1st Sunday of Advent (Cycle A, Year II)
Community Word: A joyful spiritual preparation brings Jesus to birth in our lives.
Theme: We bring Jesus to birth in our life when we prepare for His coming with vigilance.
Promise: “Those who love you prosper.” (Ps 122:6)
Reflection:
Are you ready for a new beginning in your life? Are you ready to move forward into the blessings God has for you?
In order for you to do this, you have to be willing to let go of your old ways. The things that are behind you are not as important as what lies ahead of you. It’s time to get ready for the “new”!
Advent is the best time to look at the quality of our life – our personal life, our dealings with others, our commitment to our family and spouse, and at the great issues concerning community. How preoccupied are we with our daily lives that we hardly think about God or the future? Advent is the perfect time to renew ourselves in grace – a time to get a new, wider vision; a fresher outlook, and rise up with a new attitude. Instead of settling where you are, pick yourself up and move forward. Instead of allowing unpleasant things that happened in the past hold you back, why not let go and take a step of faith into the new?
Start the practice of gathering the family together in prayer, revive old friendships, restore broken connections and try to heal some family disagreement. We can fill that empty space in our hearts with Jesus, as we cling to His faithful promises. Let us not allow ourselves to be so absorbed in the noise and challenges of life, we no longer have any space for God in our lives. Just as there is no limit to the mercy that God can pour out, there is no limit to what we can do, especially this Advent. The transforming power of the Christmas mystery is found not in the changes that happen on the outside but in the transformation within us.
“Be constantly on the watch! Stay awake!” (Mt 24:42). God’s word resounds in a special way to bring us into deeper reflections on Christ, the Holy Spirit and God the Father. Be attentive to the inner promptings of the heart, the gentle pressures that move us to perform a good deed. Advent is a time to open ourselves more and more to the action of God in our lives. God is always present, trying to turn us little by little into loving persons. Let us remain spiritually awake at all times because His second coming can happen at any time. The best way to prepare for the future is to live the present moment as best we can. God is especially present whenever we reach out to others in love and whenever we make a gesture of genuine love, only then we can experience God.
The commercial countdown to Christmas begins when the Church calls us to a period of deep reflection and spiritual preparation for the birth of Jesus. Christmas brings to mind powerful memories, feelings and hope in all of us. It speaks of yearnings within every person for home, family, friendship and peace. Year after year, we look to Christmas to fulfill those desires. The letter of St. Paul to the Romans in the 2nd reading says: “cast off the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light,” (Rom 13:12).
Prayer:
Our all-powerful God, thank You for Your word this first Sunday of Advent. Am I really prepared for a new beginning? Give us the wisdom to realize the importance of living a good life now so that when we do meet You, we will do so with confidence, courage and strength. Increase our will for doing good that You may find in us an eager welcome when You call us to Your side at Your second coming. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
1.Are we willing to cast off the deeds of darkness? Are we willing to match the preparations we make on the outside
over the next four weeks with a similar preparation on the inside?
2.What are we ready to give up to bring about Christ’s birth in our soul?Reflection Questions:
This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
December 1, 2013 (Sun) Is 2:1-5/Ps 122:1-9/Rom 13:11-14/Mt 24:37-44
December 2, 2013 (Mon) Is 4:2-6/Ps 122:1-9/Mt 8:5-11
December 3, 2013 (Tues) Is 11:1-10/Ps 72:1,7,8,12,13,17/Lk 10:21-24
December 4, 2013 (Wed) Is 25:6-10/Ps 23:1-6/Mt 15:29-37
December 5, 2013 (Thur) Is 26:1-6/Ps 118:8,9,19-21,25-27/Mt 7:21,24-27
December 6, 2013 (Fri) Is 29:17-24/Ps27:1,4,13,4/Mt 9:27-31
December 7, 2013 (Sat) Is 30:19-21,23-26/Ps 147:1,2,3,4,5,6/Mt 9:35-10:1,6,8
“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”
