Brothers and sisters, two isolated but related events stand out in today’s celebration. One is the beginning of the Church’s new year, and the other is the First Sunday of Advent. I said they are related because the First Sunday of Advent is also the first day of the Church’s New Year. As our lives unfold, Advent is a transitory period, a season of expectations. It’s a season that leads us to a time greater than itself, and we call that greater than itself “Christmas.” I didn’t plan to provide an elaborate explanation of the word “Advent” today, as the brief above had already highlighted it. However, although it is a transitional period, it holds great significance for all of us.
Proceeding with the other events of today, the Prophet Isaiah offers us a powerful invitation. He said: “Come, let us climb the Lord’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may instruct us in His ways, and we may walk in His paths” (Isaiah 2:3). As I had highlighted above about Advent, it is not simply a countdown to Christmas. Beyond counting down, it is a spiritual ascent toward the God who desires to teach, guide, and transform us. In a fast-paced and distracted world, as everywhere, especially in the United States, climbing God’s mountain can feel challenging. Yet Isaiah reminds us that the path up to the mountain comprises simple, faithful steps. We climb that mountain when we seek quiet from all the world’s distractions to hear God’s voice.
In addition to the above, we climb the Mountain of God when we pursue reconciliation and heal old wounds. We climb it when we choose compassion and justice for those in need, act with integrity in our daily decisions, and gather in worship, allowing God’s Word to shape our hearts. In line with those steps, today’s second reading from the letter to the Romans urges us to awaken. St. Paul told the Romans, as he is telling us today, “It is the hour now for you to awake from sleep” (13:11). And the gospel calls us to vigilance by insisting that we must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come (Matthew 24:44). Advent follows these paths to invite us to take action; not perfectly, but sincerely (honestly), trusting that every ascent we make brings us closer to the peace, hope, and light God longs to give us. We, therefore, pray that God may help us to accept Isaiah’s call with courage and joy, and walk faithfully in the Lord’s path during this season and in the days ahead. Amen!
