A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 9, n. 1)
1st Sunday of Advent, Year A – November 28, 2010 *
“Our Salvation Is Nearer”
BIBLE READINGS
Is 2:1-5 // Rom 13:11-14 // Mt 24:37-44
(N.B. Series 9 of BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD: A LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY LITURGY includes a prayerful study of the Sunday liturgy of Year A from the perspective of the Second Reading. For reflections on the Sunday liturgy of Year C based on the Gospel reading, please scroll up to the “ARCHIVES” above and open Series 3. For reflections based on the Old Testament reading, open Series 6.)
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS
The liturgical year has come full circle. And the loving God gives us yet another year of grace – filled with opportunities to welcome anew Christ’s manifold presence and “advent” in our life. During the Advent season which begins a new liturgical year, we celebrate the various “comings” of Christ: his historical coming in the flesh, his daily coming in the various events of our life, his coming at the hour of our death, and his glorious coming at the end of time.
In this Sunday’s Old Testament reading (Is 2:1-5), we have a vision of messianic peace. The Lord’s “advent” in salvation history is beautiful and heartening. It results in an enormous pilgrimage to Jerusalem, the recasting of weapons of war into farming implements, and universal reconciliation. James Weaver remarks: “A reign of peace is the predicted result of the nations’ reception of God’s instructions, walking in God’s ways, and submission to God’s judgment. Tools of war beaten into tools of farming depict a picture, difficult to imagine, in which the cultivation of the earth replaces violence and the threat of violence as the chief occupation of nations. In this reading, the condition of universal peace is universal submission to God.”
The Gospel reading (Mt 24:37-44) underlines Christ’s definitive coming at the end time, but we do not know when. Hence, there is urgent need for vigilant expectation and alert preparation. The authors of the Days of the Lord, vol. 1, assert: “Faith in the victorious redemption wrought by Christ also means that we look forward with renewed hope to that glorious epiphany of the Lord’s kingship upon his return … What counts is the manner in which we live our lives today, for it is how we live that determines how we hope.”
In the Second Reading (Rom 13:11-14), Saint Paul sounds an intense wake-up call: “It is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than we first believed; the night is advanced, the day is at hand.” The day of the Lord – of judgment - is approaching. Our salvation is nearer. Every moment brings us closer to it. Let us therefore act on our good intentions. It is time to “put on the armor of light”. Let us now “put on the Lord Jesus Christ”.
Harold Buetow explains: “Today’s second reading is a reminder to live in such a way that we will be ready for Christ’s coming – during our lives, and at the hour of our death, and at the end of the world … As we begin our preparation for the historical coming of Christ at Christmas, his mysterious comings during our lives and at the time of our death, and at the end of the world, let us sort out our priorities … Let us be responsive to God’s presence in our family, our parish, our community, our world, and in nature. If we do that, Jesus’ comings will take care of themselves.”
The following article written by a Poverello House staff illustrates the need to respond to the grace of salvation (cf. “The Limits of Expectation” in POVERELLO NEWS, April 2010, p. 3-4). Let us pray that we may have the grace to embrace salvation. Let us rejoice at the “advent” of the Lord Jesus who calls us to conversion and invites us to walk and live in his transforming light.
Recently a homeless man got drunk one night and decided to climb our fence, because, as he explained later, he hadn’t seen a “No Trespassing” sign. Our resident program security guards caught him and expelled him.
This in itself wasn’t an unusual incident, until we discovered the climber’s identity. A few years ago, he and his family were proud Poverello House donors. He was working and supporting his wife and children, and seemed to be living a normal, middle-class life.
We don’t exactly know what happened since that time. He said something about a divorce and medical expenses, but certainly his drinking played a major role in the downfall, also. So now, he drinks his pain and regret away daily, and depends on us to feed him. It’s one of the most tragic situations we’ve encountered here. (…)
Occasionally, someone surprises us with a story of redemption. Big T is someone we all knew from his years of living in the streets. He is handsome, friendly, intelligent, funny, and seemingly capable of being a success. Yet, he perpetually languished in a state of homelessness.
Big T wasn’t a “joiner”. He never seemed interested in our Resident Program, or in any other program. When we opened the Village of Hope, we asked him to try it out; he refused. He usually camped by himself, apparently not trusting others.
The years went by. Big T was arrested for some outstanding warrants. He spent time in jail, which seemed like it might be a wake-up call for him. Now in his fifties, he wasn’t prepared for the menacing young gang-bangers he encountered, and swore he’d change his ways when he got out.
However, his ways didn’t change. Still good with a hustle, still not committing to anyone or anything, he stayed homeless. It seemed such a waste.
Then, one day, someone asked, “Has anyone seen Big T recently?” No one had.
We hadn’t seen him because Big T had been going through some changes. Maybe he was just weary of street life; maybe the fear he felt in jail made him rethink where he was headed. Whatever the reason, Big T found a small church, and for the first time in many years, made some commitments. He committed himself to God and to his little church family; he found a job and a place to stay; finally, he got in touch with a long-estranged daughter and started his relationship over with her.
He dropped by Poverello House one day with all of this news. He looked great, and sounded wonderful. You just never know.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART
What does it mean for us personally “to walk in the light of the Lord”? Do we endeavor “to walk in the light of the Lord”?
Do we try to stay awake and prepare for the Lord’s coming? Are we ready to welcome him into our lives?
Do we believe that “our salvation is nearer”? Do we cast off deeds of darkness and strive to put on the armor of light? Do we strive “to put on our Lord Jesus Christ” and behave as one permeated by the divine light?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD
Leader: Loving God,
we thank you for giving us a vision of messianic peace.
We look forward to the gathering of nations on the holy mountain,
the transformation of weapons of war
into farming tools and instruments of life,
and the reconciliation of all peoples.
We pray for the advent of your kingdom upon earth.
In your Son Jesus Christ,
salvation has come.
In his paschal mystery of death and resurrection
is the radical advent of salvation.
The Risen Lord continues to come in our daily lives as our Savior.
He will come again at the end time
as our glorious Lord, the king of creation.
Help us to be sensitive and receptive to his manifold “comings”.
Teach us to put on our Lord Jesus Christ,
the true armor of light,
that we may fully appropriate your gift of salvation.
Let us always walk in the light
so that at the hour of our death,
your Son Jesus may bid us to be with him forever in Paradise.
With all those who long for the definitive advent
of the kingdom of love, justice and peace,
we proclaim,
“Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus, our transforming light!”
Assembly: “Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus, our transforming light!”
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the week. Please memorize it.
“Our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.” (cf. Rom 13:11b)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION
ACTION PLAN: Pray that the Advent season may impact positively the Christian worshipping community and enable them to open themselves more fully to the Lord’s manifold coming in their lives. By your kind words and charitable deeds, let the people experience that our salvation is nearer and that the kingdom of God is at hand.
ACTION PLAN: That we may experience more intensely the advent of God’s kingdom upon earth, make an effort to spend an hour in Eucharistic Adoration. Visit the PDDM WEB site (www.pddm.us) for the EUCHARISTIC ADORATION THROUGH THE LITURGICAL YEAR: A Weekly Pastoral Tool (Year A, vol. 7, # 1).
Prepared by Sr. Mary Margaret Tapang PDDM
PIAE DISCIPULAE DIVINI MAGISTRI
SISTER DISCIPLES OF THE DIVINE MASTER
60 Sunset Ave., Staten Island, NY 10314
Tel. (718) 494-8597 // (718) 761-2323
Website: WWW.PDDM.US