Advent

Gospel for the 1^st Sunday of Advent

Exortation to Vigilance

I – The Two Comings of Our Lord

The circle and the lozenge shape are held as the most perfect geometrical figures according to St. Thomas Aquinas, since they represent the movement of the effect that returns to its cause. Christ is the highest realization of this symbology because, in addition to being the principle of all creation, He is also its ultimate end. Thus we find, at the end as well as at the beginning of the liturgical year, Gospels which transcribe Jesus’ revelations on His final coming.

Penance, in the expectation of Christmas

The Church did not develop its ceremonies based on prior planning. As a supernatural  organism, born from the sacred side of the Redeemer, and vivified by the breath of  the Holy Spirit, it possesses a special vitality by which it develops, grows, and is  beautified in an organic manner. Thus, the liturgical year unfolded over the course of time, in its most diverse aspects. Concretely, Advent emerged between the fourth  and fifth centuries as a preparation for Christmas, synthesizing the long anticipation of  the good Jews for the coming of the Messiah. The expectation of a great  mystical-religious event calls for an attitude of penance. Therefore, the centuries prior to the  birth of the Saviour were marked by sorrow for personal sins and the sin of our first parents. The period before the public life of the Messiah became even more intense: a voice crying out in the desert invited all to seek pardon for their sins and to convert, so that the ways of the Lord would be made straight.

 Hope pervaded with the desire for holiness

Wishing to create ideal conditions for our participation in the festivities of the  Saviour’s Nativity—His first coming—, the Liturgy selected sacred texts related to His second coming: the dominant note of one is mercy, and of the other, justice. However, these two encounters with Jesus form a harmonious whole, joining the first and last effects of one and the same cause. The Church Fathers comment at length on the contrast between one and the other, but they would have us see, in the Incarnation of the Word, the beginning of our Redemption, and, in the resurrection from the dead, its full realization. To be in readiness for the magnitude of the Christmas event, it is indispensable to have before our eyes the last episodes that will precede the Final Judgement. Hence the Church’s former, long-standing custom of singing the famous Gregorian hymn Dies Irae as a Sequence during the Requiem Mass. More than simply recalling the historical fact of Christmas, the Church wants us to participate in the graces pertaining to the festivity, just as they were enjoyed by the Blessed Virgin, St. Joseph, the Magi, and the shepherds. Amidst these events, the chosen people were sustained by a great hope, pervaded with the desire for holiness and for a penitential life. We should imitate their example and follow in their footsteps, as regards not only Christmas, but also the plenitude of our Redemption: the glorious resurrection of the children of God. The first and second comings of Jesus unite on our horizon during this period of Advent, helping us to  analyse them from an almost eternal perspective; or better, from within the eyes of God, to Whom everything is present. These are some of the reasons behind the choice of purple for the liturgical vestments used during these four weeks. It is a time of penance. Thus, today’s Gospel fittingly speaks to us of vigilance, for we know not when the “lord of the house” will return. We must take care not to be caught  anawares, sleeping.

He came to be judged, but will return as Judge

We should remember that the Lord will not come as Saviour, but rather as Judge; not only as God, but also as Man, as St. Thomas explains: “Christ, even in His human nature is Head of the entire Church and God has ‘put all things under His feet.’ Consequently, it belongs to Him, even according to His human nature, to exercise judiciary power.”¹ “Judiciary power belongs to the Man Christ […] from merit, so that, in accordance with the Divine justice, He should be judge who fought for God’s justice, and conquered, and was unjustly condemned. […] And Augustine says: “The Judge shall sit, who stood before a judge; He shall condemn the truly wicked, who Himself was falsely reputed wicked.” ²

