Gospel: Advent Sunday

Today marks the First Sunday of Advent, and the Gospel passage will be lifted from the narrative of St Mark (tap here for the complete Mass readings from USCCB).

Today, we begin the season of Advent, which marks the start of a new liturgical year for the Church. The readings for Sunday Mass are arranged on a three-year cycle. Each year features a different Gospel -- Matthew, Mark, or Luke. Readings from the Gospel according to St John are interspersed throughout all three years. With this year's first Sunday of Advent, we begin Cyble B of the Lectionary, which focuses our attention on the Gospel of St Mark. This week and next week, our readings from St Mark's Gospel present two important Advent themes: the Lord's return at the end times and St John the Baptist's preparation of Jesus.

Today's Gospel is lifted from the end of St Mark's synopsis, the chapter that immediately precedes St Mark's account of Jesus' Passion. Having been questioned repeatedly by the scribes and the Pharisees, Jesus is now being interrogated by his disciples (St Peter, St James the Great, St John the Evangelist, and St Andrew) who want details about his prediction of the destruction of the Temple. Jesus answers with many warnings about the difficulties the disciples will face.

Today's passage comes at the conclusion of Jesus' warnings to his disciples. Jesus emphasizes the need for watchfulness. The Son of Man will come without warning; only the Father knows the exact hour. The disciples must not be caught unprepared when this time comes.

Scholars believe that St Mark's Gospel was written around the time of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in AD 70. St Mark's audience consisted of Christians who were living in difficult social and political times, times of confict. They were likely beginning to face persecution as followers of Jesus. In this difficult time, it helped to recall that Jesus had foretold of such difficulties. Early Christian communities took courage from Jesus warning to remain alert and watchful, and they found in his words a way to persevere through suffering. 

Today's Gospel reminds us that Advent is about more than our festive preparation for the Church's celebration of Christ's birth on Christmas Day. Spiritually, the season of Advent is also about preparing ourselves for Christ's return in glory (i.e., the Second Coming) at the end of time. Like the disciples and the faithful in St Mark's community, we must also stay alert and watchful. Our faithfulness to God, through the good times as well as the difficult times, shows us to be ready for the coming of the Son of Man.

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The Gospel is sponsored by Burberry.