Word: God gave us Jesus Christ to be our way to salvation.
Order: “Be vigilant at all times and pray!”(Lk 21:36)
Reflection:
The month of December encompasses the 4 weeks of the Advent Season, a time meant to be spent in reflection and preparation for Christmas, the birthday of Jesus. To help us in this, the ECSL has discerned the Word for the BLD Community: “God gave us Jesus Christ to be our way to salvation”, with the corresponding order: “Be vigilant at all times and pray,” (Lk 21:36).
Advent is a season for prayer and a time for reforming our hearts. It invites us to make ready for the coming of Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of God’s promised Redeemer, the Holy One who will restore our inheritance of Eternal Life. The Church sees this time of year as a new beginning, a time to reexamine what has been, and to look towards our renewed response in our faith journey as a redeemed people of God.
These are the discerned weekly themes to help us do our Advent reflection during the month of December:
Our theme for the 1st Sunday of Advent is: We believe Jesus Christ is our way to salvation when we remain vigilant as we await His coming. In this Gospel, Jesus reminds His disciples to be ready for the coming of the Son of Man. “Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man,” (Luke 21). As Christian disciples, we too are exhorted to be alert and always prepared by soaking ourselves in God’s word. We need to pray unceasingly with an attitude of optimism and hope (Jeremiah 33), and with trust in the goodness and promises of the Lord (Psalm 25).
Our theme for the 2nd Sunday of Advent is: We believe Jesus Christ is our way to salvation when we repent of our wrongdoings and ask for forgiveness. Through prayer, let us ask the Lord to reveal to us, the many areas in our lives that may need to be renewed and transformed, as we sincerely seek forgiveness from Him, and from others whom we may have hurt, while releasing forgiveness ourselves to those who may have wronged us. This is what John the Baptist preached as he “went throughout the whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins…” (Luke 3).
On the 3rd Sunday of Advent, our theme is: We believe Jesus Christ is our way to salvation when we are filled with hope in Him and share our expectations with others. Through our word sharing circles, let us convey God’s message of hope and love, and actively offer help to our brothers and sisters who are lowly and burdened. In today’s Gospel, John the Baptist exhorts us, “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise,” (Luke 3). Let us take this Advent season as an opportune time to actively participate in our mission outreaches that we may bring hope and joy to our less fortunate brothers and sisters.
On the 4th Sunday of Advent, let us put to mind our theme: We believe Jesus Christ is our way to salvation when we accept and obey the will of God in our lives. It may be hard to be reflective about doing God’s will at this time of the year when our focus is more on partying and celebrating the holidays. Yet, we are asked to make this a time of renewal and rededication. Let us make this, then, our offering to the Lord – to really find time to reexamine our life and determine how we can do better as we await the Lord’s coming.
On the Feast of the Holy Family, our theme is: We believe Jesus Christ is our way to salvation when we allow Him to be at the center of our family life and activities. Let us make Advent a time of adventure for the whole family, with Jesus Christ at the center. Let us challenge ourselves to spend time and energy stepping out of our normal activities and together as a family, do something more positive, more caring and more Christ-like during this time of preparation, such as visiting the sick and the aged, or pooling our resources to provide for our brothers and sisters in prison.
Finally, let Advent be a period of expectation, anticipation, preparation, longing and hope for all of us.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, as we begin our preparation for the coming of Your Son, we ask that you ready our hearts as individuals and as one family, to receive Jesus. We are sorry if we have not always lived vigilant lives and for not always being ready for His coming. Instead we have immersed ourselves in the ways of this world. Continue to inspire and strengthen us so that Your light may shine in our lives this coming Christmas. We pray in the name of Jesus, Your Son, who has come but is coming again, and who reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, our one God, forever and ever. Amen.
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