Our Lord Jesus Christ will be the great Judge, in His most holy humanity, hypostatically united to the  eternal and divine Wisdom. He thereby knows the secrets of all hearts, just as St. Paul writes to the Romans: “On that day when, according to my Gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus” (Rom 2:16). He will appear in all His glory, for in His first coming, as He came to be judged, He clothed Himself in humility. Therefore, upon returning as Judge, He will clothe Himself in splendour. ³.  St. Thomas5 goes on to say that, for His birth in Bethlehem, the Son took on flesh to represent our humanity before the Father; however, at the end of the world, He will come to mete out the Father’s justice to us; He should, therefore, manifest the glory befitting the emissary of God’s eternal power. This Judgement will be universal, as also was the Redemption. Let us consider the explanations given by St. Augustine regarding these two comings: “Our Lord Jesus Christ, our God and the Son of God, came the first time in a hidden manner, but in the second coming, He will present Himself manifestly. When He came silently, He made Himself known only to His  servants; when He comes manifestly, He will appear to both the good and the wicked. When He came hidden, He came to be judged; when He comes with majesty, He will come to judge. When He was accused, He was silent, as foretold by the prophet: ‘he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb.’ […]. However, He will not remain silent in this way, when He comes to judge. Truly, He is not silent now for those who wish to hear Him; but it is said that He will not remain silent, for then, all will hear His voice, even those who now disdain it.” ⁴

 A salutary reflection for good and wicked alike

Nothing will be forgotten; all of our least thoughts and desires, actions and omissions, in relation to God, neighbour and even ourselves, will be recalled in all their reality. The Divine Judge will not fail to analyse even the least point; everything will be duly considered. He will then publicly pass an unappealable, definitive sentence on each one. Some will be at His right, others, at His left. Of the latter, how many will be there because they have sought a fleeting pleasure, or refused to make the slightest effort? And we should bear in mind that this dreadful scene of the Final Judgement will be a public repetition of each person’s particular judgement.

On the other hand, what great joy the good will have! “The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Rom 8:18). The bodies of the righteous will be liberated from all weaknesses and infirmities; they will be immortal and spiritualized, assimilated to the light of Christ. In seeing themselves united in Mary and Jesus, they will feel inundated with delight and  joy on that day of triumph.

This demonstrates how salutary it is, for the wicked and good alike, to look head-on at this second coming of the Lord. Perhaps some will be moved by the fear of God, while others may be heartened, amidst the woes and setbacks of this life, by the  expectation of this magnificent ceremony.

 Warning signs of the final events

We are now better able to delve into the words of Our Lord transcribed by Mark in today’s Gospel. Chapter 13 is altogether eschatological. It begins with a dialogue  between the disciples and the Master regarding the solidity of the edifices built within the precincts of the Temple, eliciting this prophecy from Jesus: “There will not be left here one stone upon another, that will not be thrown down” (v. 2). Evidently, this affirmation whet the curiosity of the Apostles and much questioning ensued as to the timing of these events. Jesus did not reveal dates, but He announced the warning signs: “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places, there will be famines; this is but the beginning of the birth-pangs” (v. 8).

 He transmits other signs and counsels to the Apostles in the subsequent verses, culminating in a vivid description of the last events before the final conflagration of the world: “And if the Lord had not shortened the days, no human being would be saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days”   (v. 20).  “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away” (v. 31).

At this point in His eschatological discourse, Jesus answers the Apostles’ initial question: “But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the Angels in Heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Mk 13:32). The Fathers of the  Church comment that, by placing Himself among those who do not know, Christ used diplomacy so that the disciples would not be saddened at His unwillingness to reveal it to them; yet it would be impossible for Him not to know, since there can be no difference between the Father and the Son: “Whenever He professes ignorance, it is not because He does not know, but rather because it is not yet the time to speak or to act.”⁵

These are the preliminaries that shed light on today’s Gospel.

II – Gospel Commentary

Mark, as a very close disciple of Peter, transmits in his Gospel—the first, in fact, to be written and di vulged—a summary of the preaching of our first Pope. His emphasis on “Be watchful! Be alert! …”, can be traced to a special concern expressed by his master in the last years of his life, in the city of Rome. This concern, imbued with zeal for souls in the fulfilment of the Lord’s mandate: “Feed My sheep” (Jn 21:17), was in response to the problems then surrounding the nascent Church.

