First Sunday of Advent: Parousia - Nativity Juxtaposition with ἀγρυπνέω(agrupneo) and γρηγορέω(gregoreo)

Happy New Liturgical Year!

The first Sunday of Advent marks a new beginning – the beginning of a new liturgical year. This first Sunday of a liturgical year also set the tone not only for the entire Advent season but for the entire liturgical year, which concludes with the week of the Solemnity of Christ the King of the Universe.  It is because the Gospel readings for the First Sunday of Advent (the First Sunday of a liturgical year), Matthew 24:37-44(A); Mark 13:33-37(B); Luke 21:25-28, 34-36(C), are all about our preparedness for the Parousia.  

Parousia?  That is a theme for the closing of a liturgical year to prepare ourselves for the Solemnity of Christ the King of the Universe.  Certainly, these First Advent Sunday readings are also fitting to prepare for the return of Christ, echoed in Revelation 19:11-16, upon enduring the tribulations (Revelation 6 – 16).  But you may wonder why we read the Gospel texts for the preparation for the Parousia, as we prepare ourselves for the Nativity of Christ in “ἀνάμνησις (anamnesis)”?

There is a juxtaposition between how we prepare ourselves in celebrating the Nativity of Christ and how we prepare ourselves for the Parousia.  What is common to these two: preparation to celebrate the Nativity of Christ (Christmas) and preparation for the Parousia (returning of Christ) is expressed in these Greek words: ἀγρυπνέω(agrupneo) and γρηγορέω(gregoreo).  These verbs are basically indicating to be alert and to be vigilant.  Agrupneo (a = not + hypnos = sleep) literally means not asleep and found in Mark 13:33 on Cycle B and Luke 21:36 on Cycle C. On the other hand, gregoreo is used in Matthew 24:43 and 44 on Cycle A and literally means to be in the state of awaken, as it stems from ἐγείρω(egeiro), which means to wake up or to rise up.  These Greek words to indicate alertness and vigilance to characterize how we prepare ourselves for the Prousia also reflect the state of those who witnessed the Nativity of Christ about 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem.

When Christ was born, both Mary and Joseph were awake in that predawn time. Then, shepherd who stayed awake in guarding sheep throughout that night were called to witness the birth of Christ (Luke 2:8-20), while the rest of the world at that time was asleep, not noticing how the Nativity of Christ took place.

What we learn from the above-mentioned Gospel readings for the First Sundays of Advent of all liturgical cycles (A, B, C) to prepare to celebrate the Nativity is also to stay alert and vigilant as the shepherd, who witnessed the Nativity.  Remaining as alert and vigilant as the shepherd on night watch, who witnessed the Nativity about 2,000 years ago, is what we need not to miss the return of Christ.

Christ – the Messiah has come in the human flesh of Jesus, died, risen, and gone up to the Father in heaven.  The gate of heaven has been open ever since. In the meantime, he continues to be with us as the Father has sent the Holy Spirit, another Parakletos in his name (John 14:16) and through the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, as he promised in Matthew 28:20.  And, he is coming again to judge the living and the dead, ushering the faithful, whose names are in the Book of Life into heaven, upon the judgement, and to close the gate for good.

After all, our life as baptized and confirmed Christians is ultimately to face the return of Christ in the state of grace. As we profess in the Apostle’s Creed and the Nicene Creed, Christ will return to judge the living and the dead before ushering us into the Kingdom (Revelation 20:11-15; Acts 10:42; 2 Timothy 4:1-2;1 Peter 4:1-8), we must remain prepared and ready to face the Parousia as Jesus has taught in Matthew 25.  In fact, we, as the Church, must be stand ready for the Parousia by making ourselves as worthy to be Christ’s bride (Revelation 19:6-9). It means that we, as the Church, ensure that we are as pure as a virgin bride in the eyes of God at a time of the Parousia.  To be as spiritually pure as a virgin worthy to be Christ’s bride at the eschaton, we must become and remain in the state of grace.  

We begin a liturgical year with the Advent season to remind ourselves of our need to be prepared for the coming of Christ, remaining alert and vigilant. We also end the liturgical year with the week of the solemnity of Christ the King, again, with alertness and vigilance. As we remain alert and vigilant, we make better efforts to keep us in the state of grace, upon our penance and reconciliation.  With this alertness and vigilance, we can better focus on Christ, who is the reason not only for the Advent season but for the entire liturgical year, rather than being affected by what the world tries to influence us.

With our alertness and vigilance, we make sure that  worldly “Xmas” things will not make us drowsy.  As Paul has encouraged us in Romans 12:2, let us not become conformed to the world, which makes us asleep with materialism and consumerism, keeping us away from the one has come, is with us, and is coming. The worldly “Xmas” temps us with the disguise of “gifts” during this Advent season.  Remember, the shepherd, who were alert and vigilant, were present at the scene of the Nativity with the gift of their presence. So, why don’t we bring the same birthday present – our genuine presence – to Christ on his birthday?  Let us distance from the worldly noise of commercialism, which tries to tarnish the Advent-Christmas season with materialism and consumerism.  Let our faith keep us from falling drowsy with “Xmas” commercialism, as the faith helps us to stay alert and vigilant.

Nobody knows the hour and the day of his return. But, perhaps, Christ will come from the east (Matthew 24:27), as he is also known as the sun of righteousness (Malachi 4:2).  The sky will be darken as the sun will no longer shine when his coming is imminent (Matthew 24:29//Mark 13:24; Revelation 6:12), as to remind that it was also dark when Christ was born. It is because there is no need for the sun to shine when Christ returns as written in Revelation 21:23.