psalm 122: gladness of being in community. 1st sunday advent A

Twice already this Sunday I have been reflecting with you on why the pilgrim is so glad at hearing the news that he is going to Jerusalem, why he is so glad upon entering and standing within the gates of Jerusalem.  First, he is glad because he is going to meet God who dwells among his people in the temple.  The temple is the house of God, where all Jews come to worship.  It is also there where the ark of the covenant, God's presence, is enthroned.  It is therefore a joy to worship in God's holy temple in Jerusalem.

Second, the pilgrim is glad because going to Jerusalem is not just going to God, he is also going to the place where the tribes of Israel go up to gather, he is to gather with his community, he is to gather with his people. 

And lastly the pilgrim is glad because he is going to Jerusalem where the judgement seats of the house of David are.  "According to the decree for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD.  In it are set up judgment seats, seats for the house of David."

Jerusalem is the city of David.  It is the seat of the house of David, the king is judge, he is the final arbiter and he makes peace, he dispenses justice, and he dispenses mercy.  But most of all attached to this seat of the house of David is the promised messiah.  The messiah will seat on the throne of David his father.  The messiah will be born through the descendants of David – and true enough he was born of Joseph and Mary both of whom are descendants of David of the tribe of Benjamin.  It is this same messiah who will become Emmanuel which means God is with us.  And this is what makes the pilgrim glad – he is standing on the very ground on which God has promised that he will dwell forever with his people.  And this will be fulfilled in the coming of Jesus.

Today we start the season of advent, the season that prepares us to celebrate the birth of Jesus and his coming again in glory.  We have lighted starting this morning's mass the first candle in our wreath to symbolize our longing for the Lord's coming and our anticipation of the coming feast.

Today we also celebrate the first day of our triduum in honor of our blessed Mother who was conceived without original sin so that her womb can be prepared to nurture the messiah who will be born through her – O Maria, sine labe originali concepta.

This week is also seminary week.  This is our fiesta week.  This is a week of gladness, a week of festivities.  We share in the gladness of that pilgrim singing Psalm 122 as he set foot on Jerusalem.  Our seminary too is an image of Jerusalem or at least we try to live up to the image of Jerusalem and what she has to offer to the world.  Like the pilgrim we are glad to be here because here in this seminary particularly in this chapel we meet God, we can commune with God, we are with God. 

Like the pilgrim we are also glad because here in the seminary we do not only commune with God but we are with our community, we are with our brothers, built as a city strongly compact, supported and supporting, sustained and sustaining. 

And finally like the pilgrim we are also glad because here too in this place is the promise – a very important promise of God, the promise that the messiah, God's presence in his people will continue through you his future priests.  Jesus said he will be with  his people always even until the end of time.  We are glad because you will be his future presence as his priests, through the mass you will celebrate in the future, through the sacrament of baptism by which you will make them children of God and temples, dwelling places of the Holy Spirit, through confession by which you will dispense God's mercy, justice and compassion.  We are glad indeed because of what many of you if not most will bring to the church of the future.