This Sunday marks the beginning of a new liturgical year in the life of the Church, and the First Sunday of Advent. And today, Jesus has a stark warning for us, “Watch!” But what exactly is Jesus telling us to watch for? As Tony Crescio explains, Jesus is teaching us to be on the watch for His Advent, His arrival, which can be understood in three discrete ways. The rest of the readings, then, explain to us how it is that we ought to remain watchful and prepare for Jesus’ arrival.
Mass Readings
Reading 1: Isaiah 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 80: 2-3, 15-16, 18-19
Reading 2: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Gospel: Mark 13:33-37
Tony Crescio is the founder of FRESHImage Ministries. He holds an MTS from the University of Notre Dame and is currently a PhD candidate in Christian Theology at Saint Louis University. His research focuses on the intersection between moral and sacramental theology. His dissertation is entitled, Presencing the Divine: Augustine, the Eucharist and the Ethics of Exemplarity.
Tony’s academic publications can be found here.