First Sunday of Advent B

The speaker begins by emphasizing the importance of the first Sunday of Advent as a new beginning in the liturgical year. They encourage listeners to prepare themselves to encounter Jesus through the Word by quieting themselves and inviting the Holy Spirit to bring the Word to life. The Gospel passage from Mark is read, which speaks about being watchful and alert for the coming of the Lord. The speaker reflects on the meaning of the passage and encourages listeners to consider their relationship with God and whether they approach Him with fear or joyful anticipation. The importance of sanctifying the imagination and being open to the work of the Holy Spirit is emphasized. The speaker invites listeners to meditate on the Gospel passage and have a conversation with Jesus about its impact. They conclude by encouraging listeners to internalize the word and allow it to grow within them throughout the day. Greetings friends, what a joy to share the Gospel. This first Sunday of Advent brings us a new beginning, the first day of a new liturgical year. To prepare ourselves to encounter Jesus present to us now through the Word, let's take a moment to quiet ourselves. If you will, take a deep breath slowly in and slowly out. Come Lord Jesus, allow your Holy Spirit to bring your Word to life in me. May I hear your voice, Good Shepherd. We begin our prayer with the Gospel by reading the passage so as to become familiar with it and to begin to touch the movement of the Holy Spirit mediated through it. On this first Sunday of Advent in year B, we read from Mark's Gospel, chapter 13, verses 33 through 37. Jesus said to his disciples, Be watchful, be alert. You do not know when the time will come. It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his own work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch. Watch therefore, you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening or at midnight or at cockcrow or in the morning. May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. But I say to you, I say to all, watch. The passage we just shared is taken from what is known as Mark's Little Apocalypse because of its language and the images that cause reflection on the end of time and on the judgment of God on the world and his people. The word apocalypse comes from two Greek words meaning to unveil or to reveal. Jesus seeks to unveil for us, to reveal to us the present saving action of God. God is near us in this moment now. I wonder, does the approach of God cause me fear or is it the source of joyful anticipation? In listening to the word proclaimed a second time, let me encourage all of us, allow Jesus mediated through this word to reveal to you your relationship with God. Ask, do I fear God because I know myself to be living far from his will for me? Or am I eager, always eager for a new and deeper, more intimate encounter with God in my life because I know his love and good plan for me? Once again, we open ourselves to the word as we read Mark 13 verses 33 through 37. Jesus said to his disciples, be watchful, be alert. You do not know when the time will come. It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his own work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch. Watch, therefore, you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening or at midnight or at cock crow or in the morning. May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all, watch. We come now to the second step of our prayer, which is meditation. Here we pause to ponder and reflect on what has stood out to us, that word, phrase, or image from the gospel that speaks most powerfully to us. For me, I am struck particularly by the imperative from Jesus, be alert. I've shared with you before an insightful phrase from a friend of mine, insisting that the true aim of our spiritual life is the sanctification of the imagination. The spiritual life is meant to make our imagination alert, aware of God moving and acting in our world, in our personal lives. This is certainly true of the church's liturgical season of Advent. This is what that imperative, be alert, reminds me of so powerfully. Through Advent, the church desires to sanctify, to renew and enlighten our imaginations to the always coming of Jesus to us. Jesus desires to spark our minds and hearts with new light, new insight, to fill them, if you will, with rich color like the bright lights from our Christmas trees, to fan into flame intense anticipation, almost painful longing, like that child waiting for Christmas morning, to enkindle deep desire for the presence of Jesus with us in friendship, like that desire of a lover for the beloved. O come, Lord Jesus, come quickly, sanctify my imagination, that I might see you more brilliantly, anticipate you more eagerly, desire you more deeply. Friends, this sanctification of the imagination is the work, not of frenetic energy on our part, but it is a work of the Holy Spirit acting in us. Let the Spirit act through the words of this gospel, yield to the Spirit in the word now. So I invite you again to continue to sit with this gospel passage. What does it do within you? What is it saying to you? Talk to Jesus in prayer about what His word is doing in you now. Before leaving prayer, be sure to intentionally place the word you have received deep in your spirit where the Lord might bring it growth throughout this day. And friends, it is a joy to share the gospel with you. Amen. Amen.