Starting Afresh from Christ
November 30, 2009 by O'Meara Ferguson
Filed under Daniel Conway
From Dan Conway’s The Good Steward, December 2008
The Church’s year of grace begins with Advent and the opportunity to start afresh from Christ. As Christians, we are people who firmly believe that the promises of Christ will be fulfilled – both now and in the age to come. We are realistic about the state of humanity and the world. We do not expect Utopia, a perfect world here and now. Many regions of the world are not at peace; the global economy is in crisis, and the gap between rich and poor continues to increase dramatically. There is much discouraging news these days. But we do not despair. Each year, the Church gives us the opportunity to begin again – and to prepare ourselves anew for the coming of our friend and brother, Jesus Christ. We believe that the promises God made to his people in the Old Testament have been fulfilled in Christ. The reign of God has begun; the new age that is Christ is upon us; and, so, we are profoundly hopeful about the future. As we pray each day in the liturgy, we Christians wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ!
The four Sundays of Advent help us to start afresh from Christ. This Advent season, the Old Testament readings from Isaiah recall for us the profound longing of the Jewish people. Like us, they longed for peace and for justice; they longed for prosperity and joy; and they longed for the One who would save them from the bondage of slavery and sin. The words of St. Paul and St. James to the original Christian communities rekindle in us the heartfelt longing for Christ’s return that so vividly characterized the early Church. And in the Gospel readings for this holy season, St. Matthew invites us, once again, to a personal encounter with Jesus, the Lord of history and the Savior of all humanity.
Beginning again in Christ means entering into communion with him and with all our sisters and brothers in the one family of God. It means sharing in his evangelizing mission and proclaiming the Good News through our words and our example …