Without pausing to analyse the history of almost two millennia past, let us turn our attention to the present day.

Vigilance, an auxiliary virtue of prudence, as identified with solicitude, plays an important role in our spiritual and moral life. Furthermore, prudence is closely linked with man’s social life. What should be the objects of our vigilance at the beginning of the third millennium? There is virtually no single moment in which we may let our guard down.

Harmful influence of the mass media

Over the course of time—with the evolution of technology and scientific discoveries—the mass media has served as a dangerous and seductive agent for presenting evil and sin. At the time of Leo XIII—the end of the nineteenth century—we already find this fondly remembered Pope clearly manifesting his concern:

“Snares and temptation to sin abound; We know that impious or immoral dramas are exhibited on the stage; that books and journals are written to jeer at virtue and ennoble crime; that the very arts, which were intended to give pleasure and proper recreation, have been made to minister to impurity.” ⁶

Four years later came a new declaration:

“Finally, the social order is undermined at its foundations. Books and newspapers, schools and universities, clubs and theatres, monuments and political discourses, photography and the fine arts, everything conspires to pervert minds and corrupt hearts.” ⁷

In the twentieth century, ever upholding the same line of teaching, Pius XI, also of happy  memory, made his voice heard:

“There does not exist today a means of influencing the masses more potent than the cinema. The reason for this is to be sought for in the very nature of the pictures projected upon the screen, in the popularity of motion picture plays, and in the circumstances which accompany them.” ⁸

“The power of the motion picture consists in this, that it speaks by means of vivid and concrete imagery, which the mind takes in with enjoyment and without fatigue. Even the crudest and most primitive minds which have neither the capacity nor the desire to make the efforts necessary for abstraction or deductive reasoning are captivated by the cinema. In place of the effort which reading or listening demands, there is the continued pleasure of a succession of concrete and, so to speak, living pictures.” ⁹

“Everyone knows what damage is done to the soul by bad motion pictures. They are occasions of sin; they seduce young people along the ways of evil by glorifying the passions; they show life under a false light; they cloud ideals; they destroy pure love, respect for marriage, affection for the family. They are capable also of creating prejudices among individuals and misunderstandings among nations, among social classes, among entire races.” ¹⁰

This deleterious action begins with the awakening of the light of reason:

“This is precisely why it attracts and fascinates particularly the young, the adolescent, and even the child. Thus, at the very age when the moral sense is being formed and when the notions and sentiments of justice and rectitude, of duty and  obligation and of ideals of life are being developed, the motion picture with its direct propaganda assumes a position of commanding influence.” ¹¹

No less noteworthy is the warning of Pius XII, proffered in the mid past century:

“The world is being corrupted by a press and by shows that extinguish chastity in young men and women, destroy the love between spouses, and inculcate a nationalism that leads to war.” ¹²

Another fondly remembered Pope, Paul VI, refers to these evils as follows:

“These instruments, as it happens, destined as they are by their very nature to spread thought, human expression, the image, information and publicity, not only act on public opinion and, consequently, on the modes of thought and action of individuals and social groups, but also bring pressure to bear upon minds, leaving their deep mark upon the mentality and the conscience of man who is being pressed and almost overpowered by a multiplicity of contradictory appeals.

“One cannot ignore the danger and the damage which these means, however noble in themselves, can inflict upon individuals and society when they are not employed by man with a sense of responsibility, with an honest intent and in conformity with the objective moral order (…)

“We have particularly in mind the younger generations. Not without difficulties and at times apparent or real lapses, these are seeking to give direction to their present and future lives. They must be able to make their choices in freedom of spirit and with a sense of responsibility. Hindering or leading astray with false perspectives their strenuous efforts would mean deceiving their just expectations, confusing their noble aspirations and killing their generous impulses.” ¹³

 Portrayals detrimental to the common good of society

And our beloved John Paul II addressed this same question in clear and lucid fashion, in January of 2004:

“These same media also have the capacity to do grave harm to families by presenting an inadequate or even deformed outlook on life, on the family, on religion and on morality. This power either to reinforce or override traditional values like religion, culture, and family was clearly seen by the Second Vatican Council, which taught that ‘if the media are to be correctly employed, it is essential that all who use them know the principles of the moral order  and apply them faithfully’ (Inter Mirifica, 4).”

