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<\/a><\/div>\nI remember when I was a young kid in Peru, there was a watchman at my house throughout the night. \u00a0He walked around the property all night, making sure no one broke into the property. \u00a0At daybreak he\u2019d approach my parent\u2019s bedroom window, report to my father and leave. \u00a0 We needed a watchman since the police could provide very little security in a city where crime and terrorism were gaining strength.<\/p>\n
I have oftentimes wondered how much this man longed for the morning to arrive. \u00a0He spent all night vigilant, watching and waiting. I am sure that the one thing he waited for with greatest anticipation was daybreak. \u00a0Just imagine how he waited for the first rays of sunlight. \u00a0The first signs of light meant he could return home to his family.<\/p>\n
As certain as daylight comes for the watchman, we know for certain that the Lord will come.<\/p>\n
And just as it would be absurd for the watchman to fear the arrival of daylight, it would be absurd for us to fear the arrival of Jesus Christ. \u00a0We must not wait in fear, but rather filled hope and anticipation.
\nThroughout history fear mongers have struck fear in people\u2019s hearts regarding the return of Jesus Christ, but Saint Paul invites us to wait patiently and with confidence: \u201cthe Lord is patient with you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance\u2026 conduct yourselves in holiness and devotion, waiting and hastening for the day of the Lord. \u00a0Be eager to be found without spot or blemish before Him, at peace.\u201d<\/p>\n
The day of the Lord, the coming of the Lord, is a moment of joy and fulfillment, not of fear and despair. \u00a0Every single one of our hopes and desires will be fulfilled on that day. \u00a0Isaiah writes that at the Lord\u2019s coming every valley will be filled in, every mountain made low and all rugged land be made plain. \u00a0In other words, at the Lord\u2019s coming, all things will be set aright and creation will be renewed. \u00a0Why fear this moment then? \u00a0The early Christians waited joyfully, and so must we.<\/p>\n
This season of Advent is a time of waiting and preparing for the remembrance of the Lord\u2019s first coming at Christmas, while at the same time, it\u2019s a time of waiting and preparing for the second coming of the Lord at the end of time. \u00a0Advent is about the two comings of Christ, the first which has already happened and the second one which has been promised.<\/p>\n
This season of \u00a0Advent is a time for us to renew the urgency of the Gospel and that there is no room for complacency.<\/p>\n
At every Mass, after the Our Father, we ask the Lord to grant us the grace to peacefully and joyfully wait for Jesus Christ, free from sin and all distress. \u00a0How do we achieve this? \u00a0How do we remain watchful and vigilant for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ, as vigilant and faithful as a watchman?<\/p>\n
First of all we remain watchful by following His law of charity: To love God with all our hearts and to love our neighbor as ourselves. \u00a0We must be witnesses of the love of Christ at all times in word and deed so will be found without spot or blemish.<\/p>\n
We remain watchful by seeking the Lord at all times with as much desire as the watchman waits for daybreak. \u00a0We must especially seek Him when we need His mercy as we prepare the way of the Lord within our very hearts: by going to confession, mending broken relationships, by seeking mercy and reconciliation.<\/p>\n
We remain vigilant by finding hope in all things and in all situations, even when things are difficult. \u00a0We remain watchful by keeping a hopeful expectation of the future, trusting that the Lord is with us and that He will deliver us from all distress.<\/p>\n
We remain vigilant by living every day as if it were our last, always ready to meet the Lord Jesus. \u00a0One day each one of us will take his or her last breath, so we must be prepared for that day. \u00a0 We must live at peace with all, live reconciled, especially with God.<\/p>\n
As we wait for his second coming the Lord strengthens us at every single Eucharist. \u00a0At Mass, the Lord comes to us by giving us his Body and blood\u2026 do we come each Sunday prepared and eager to receive Him? \u00a0He gives Himself as food for the journey as we move towards Him: He not only is the destination, He truly is the Way.<\/p>\n
In the Eucharist Jesus gives us a taste of things to come. \u00a0Let us ask Him to guide us this Advent season, that our hearts may be ready to receive Him at this Eucharist today, and most especially, that we will be prepared to receive him at His coming.<\/p>\n
Pictures are mine, all rights reserved.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I remember when I was a young kid in Peru, there was a watchman at my house throughout the night. \u00a0He walked around the property all night, making sure no one broke into the property. \u00a0At daybreak he\u2019d approach my parent\u2019s bedroom window, report to my father and leave. \u00a0 We needed a watchman since […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2533,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-90","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
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