. The verbs are in the optative form (expressing a wish or hope) rather than the imperative form (issuing a command).
Paul’s hope is for the spiritual growth of the Thessalonian community. The repetition of “increase and abound” emphasizes an overflowing, limitless love not only for the Christian community but also for outsiders.
so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones.
Paul links love to holiness, showing that true holiness arises from a love that is rooted in God. The goal is a life blameless in God’s eyes, with the ultimate focus on readiness for the return of Christ.
The mention of “our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones” reinforces the eschatological (end-times) context, reminding believers of their future accountability.
Amen.
In its original Hebrew, “Amen” means “truly” or “so be it.” Here, it marks the end of a heartfelt prayer and seals it as complete.
“This is a proof of superabundant love, that he not only prays for them by himself but even inserts his prayer in his epistles. Paul’s prayers demonstrate a fervent soul unable to restrain his love. The mention of his prayers also proves that Paul and Silvanus’ failure to visit them was not voluntary nor the result of indolence. It is as though Paul said: May God Himself shorten the trials that constantly distract us, so that we may come directly to you. ‘May the Lord make you to increase and abound.’” Do you see the unrestrained madness of love that is shown by these words? [Saint John Chrysostom (398-404 AD), Homilies on the First Epistle to the Thessalonians, 4]
Finally, brothers and sisters, we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that, as you received from us how you should conduct yourselves to please God and as you are conducting yourselves you do so even more.
Paul shifts from prayer to exhortation, urging the Thessalonians to continue living according to the teachings they received from him.
The verb for “conduct yourselves” is peripatéō, or “walk”; in other words, walk the right path. Obedience to God is the goal.
The phrase “do so even more” emphasizes continual growth in faith and moral conduct, suggesting that the Christian life is a dynamic journey rather than a static state.
For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
Paul grounds his appeal in the authority of Christ, reminding the Thessalonians that the instructions he gave them are not merely his own, but are rooted in divine authority.
We are called to prepare for the coming of the Lord by following these same instructions: growing in love for one another and deepening our faithfulness to our covenant relationship with God.
Gospel – Luke 21:25-28, 34-36
Jesus said to his disciples:
“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on earth nations will be in dismay,
perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will die of fright
in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
But when these signs begin to happen,
stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.
“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy
from carousing and drunkenness
and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.
For that day will assault everyone
who lives on the face of the earth.
Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man.”
The start of a new liturgical year also marks the transition from one lectionary cycle (A, B, or C) to the next. Today we begin Cycle C, during which the Gospel of Luke is featured prominently.
Each year on the first Sunday of Advent, the gospel reading invites us to look forward, not back. Instead of focusing on Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, the Church directs our attention to his future coming as the Son of Man. We are being urged not to simply remember the birth of Jesus many years ago, but to prepare today for the coming of Jesus at the end of time.
This week’s gospel reading opens the Advent season with a striking apocalyptic vision. While the imagery of cosmic upheaval may seem unsettling, these events are signs of hope, pointing to the ultimate redemption of God’s people.
If this passage seems familiar, we heard the parallel gospel from Mark just two weeks ago.
Jesus said to his disciples: “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
Jesus vividly describes cosmic and terrestrial upheaval, reflecting imagery often found in apocalyptic literature.
Celestial disruptions point to a cosmic-scale event, marking God’s direct intervention in history. This echoes Old Testament passages like Joel 2:31 and Isaiah 13:10.
and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,
On earth, humanity seems to recognize that divine power is at hand, and these events are beyond their control.
The sea often symbolizes chaos in biblical literature. Here, the roaring sea and waves portray the turmoil and anxiety spreading across the earth.
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
This phrase emphasizes the magnitude of the event: an unraveling of the created order in preparation for God’s kingdom.
The whole universe will tremble at the Lord’s coming in power and glory.
And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
Applying to himself the prophecy of Daniel 7:13-14, Jesus speaks of his coming in glory at the end of time. Unlike his first coming in humility, Jesus’ return will be unmistakable and triumphant, revealing his full authority as King and Judge.
In its initial setting, the author of the Book of Daniel was giving assurance to his fellow Jews, who were suffering persecution under Antiochus Epiphanes (167-164 BC), that God would send a “son of man” to save them.
The phrase Son of Man became a messianic title, the only messianic title Jesus uses in reference to himself in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke).
But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.
In contrast with those who have died of fright, Christians should stand erect with confidence and hope. For those who have been faithful, this is the advent of the age of fulfillment, not a time of punishment.
Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth.
Because the timing of his second coming is unknown, Jesus exhorts believers to be on guard.
Carousing, drunkenness, and preoccupation with worldly anxieties dull spiritual alertness, making one unprepared for Christ’s return.
Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”
The final verse emphasizes vigilance through prayer, which will help believers navigate these trials and remain faithful.
Knowing that God’s promised salvation will indeed come to pass, the faithful are to remain alert and vigilant, calm and sober, giving in neither to despair nor to frenzied activism, keeping hope burning brightly through prayer and purposeful action.
Connections and Themes
The readings for the first Sunday of Advent set the tone for the entire season. It is a time of gratitude, when we reflect on the wondrous fact that through Christ, God entered world history and became part of our existence. At the same time, Advent calls us to look forward with hope and vigilance to Christ’s glorious return at the end of time. The Church invites us to contemplate these two realities together: the Incarnation, where God’s promise of salvation was fulfilled, and the Second Coming, where that promise will reach its ultimate completion.
- The promises of Advent. Today’s readings are filled with promises from God, offering hope to those longing for peace, justice, and fulfillment. In the first reading, God reaffirms his covenant, pledging that a descendant of David will establish justice and security. The second reading reminds us that living in love and righteousness prepares us to receive the salvation promised through Christ. Finally, in the Gospel, Jesus assures us that the coming of the Son of Man will result in redemption rather than destruction, offering a message of profound hope.
- Vigilant preparation. The readings also call us to spiritual readiness and active anticipation as we await the fulfillment of Christ’s kingdom. The first reading reminds us of God’s faithfulness and calls us to trust in his plan, because when the “just shoot” of David arises, he will bring justice. The second reading challenges us to grow in love and holiness, living in a way that prepares us to stand blameless before the Lord. In the Gospel, Jesus warns his disciples to stay awake and prayerful, encouraging them to be vigilant in the face of distractions and trials.
- The anxieties of daily life. The message of the second reading is particularly relevant during Advent, when many people find themselves caught up in the stress and busyness of holiday preparations — shopping, planning, and fulfilling social obligations. Yet, Advent is meant to be a season of hopeful anticipation and spiritual preparation for the coming of Christ. Paul urges us to rise above these distractions and prioritize our relationship with God. In a world consumed by material concerns, this is a timely reminder to realign our hearts with the deeper meaning of the season: cultivating love, hope, and readiness for the Lord’s coming.
- Already but not yet. Waiting in joyful hope is not a life of passive anticipation, it is one of active discipline. Our goal is to be rooted in love and blameless in our holiness. In so doing, we make present the Lord who is to come. We are summoned to live in the tension between the “already” (Christ’s salvific death and resurrection) and the “not yet” (his second coming). By living in this way, we make present the Lord who is to come, even as we anticipate His future return.
Sunday Readings 