Community Word: The coming of Jesus Christ brings joy and hope in our lives.

Order: “Make your hearts firm…the coming of the Lord is at hand.”(Ja 5:8b)

Reflection:
Advent is the season before Christmas when we devote time to examine ourselves, do spiritual reflection and prayer. It is a time of meditation to help us acknowledge the darkness and hardship in the world and in our lives, the realization that while we are in darkness, we have hope in the light that Christ brings to the world. As we prepare and open our hearts for the coming of the Lord, we experience the joy and excitement of waiting – The coming of Jesus Christ brings joy and hope in our lives.

The season does not only allow us to recall the birth of Christ in Bethlehem, but it also reminds us that we are in the period of waiting for His return in glory. During this time, our attention will be drawn towards the materials things – decorations, buying gifts, attending parties and scheduling vacations, but the Lord’s order for the month exhorts us to “Make your hearts firm…the coming of the Lord is at hand.” (Ja 5:8b). In our spiritual preparation, we are cautioned to “Be on guard, keep awake…” (Mk 13:33), for we do not want our God, who infinitely loves us, to find us “sleeping” unprepared when He comes.

The season of Advent and Christmas brings the following themes to reflect on:

The theme for the 1st Sunday of Advent is: There is joy and hope in our lives when we grow in holiness. Perhaps in our past, we experienced weakness, wickedness and woundedness that led us to doubt if there would still be hope to be holy. But the truth is that holiness is not something that we do or accomplish. It is first and foremost what God does in us, and then our response to His love and grace that He pours into our lives. It is allowing the love of God to take root in our heart and be able to experience fullness of life in return. For as the book of Psalms declares – “…those who love you prosper,” (Ps 122:6). Holiness becomes a reality when we allow God’s divine love to strengthen our heart to please Him in all things.

For the 2nd Sunday of Advent, the theme is: There is joy and hope in our lives when we truly repent. In the Sunday gospel, we witness God meeting His people through John the Baptist in the wilderness. Today, the same God meets us in the wasteland of our sinful hearts. We are called to a renewal of our lives by repenting of our transgressions. Repentance is more than a reluctant confession of past wrongdoing. It is a new way of thinking, a change in attitude and way of life, trusting that the Holy Spirit that descended upon Jesus will truly transform us. This gives us the hope of peace that Christ brings to the destitute, lost and broken, like many of us as we claim His promise: “He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; the lives of the poor he shall save,” (Ps 72:13).

For the 3rd Sunday of Advent, the theme is: There is joy and hope in our lives when we serve the needs of the poor. One of the best ways to prepare for Christmas is to be attentive to the needs of the poor and the marginalized. They are the needy, those living on the edge of survival and the uncared members of society to whom we can give live-saving and life-enhancing gifts of love, compassion and care. Christmas could be the saddest time of the year for the hungry, oppressed and lonely people, unless we become the realization of the promise of the Lord for this week: “The Lord God keeps faith forever, secures justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry…sets captives free,” (Ps 146:6-7). Reaching out to them will strengthen their faith and hope in the coming of Jesus into their lives.

The theme for the 4th Sunday of Advent,There is joy and hope in our lives when we are obedient to God’s plan and direction, brings to mind Mary, the mother of Jesus. The Blessed Mother is the best model of humility and obedience. Despite the daunting reality that confronted her, she completely yielded to the angel’s message as she declared: “I am the Lord’s servant… may it be to me as you have said,” (Lk 1:38). She accepted everything that God asked of her with deep trust, love and fidelity. Mary is indeed blessed in becoming the Mother of God and is more so in her unconditional obedience to the Divine will. As we become like Mary in following God, we too will receive this promise: “He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, a reward from God his savior,” (Ps 24:5).

Lastly, the theme for the Feast of the Holy Family is:There is joy and hope in our lives when we entrust our family to God’s care and protection. The gospel story ushers us to fully understand the mystery of the family of Jesus in Nazareth. Their daily life is similar to that of many families, life accompanied with problems and simple joys, but marked by unwavering faith and trust, with patience amidst adversity. The Holy Family helps us to rediscover the vocation of every family, to live life in harmony with all its members and in communion with the Lord. And to those families that manifest this, the Lord has a promise: “Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walk in his ways… for you shall be favored,” (Ps 128:1-2).When challenges arise, the Lord’s presence helps these families to endure.

Prayer
Lord, during this Advent season help me to see my sin and be aware of the many things that I do that keep me from You. Convict me to turn away from my wrongdoings wholeheartedly. Jesus, my Savior, come into my heart and fill me with your love and hope, peace and joy. By Your love, inspire me to care and serve those we meet by sharing our lives as Your gift to all people. Amen.