Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. – Romans 13:12
DO IT GOD'S WAY
Tom was a medical representative for a pharmaceutical company. In his province, it was standard procedure that med reps drank with doctors and gave them women. Being the rookie in the job, he was ashamed to decline, even if his conscience was telling him it was wrong.
So he went along and would drink only three bottles at the most. And
while his companions would take their bar girl to a motel, he’d just
chat with his the entire evening. But one day, he asked himself, “Am I
more concerned about losing my face over losing my soul?” So he went to
his boss and said, “Sir, I’ve decided I won’t be drinking and offering women to my clients anymore.” His boss was shocked. He asked, “Are you crazy? Why?” Tom said, “I’m a renewed Catholic. I can’t go against my faith.” The boss told him sternly, “Mark my words, you’ll lose your job.” Tom said, “Watch how God will work.”
The next day, Tom gave Kerygma magazines to the doctors. Then he gave them Didache and then Companion. He also worked doubly hard. In three months, Tom became the top-selling, top-performing med rep in the entire region.
It takes courage to go against the tide and stand up for what you
believe in. But in the end, God will reward you a thousand-fold. Bo Sanchez
First Sunday of Advent
1ST READING
All
Jews would try to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem at least once in their
lifetime. This would be an opportunity for them to visit the Temple and
make an offering. In the first millennium and beyond after Christ,
Jerusalem remained the focal point of Christian pilgrimage, hence the
Crusades. However, as important as it still is for its historical sites,
Catholics, in particular, tend to prefer Rome. Pilgrimages are
important in so far as they focus our attention on significant aspects
of our faith.
Isaiah 2:1-5
1 This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2 In
days to come, the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as
the highest mountain and raised above the hills. All nations shall
stream toward it; 3 many
peoples shall come and say: “Come, let us climb the Lord’s mountain, to
the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways, and
we may walk in his paths.” For from Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4 He
shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into
pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor
shall they train for war again. 5 O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!
P S A L M
Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R: Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
1 I rejoiced because they said to me, “We will go up to the house of the Lord.” 2 And now we have set foot within your gates, O Jerusalem. (R) 3 Jerusalem, built as a city with compact unity. 4 To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord. (R) According to the decree for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord. 5 In it are set up judgment seats, seats for the house of David. (R) 6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May those who love you prosper! 7 May peace be within your walls, prosperity in your buildings. (R) 8 Because of my brothers and friends I will say, “Peace be within you!” 9 Because of the house of the Lord, our God, I will pray for your good. (R)
2ND READING
One
of the clearest indications that someone or a movement is not moving
under the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit is if its practices are
not “in the light.” Transparency is an important quality of the Holy
Spirit. If someone has nothing to hide, he should be very transparent.
If something is hidden, there is immediate cause for doubts to set in.
Romans 13:11-14
11 Brothers and sisters: You know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; 12 the night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; 13 let
us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and
drunkenness, not in promiscuity and lust, not in rivalry and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.
GOSPEL
Jesus
will come again and when He does, no one will be able to hide from the
light of truth that will accompany Him. Our lives will be laid out
before us and we will have to give an account of everything we have said
and done. It is helpful to remember this so as to dissuade us from the
erroneous thought that “it is OK if I do not get caught!”
Matthew 24:37-44
37 Jesus said to his disciples: “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 In those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark. 39 They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left. 42 Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. 43 Be
sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night
when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his
house be broken into. 44 So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
REFLECTION
JESUS IS COMING AGAIN
One
of the changes I noticed in the Third Typical English Translation of
the Mass is that the prayer immediately following the Our Father
mentions that we are awaiting the “Blessed Hope,” which is the coming of
Jesus in glory. This hope in the Second Coming of Jesus was very
prominent in the Early Church and you can read it quite often in their
attitudes, to the point that it seems they thought that Christ would
come again in their lives. This is evident in 1 Thessalonians but,
interestingly enough, not in 2 Thessalonians. What happened?
We will not know what changed Paul’s mind in between the writing of
those two epistles, but maybe after the first flush of his conversion
he realized that Christ’s return may not be as soon as he first hoped or
thought. It is important,
however, that we do not allow apathy to take over and, thus, disregard
the hope of His coming again. The hope of Jesus’ return can be a big
motivating factor for us.
One of the biggest challenges the Church faces today is apathy, that
attitude or approach to the spiritual life that has lost any fervor or
desire to be fully involved in the life of the Church. This can be the
result of many factors that the Church needs to address if it is going
to turn the situation around, but turn it around it must, as the life of
the Church depends on all our involvement. It is also true that our
individual salvation depends on our involvement as, with James, we must
acknowledge that our faith is expressed in our works. Having faith means
being a disciple of Jesus and doing what He would do in our situations.
Let us never allow apathy to overcome us as we seek to give our best in
the service of the Gospel and the Church in making known the Good News
of salvation. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL
"Holy Spirit, open my heart to receive
the hope of the Second Coming of Jesus so that I will be more powerfully
motivated to serve Him and my neighbor through the way I live my life."
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