RENEWsletter for November 29, 2009 - 1st Advent

Dear Renewed Friends--
Late on the night of November 17, just as the annual Leonid Meteor Shower was ending, a gigantic fireball lit up the skies of the western US. Something about the size of a refrigerator hit the atmosphere and exploded with the force of a thousand tons of TNT. Witnesses in Colorado, Utah, Idaho and elsewhere say the fireball "turned night into day" and "shook the ground" when it exploded just after midnight Mountain Standard Time. Researchers who are analyzing infrasound recordings of the blast say the fireball was probably a small asteroid, now scattered in fragments across the countryside. This was a small one and it broke up before it hit the ground, but a larger meteor, say 300 or more feet in diameter, could make it all the way through our thin sheet of air and do a lot of damage. If one of those guys ever sneaks up on us and impacts the Earth... well, the "powers of heaven will be shaken".

The readings for this coming 1st Sunday in Advent discuss what we can look forward to and how we should be acting in anticipation of Christ's return. They can be found on the web at: http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/112909.shtml, and in your Bible at:

Jeremiah 33.14-16
Psalm 25.4-5, 8-9, 10, 14
1 Thessalonians 3.12 - 4.2
Luke 21.25-28, 34-36

The prophet Jeremiah, in the First Reading, accentuates the positive. The LORD is going to fulfill his promises to Israel (Jer. 33.14). The one he's going to raise up will do what is right and just (v. 15). Finally, there will be peace (v. 16), not just in the Middle East, but worldwide. And the name of Jerusalem will be changed to "The LORD our justice". Something to look forward to, to be sure.

The psalmist David sings of this theme in the Responsorial Psalm. His refrain, "To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul" (Ps. 25.1), speaks of looking forward to something wonderful. With him, we can look forward to learning his ways, his truth (vs. 4, 5). Even though we are sinners, he guides us (vs. 8, 9). If we follow his guidance, we'll have his friendship (vs. 10, 14).

The Apostle Paul explains in the Second Reading what it means to follow the example of the Lord. He prays that God will cause us to increase abundantly in love, not only for our fellow believers, but for all the world, believers and non-believers alike (1 Thess 3.12). Love like this will strengthen our hearts and make us blameless before God when Christ returns (ch. 3, v. 13). Paul really feels strongly about this. He earnestly asks and exhorts us to keep loving (ch. 4, v. 1). And to keep doing even more and more of it.

In the Gospel Reading, the good Doctor Luke relates what Jesus has to say about his own return. "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars" and a "roaring of the sea and the waves" (Luke 21.25). An asteroid impact at sea would cause some roaring, I think. And if people knew it was coming, if they saw the powers of heaven being shaken, they could very well "die of fright" (v. 26). But when our hearts are filled with love, there is no room for fear. We'll see these events as a sign that the King is coming! (v. 27). And we will look up in anticipation of redemption (v. 28).

So what shall we do in the meantime? Run off to some mountain top and wait? Crawl into some hole and hide? Or, maybe just "poo-poo" the whole thing and go on grabbing everything in life that we can and serving ourselves. Well, Jesus warns us not to "become drowsy with carousing and drunkenness," which is a poor way to deal with anxiety (v. 34). The return of the King is not something to worry about, but to look forward to. If we don't look forward to it, it will catch us by surprise like the sudden springing of a trap (vs. 34, 35). And it's not something that any will be able to escape (v. 35).

There will always be trials and tribulations, but God will supply us with the strength and confidence we need to stand upright and smile when we are reunited with Jesus, our Savior, our King... our brother.

PS... For further reading about Near Earth Objects (NEOs) see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near-Earth_object - Wikipedia: Near-Earth Object
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/ - NASA: Near Earth Object Program

Randy Jones
"Those who cannot keep looking up will be caught by surprise!"