First Sunday of Advent (A) 2022

INTRO: Have you ever been on a pilgrimage?

Pilgrimages are HOLY JOURNEY’S from beginning to end. It is at the end of the journey that is “possibly” most special and rewarding for the “pilgrims.”

The El Camino de Santiago is a famous “walking” pilgrimage in Europe beginning in France and ending at the Cathedral of Saint James in Spain. It takes about thirty days to end up in the HOLY PLACE which is the reward!

On this first Sunday of Advent, the Gospel proclaims our life is a PILGRIMAGE, obviously different than the European 30 day El Camino. Every day we walk with faith, hope, and love. We try our best each day to walk in Jesus’s image and likeness.
The Gospel writer knew something though. The Gospel writer knew that we FALL & MESS UP on our pilgrimage a few times or, many times.

We eat and drink in the wrong fashion.
We marry and falsely marry again.

These are “Gospel signs” of our sensual indulgence as we pilgrimage. That is why I said earlier the end of our journey may be rewarding for some but possibly not for some if we go off our pilgrimage and indulge.

One man will be taken, one will be left, Matthew says.
One woman will be taken, and one will be left!

Pleasure seeking is what the Gospel writer warns us about. This pleasure seeking takes us away from walking well on our holy pilgrimage, so much so, that we “fall asleep” in the Gospel writer’s words, and not entertain right ways of living on our pilgrimage and so fulfill what the Gospel writer warns …. Be prepared for at an hour you do not suspect the Son of Man will come! There will not be a reward if we are caught indulging.

CONCLUSION
The ADVENT season is a season for helping us remember the purpose of our pilgrimage and that is to gain eternal life. If we stop along the way and indulge, we might not make it to the end.

Let us be committed to walking well on our pilgrimage and make necessary changes if we are not doing so.

Happy Advent