To watch Fr. Joe’s homily for the First Sunday in Advent: CLICK HERE!
Did you know the reason that we have four weeks for the Advent Season? It was determined by psychologists a long time ago that four weeks is the perfect amount of time for gift buying, card sending, parties, and going into debt – prior to Christmas. Not really…
Advent is many things. Advent reminds us of:
- the waiting of humanity for a Savior…
- the birth of Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God…
- promises kept…
Advent can also be a reminder that Christ will come again, at a time and day we do not know — as we heard in past weeks.
In Luke’s Gospel, we find Jesus instructing the disciples to prepare themselves and those who come after for a long season of Advent. That time will precede the return of Christ.
Pope Francis had a pretty good insight into Christ’s coming when he shared this week, “the Church invites us to ask ourselves what state do I want the Lord to find me in when he calls… What would I like to fix in my life because it does not work? What would I like to sustain or develop because it is good? Pray for wisdom,” concluded the Pope.
The words of St. Paul, are also directed to us, the Christians of today: “May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you. May that love strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus.”
Being and becoming a faithful disciple of Jesus, isn’t magic… there is work, effort to be made throughout our life…
My first thought, as I read Paul’s words about increasing and abounding in love for one another was, “What is abounding?”
The message really was: SLOW DOWN…
- Slow down when the light turns yellow…
- Slow down when driving…
- Slow down to see the beauty around us…
- Slow down to hear others, to hear God…
- Slow down to show love to family, friends, strangers…
- Slow down to see God working in and through your life…
Pope Francis asked us to pray for wisdom, may we also pray that we will allow Christ to come into our hearts and homes and lives a bit more this Advent and Christmas Season; through our actions and interactions of love with everyone.