Daily Catholic Lectio
Sun, 1 December ‘24
First Sunday of Advent
Communio Sunday (India)
Jeremiah 33:14-16. 1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2. Luke 21:25-28, 34-36
To you I lift up my soul!
Today is the first Sunday of Advent. The first day of the new liturgical year. Today, the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCB) celebrates ‘Communio Sunday.’ The ‘Communio’ department, which operates with the tagline ‘Prayer-Solidarity-Mission’ supports the works of the Church. We are ‘communio.’ Today’s celebration invites us to extend our hands to one another, reminding us that ‘I am because we are.’
‘To you, Lord, I lift up my soul!’ (see. Psalm 25, Responsorial Psalm) – this is how David looks towards God. In this season of Advent, which prepares us for the great celebration of Christ’s birth, may our hearts be lifted towards the Lord!
The first candle we light today signifies ‘Hope.’ This day serves as preparation for the Jubilee year 2025, which we will soon embark on as ‘Pilgrims of Hope.’
During the Advent, our hearts are lifted towards the Lord in three stages: (a) with hearts full of gratitude and joy as we remember His first coming, (b) with eyes wide awake and attentive as we await His second coming, and (c) with love and sharing as we recognize His daily ‘coming’ in our daily lives and among people.
Among the prophetic books, only Jeremiah combines messages of destruction and consolation. God, through Jeremiah, offers comfort by saying, ‘I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David’ (see. Jer 33:14-16, first reading). On the day He establishes justice and righteousness in the land and grants freedom to Judah, Jerusalem will receive a new name: ‘Yahweh Tsidkenu’ (‘The Lord Our Righteousness’). The ‘Branch’ is a symbol for the Messiah (see. Zech 3:8). When Judah was ruled by King ‘Zedekiah’ (‘The Lord is Righteous,’ ‘The Lord is Justice’), the people of Israel were exiled to Babylon. The first justice (King Zedekiah) brought punishment to Jerusalem. The second justice (Tsidkenu) brings mercy. The hearts of the people of Israel, lifted towards their king, received punishment. A heart lifted towards the Lord receives mercy. ‘According to our Christian understanding, the ‘Branch of David’s Righteousness’ refers to Jesus. In Him, God’s justice is richly manifested in mercy. In all the encounters Jesus has with people like Zacchaeus, the sinful woman, the sick, and the hungry, justice flourishes in love,’ explains the Church Fathers.
The second reading is taken from Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians (see. 1 Thess 3:12-4:2). Paul preached in Thessalonica three times (three Sabbath days) (see. Acts 17:1). During those three days, he turned many people towards Christ. To prevent them from returning to their old lives, he meets them again and writes them letters (two). The overarching theme in these letters is the second coming of Christ. Paul and the church of that time believed that Christ’s coming was very near and would happen in their lifetime. In this context, Paul gives advice on preparing for His coming: ‘… when our Lord Jesus comes with all His holy ones, may He strengthen your hearts to be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father!’ The Lord who strengthens hearts, ‘may He increase and overflow your love for one another!’ Paul also wishes.
In the Gospel reading (see. Luke 21:25-28, 34-36), Jesus lists the changes that will occur in the sun, moon, stars, and heavenly bodies at the coming of the Son of Man, giving the urgent consolation that ‘your redemption is drawing near,’ and instructs, ‘Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with callousness, drunkenness, and the anxieties of life,’ ‘Be alert and pray that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.’ Callousness signifies ‘enjoyment,’ ‘drunkenness’ signifies ‘there is nothing left,’ and ‘anxiety’ signifies ‘it happened like this yesterday,’ all of which lead us to a state of dullness. ‘Snare’ is a symbol in the Bible for the schemes of the enemy or adversary. ‘Divine Will’ is a significant aspect of divine relationship in Luke’s Gospel. It is possible only in the state of alertness one possesses. In prayer, our hearts rise towards the Lord.
Thus, our hearts and Jerusalem must rise towards the justice the Lord provides, and the Church of Thessalonica must rise towards love, and we must rise towards salvation.
In the first week of Advent, what does the theme ‘My heart is lifted towards You’ convey to us? Today, numerous discussions, promotions, and threats regarding the second coming of the Lord and the end of the world surround us. The reality is that everything that begins will come to an end. Our hope is that everything will be fulfilled in Jesus, the goal of our movement. Waiting for what is to come warns us not to get lost in what is present. Furthermore, it is essential to sharpen our goals to only perform actions that qualify us to ‘stand before the Son of Man.’
What are the obstacles that prevent us from saying ‘My heart is lifted towards You’?
(a) Spiritual lethargy. The Lord says, ‘I wish you were either cold or hot,’ and He condemns ‘being lukewarm’ (see. Rev 3:16). We do not imagine spirituality beyond worship and external celebrations. If we can stand free from shame, fear, and guilt in our relationships with God, ourselves, and others, that is true spirituality. A rooted relationship with God moves us towards one another!
(b) Distractions. The internet and social media have become our present-day ‘carousing,’ ‘drunkenness,’ and ‘anxiety’ – because no matter how much we consume, we always want more, we think virtual reality is the truth, and we worry that we do not want others to see or want to see us – they have changed. Only when our eyes are lifted from these can our hearts rise towards the Lord.
(c) Fatigue from injustice. The injustices we face in our social, political, economic, religious, and occupational environments lead us to mental fatigue and despair, causing us to be unable to even look up. We fear that ‘The Lord is our Righteousness!’ may remain just a hope. The belief that the Lord will fulfil His promise removes our weariness.
Finally, as we step into the new liturgical year, may the first candle we light today shine brightly without extinguishing the ‘Hope!’ The refuge of our cry ‘My heart is lifted towards You’ is indeed ‘Hope.’
Today is the first day of the last month of the year. Throughout the 24 days of Advent, let us lift our hearts towards God in some way – through prayer, self-denial, sacrifice, and acts of love for others! He is our hope!
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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