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FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT Here am I, the servant of the Lord: let it be done to me according to your word. On this fourth Sunday of Advent, the scripture readings are alive with excitement about the Saviour who is coming. The spotlight is focused on Mary because no one can help us to understand the meaning of Christmas better than Mary. The visitation to her cousin Elizabeth is a story of faith, friendship and human love. What a warm welcome the unborn Christ child received at Elizabeth’s home! Mary revealed how all Christians are to await Christ. She was carrying him as a gift to a world in need and we are to do likewise. We are signs of His presence when we give ourselves to others and what better time to do so than at Christmas when many people feel like outsiders. Let’s not forget Jesus’ humble origins, born into our world of pain and sorrow, in a stable on the very bottom rung of the social ladder. All our celebrations are an empty sham if Jesus is not born into our hearts. Good things need to be done at a deeper level out of love, affection and a spirit of generosity. The gifts that we give have no purpose unless God is part of the giving and we make Christmas a pattern to be followed in everyday living. One sure way of offering the perfect Christmas gift is saying to God as Mary did “Here I am Lord, I’ve come to do your will”. |
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THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; he has sent me to bring good news to the poor. There is no mistaking the theme which rings out loud and clear in today’s liturgy – it’s a message of hope and rejoicing. The dawn is beginning to break and the Lord is very near, closer to us than we realize. Christ’s nearness is the strength which touches all our lives for he is now working with us and in us. This call to rejoice, lift up our hearts and be happy, presents us with a challenge and requires some soul-searching in the face of the problems confronting us at any given moment. Christian joy does not come from the absence of sorrow, pain or trouble, but from an awareness of the presence of Christ within our souls. How are we to attain this spiritual joy which should be rightfully ours? We ask the same question as John was asked by the people. He replies in uncompromising language that the secret is to commit ourselves to God’s way and in so doing find our peace. Happiness comes from doing good, being honourable and showing concern for those in need. If the Gospel is Good News, could this conclusion be reached from the expression on our faces? The test of Christianity in troubled waters is not to be over-alarmed at what is happening, but to face the world with hope and confidence. The purpose of our whole being is happiness. |
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SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths: all flesh shall see the salvation of God. If Christmas is going to be a deeply religious experience and not just a pagan festival of merriment, the holy season of Advent must be taken seriously and not robbed of its meaning. The days leading up to the celebration of Christ’s birth are meant to be a time of hope and renewal. The Lord is close at hand, but his presence cannot be felt in our lives unless we open our hearts fully and make room for him through prayer and repentance. John the Baptist gives us some down to earth advice on how to smooth a pathway for Christ to come into our lives. Among the valleys to be filled in, are, no doubt, the many gaping sins of omission, our neglect of family and neighbours, those wasted opportunities in life for helping others and for soul-making. The mountains of our pride can only be levelled out by the daily practice of the virtue of humility. If we are to make a clear pathway for God to come into our hearts we have to turn away from sin, resolve to conduct ourselves better and humbly ask Jesus to give us his light instead. There are pockets of silence every day; moments when we are alone and can turn to God in silent prayer. Time spent in prayer helps us to acknowledge our failings and gives us great courage in grappling with the shadowy side of life. Through prayer we come to know God and enjoy the blessings that he wants to pour out upon us. This Advent let us ask the Spirit to lead us by prayer and repentance through that doorway. Then on his arrival we will be found without stain of sin and at peace. |
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FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT Show us your steadfast love, O lord, and grant us your salvation. The first Sunday of Advent is with us again, a curtain raiser, ushering in the new year of the Church. The season has a twofold character. It is a preparation for celebrating Christ’s birth among us and a reminder of his second coming in glory, at the end of time. During the run–up to Christmas we can benefit from giving some consideration to who we are, what we are doing with our lives and how we are approaching the one great test that really matters, our personal meeting with the Lord on judgement day. During Advent the Church makes an appeal for an improvement in our lives and for a new depth of sincerity to our religion. It calls on us to make a fresh start at building a closer relationship with Christ. Prayer, penance and works of mercy are necessary preparations for the coming of the Lord. It provides an opportunity to look around at what needs to be put right, to see how we have failed, and to assess the ways in which we can do better. Whatever our past, God is only too willing to look lovingly upon us. His arms are always outstretched to welcome us home. Advent is above all a time to deepen our friendship with God by thinking of his great love for us in sending his Son as our Saviour. |
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SOLEMNITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David; blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Today the Church year draws to a close on a sombre note with a gospel scene from Good Friday. Christ is a spiritual leader who rules by truth and love. He is out to touch the hearts and minds of all people and claim their souls for God. His mission on earth is to unfold a vision of this new world, to announce the Good News that God counts us as family, regards us as his children and in return seeks our allegiance. Jesus is calling us to rise above the basic instincts of selfishness, bitterness and pride and to pledge our lives in his service, because it is God’s world although we might not think so now. The effort involved in rising above a worldly level of behaviour does not come easily and brings us no end of trouble and frustration. Today’s feast calls us to make room for Christ in our hearts by imitating his life however imperfectly. |