The Lord, Our Justice

Homily for the First Sunday of Advent

Today is the first day of the new liturgical year for the Church. We are entering the Season of Advent, a time of preparation for Christmas. The word Advent comes from the Latin word “adventus” which means “arrival”. The Romans used this word to signify the ceremony of an Emperor’s first arrival at a city. Indeed, the season of Advent is a matter of preparing for the birth of the Christ, the promised one.

However, for us there are really three advents. Advent helps us remember the historical event of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. Advent also asks us to focus on the arrival of Christ in our own lives. For instance, every time we receive the Eucharist we welcome the arrival of Christ in our personal life. Finally, we also look to the future, to the second coming, in anticipation of his return.

There are those who reduce Jesus to a person who is similar to the heroes of mythology. They try to paint Jesus as a latter-day Hercules or Odysseus. However, the historical fact of the birth of Jesus cannot be denied as it is recorded not only in the Gospels but in the official records of Rome. Pontius Pilate even submitted a physical description of Jesus to the Emperor. Consequently, our advent must focus our attention on the real person of Jesus which we refer to as the mystery of the “Incarnation.”

Advent is characterized by several different words. We think of this season as a season of hope, of light, of joy, and anticipation. All of these words illustrate the spiritual movement of the weeks we spend preparing for this solemnity. However, there is another word that underlies all these terms and is highlighted in our first reading today: justice.

Justice might not be the first word that comes to mind as we prepare our hearts to celebrate the Nativity of Jesus. Oftentimes, we think of justice in its legal sense. We think of right and wrong or fairness. When someone says that they want justice, they are usually referring to the fact that they wish a wrong to be righted.

God’s sense of justice is far deeper than that. It is about the proper state of things in the world, about the order that God used in creation, about our relationship to other created realities as well as our relationship to our Creator. This is what Jeremiah prophesies in today’s first reading. The redemption that awaited God’s people was not just about being saved. It was about bringing forth God’s order in the world. God’s way is justice, and it is authentic.

Jeremiah foretold the first or the historical coming of the Christ. Our Gospel for this day addresses the second coming of Christ, and it contains admonitions to keep our hearts alert and free from vice. Jesus asks us to be vigilant and attentive to the world around us and the signs of his return. We are to stand erect and raise our heads as we realize that our redemption is at hand.

Each season of Advent is a time to prepare for our own journey to Bethlehem and to await the return of the Son of Man. A favorite hymn of mine asks the question: “How far to Bethlehem?” It also answers that question: “Not very far.” We can arrive at Bethlehem if during Advent we take a serious look at our lives and consider how we can grow closer to God. Some prepare by dedicating a specific time each day for prayer. Some look to repair relationships in their lives by reconnecting with a loved one. Some look at advent as a time to start a new act of service. Others will look to addressing a perceived wrong and attempting to find a way to set it right. Advent is different for every person. However, the foundation of every preparation must include a sense of God’s justice, and attempt to pursue righteousness in our lives. The term “righteousness” sometimes gets a bad rap. We are not talking about self-righteousness. We are talking about making sure that our relationship to one another and to God is a right relationship, that it sets our lives in order. To paraphrase the words of Jeremiah, “In those days we shall be safe and we will realize that God has fulfilled the promises that were made to our ancestors. In those days we shall dwell secure for we shall realize that God is our justice.