Come, Lord, Come! The First Sunday of Advent (Year C), December 1, 2024

The great prayer of Advent is a simple one: "Come, Lord, Come! It expresses our humility before God; we cannot save ourselves! It trusts in God's ability to save us. It places full faith and confidence that God, indeed, WILL save us! The pattern of crying out to God in our tribulations to come, then waiting for his coming, and finally experiencing his coming to save us is an old one, but it is especially present in the story of Jesus. His story of victory over the worst humanity could throw at him opens up our own story's end to be one of ultimate victory over evil and the forces of death and destruction. And so we yet pray:  Come, Lord, come!

Homily shared with the Saint Francis Catholic Community in Cuenca, Ecuador