And further on:

“The family and family life are all too often inadequately portrayed in the media. Infidelity, sexual activity outside of marriage, and the absence of a moral and spiritual vision of the marriage covenant are depicted uncritically, while positive support is at times given to divorce, contraception, abortion, and homosexuality. Such portrayals, by promoting causes inimical to marriage and the family, are detrimental to the common good of society.” ¹⁴.

Benedict XVI, when Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, warned of the possible ruinous effects of social communications media on faith and morals.

In 1992, he published canonical norms in an “ Instruction on some aspects of the use of the instruments of social communication in promoting the doctrine of the Faith”:

“Erroneous ideas are becoming ever more widespread due to the social communications media in general and the publication of books in particular. (…) The norms of canon law guarantee the freedom of all: whether it be the individual Christian faithful who have a right to receive the Gospel message in all its integrity and purity or those engaged in pastoral work, theologians, and all Catholics engaged in journalism who have the right to communicate their thought while maintaining the integrity of the faith and the Church’s teaching on morals and due respect for the Bishops.” ¹⁵

 Battlefield for teachers and confessors

For all of us, this stands as an invitation to exercise vigilance toward the press, provocative books and magazines, television,radio, internet, and the like.

The above-cited words of Pius XI, regarding the improper use of these means of communication and its adverse effects on the very faculties of the soul—producing, for example, intellectual deterioration—can never be emphasized enough.

 This is a vast battlefield for confessors, spiritual directors, parents, teachers, educators, and apostles: “Be watchful! Be alert!…” —especially since we do not know “when the time will come.”

According to the Fathers of the Church, it is Jesus Who “leaves home” to ascend into Heaven, and it is us whom He  orders to be on the watch. Our foremost obligation is toward ourselves. Prayer will avail us nothing if we do not avoid the occasions that can lead us to evil. Additionally, each of us, in our occupations, is responsible for others: employers for employees, parents for children, teachers for pupils, etc.

Pastors are represented in the figure of the gatekeeper, which also symbolizes our duty to keep custody of our hearts.

It is not only in this passage that Jesus repeats, in an imperative manner, His counsel of vigilance. The Divine Master insists on this point in various passages throughout the four Gospels. Here, concretely, the circumstances are  described with variety, and in a metaphorical sense. The important point is not to be caught sleeping in the event of an unforeseen visit.

This warning is based on reality. In sinning, the human creature does not receive an immediate chastisement. Thus, the sin is gradually transformed into a habit, and finally becomes an inveterate vice. Out of a need to rationalize his actions, to quell his own conscience, the individual ends up attributing to God the relativistic judgement that he has fabricated to justify himself.

Although Jesus knows, and even hates, the sin of each one of His brothers, He remains silent out of love for their salvation, to grant them further opportunities to amend their lives. Now, without vigilance, this regeneration process is impossible. Jesus must not “find you sleeping,” that is, made tepid by vice…

Thus ends Mark’s chapter 13. The chapter following it will begin the description of the Passion.

In this verse, we see the universal character of Jesus’ counsels concerning the supreme importance of vigilance, not only in view of the end of the world, but also of our individual ends. We will all die; at what moment, we do not know. Let us be watchful! On that day, we will meet Jesus; it will be our particular judgement. It will not be the only one, for He wishes to give the verdict a public and social character, and this requires a second Judgement.

III – Conclusion

In our egoism, we tend to place ourselves at the centre of our attention and concerns, but our Christian life is essentially social: “Love one another” (Jn 13:34; 15:12; 15:17); or: “He who loves his neighbour has fulfilled the Law” (Rom 13:8). Jesus weighs our acts in light of our mercy toward our neighbour; that is, He judges us by a social criterion.