Homily by Fr Mathew 1st Sunday of Advent

First Sunday of Advent – B

What Time It Is?
First Sunday of Advent, Year B 

Is. 63:16b-17; 1Cor 1:3-9; Mk 13:33-37 

On the 19^th of November, Fr John Peter and I were on a trip to Peru with the Gate 1 Travel company.We flew out from Miami and arrived in Lima at about 9. 30 pm.  At the airport in Lima, as we were coming out of the airport to meet our tour guide along with a few others on the same trip, there showed up a short man with a banner of the Gate one travel and greeted us. Then he said,  “You know Peru is 90%  Catholic. Throughout your stay in Peru, I want to tell you that  Jesus is going to be with you, walk with you, eat with you, talk to you and all you have to do is to follow Jesus. Jesus works for the Gate 1 travel company” Who would have thought that! And then he said, “Follow me; my name is Jesus Cardenas…”

This week we start the Advent season This is the First Sunday of Advent. The word “Advent” means ‘coming.’ Jesus is coming. Many of us are thinking of Christmas which is Jesus’ First coming. But none of the readings today mentions Jesus’ first coming.

Today’s gospel talks about some of the implications of Jesus’ Parousia (second coming).  One of them is waiting. Are we eagerly waiting for Jesus' second coming? During my trip to Peru, after spending a couple of days in Lima, we flew out from there to Cusco city. After eating our lunch, we went to visit a site where Incas ruled for many centuries before the Spanish invasion. We can still see some of the remains of Incas' civilization. As soon as we reached there, all of a sudden I got dizzy and  experienced shortness of breath. When I took a few steps which implied climbing, I found myself gasping for breath.

 I was so amazed that this happened to me because back home I was able to run and climb the hill adjacent to the Social Hall of the church. The next day I talked to the tour guide about my discomfort I had felt and expressed doubt about my ability to continue the trip. He tried to calm me down by saying that it was quite normal and what I was experiencing was because of the altitude. Cusco city is situated at 11000 feet above the sea level. It is said that we human beings can breathe normally in places which are at 7500 feet or below from the sea level. In places like Cusco, the level of oxygen was very low and that is why I was feeling the shortness of breath. We spent another six more days in places with an altitude of 13500 feet.  Even though I enjoyed the tour and I don’t regret about my decision,  to tell you the truth I was eagerly waiting for the day  to return to Lima where I could breathe normally.

This reminds me of the psalm 42 which says, “As the deer craves for the water brooks, so gasps my soul for You, O God.” Are we eagerly waiting for Jesus’ return? This can happen to us any moment at any time.

Therefore, we should be always on alert. We should be prepared. When this happens, how you would like to be found by Jesus? The answer to the question depends on our  response to the question “what time it is?"

In English language the word TIME has only limited meaning. On the other hand, the Greek language is very descriptive and expressive regarding the TIME as it has two words, Chronos and Kairos which explain the different dimensions of the Time. 

From “Chronos” originates the word Chronology in our English language. Our life is chronological. In a day we have 24 hours: we allocate different activities to different segments of the Time.  On a certain date we were born. We drink, eat, work, and watch TV and go to sports activates. These are all Chronos. In Chronos, I cannot remember what really happened on October 14, 1985 at 3.00 pm.

Kairos, on the other hand is, is God’s time. We know some of the events in our life are memorable and special. You remember the day you held your first child in ecstasy and committed yourself to raising your child in God’s way. You can still vividly remember the moment you decided to get married to your future husband or wife in a long term relationship.  You will never forget the day you reconciled to your enemy. You helped someone at a dire need and still those moments will never fade away. These events are Kairos or God’s time.

Our life is a mixture of chromos and Kairos. Chronos runs most of our life. However, if our life is full of CHRONOS-just eating, drinking, watching football, carousing and gossiping, it has no value in terms of our eternity.  We are like servants whose Master is away and he can return in any time. When he comes, let us be found as people who live by KAIROS.

In the first reading, Isiah warns that our actions are like rags.  That is why Paul talks about spiritual gifts in today’s second reading. Paul is asking us to use those gifts in an impeccable way. We can use them either to build the church or tear other people down. Make use of those gifts in a memorable way.  Convert them into God’s time (KAIROS) like a potter converts clay into beautiful vessels.

Christ is coming. We don’t know the time and the moment of his coming. How do we want to be found when he comes? We don’t want to be found like those people who eat, drink, watch football, criticize other people around us as if we are the only one who is perfect. As Christians, our task is make this life special for us and others.

In a nutshell, the message of Advent is this: “ be alert! Stay awake! Watch! For Christ is coming! Therefore let us know  the difference between clock time and God’s time and act up on it so that we will be found worthy and ready when he comes.