Today Sunday Reading Reflection: During this season of Advent we prepare ourselves to receive the God man, Jesus. Surprisingly today’s Gospel does not speak about this coming of the saviour into the world. Rather it is full of warnings about the end times and about being prepared and remain ready for them. However, we need to remember that the celebration of Christmas is not as it can easily become just a nostalgic recalling of what happened in Bethlehem more than 2,000 years ago. The whole purpose of the celebration is to remind us of what this birth is ultimately about. It is not a question of looking back but one of looking forward. It is a question of being ready and prepared and at the same time live in hope to receive the Lord. In fact, this coming is not just at the moment of Final Judgment. We must note that the Final Judgment is not so much a day when all will be gathered together but rather it is that moment when each one of us is called to come face to face with God. When Jesus speaks of two men in the fields where one is taken and the other left or two women at the same millstone grinding where one is taken and one is left, he tells us to stay awake and watchful because we do not know the day when the Master is coming. That applies just as much to any of the tragedies in the world as we have been experiencing in the recent past. There is absolutely no one to whom this warning does not apply. During this season of Advent we are all called on and exhorted by the church to prepare ourselves and commemorate worthily the first coming of our brother and savior. If we do this every year and permit the spirit of Christmas enter into the innermost being, and then we welcome the babe of Bethlehem into our lives with a clean and sincere and grateful heart. This will help us to remain in close contact with the Lord and our present lives will be sanctified. God indeed cares for our welfare and he wants us to enter deeply into his mystery. In the Gospel Jesus himself reminds us of the judgment and that we should not be found wanting. Those who are loyal to him and ready to serve will always enter into the heavenly realm. Those who are worthy of him will be taken into his kingdom. This is the spirit of advent for us.
Posted on: Sun, 01 Dec 2013 17:19:18 +0000
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