I wanted to share with you, a detail of this Sunday's Readings. It is the first Sunday of Advent. Advent derives from the Latin word, advenio, meaning "to come". It usually a period of meditation and preparation for the "coming" or birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God overthrows the thrones of those who are disobedient to His law. My political views are those of the Our Father.
-- St. Avitus of Vienna
The First Reading comes from Isaiah 2:1-5
The Second Reading comes from Romans 13:11-14
The Gospel comes from Matthew 24:37-44
I have realized that these verses were the perfect way to jump start this Advent season. As I read these verse, I realized that they are simple instructions in which we are to live our lives by. " That he may instruct us in his ways,
and we may walk in his paths.” By us stopping and listening to what God is instructing us to do (His ways) inturn we may walk in the illuminated path and that He has etched for us
In case you didn't understand it the first time, the second reading goes further into details... It is time to wake up and realize how important it is to live as disciples. We should "throw off the works of darkness". These works of darkness are the sins we have committed. We must remember that God does not out weigh any one sin - a sin is a sin... Whether it is drunkenness, drugs, lust, or jealously. The commencement of Advent is the perfect opportunity to repent and cleanse ourselves of the darkness we have embedded in our souls. After we have repented our sins, we are to "put Him on". As if it were an Armour of war - we have Him on all the time, (in our daily lives, in our hopes, in our dreams, in our souls) to help us fight the battles and avoid any further provisions of the flesh...
The Gospel took me back a little... I just wasn't sure why they would reference Noah. I had to seek guidance on this one... It was explained to me that during the time of Noah, everyone one was caught up in their everyday lives. They were too caught up in their everyday lives that they could not hear the voice of God. Noah and his family stopped and heard God speak and realized that there was more to live than the everyday earthly routine they had been succumbed to. They abided God's will and were saved along with the animals. Everyone else was washed away by the flood. So, there is two extremes: one in which we are sinning and the other in which we are just living the earthly life. Not paying attention to what God has been advising just going with the flow...
We have to "stay AWAKE". We need to be on our toes at all times. We can not let sin take control of our lives. If our Lord makes it His will to come again in judgment - where will you go. Will you be left here to face the reality of your wrongdoings or "taken" to the kingdom as explained in scripture. You will not have time to react or repent - it will just be.
Advent should be a time of self-revival, preparation, reconciliation and meditation of the "coming" of our Lord both in birth - as if He is being born within ourselves; and in the "coming" of our Lord on Judgment Day.
The Gospel reading tells us that our hope is realized only if we stay awake and alert to the activities of Christ. What are you despairing about? Despair and worry are merely an attempt by the devil to make you forget that Christ has already won the battle for you. If we stay alert to the presence of Christ, recognizing his authority and following his ways, we live in hope — not wishful thinking, but a hope that's based firmly on reality. (Terry Modica)
Advent Wreath: http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/Advent/wreath.htm
May God continue to bless you and yours during this joyous season.
Love, Your Sister In Christ,
Lisa
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