As we end 2024 and begin 2025 my prayer for each of you is the words from the First Reading on New Year's Day from the Mass. 

The LORD bless you and keep you!  
The LORD let his face shine upon      
you, and be gracious to you!  
The LORD look upon you kindly and      
give you peace!

This is my prayer for each of you that the Lord will be the center of your lives and that he keep and bless you abundantly throughout the New Year. Without him we are nothing. With him we are on the right track to fulfill our destiny, to be one with God forever in glory. Happy New Year !

“To harbor no envy, no anger, no resentment against an offender is still not to have charity for him. It is possible, without any charity, to avoid rendering evil for evil. But to render, spontaneously, good for evil -- such belongs to a perfect spiritual love.” St. Maximus the Confessor (580-662)

 

It is possible for a person not to harbor envy, anger and resentment against another out of a human decision of goodness. But Jesus commands us to go beyond human goodness. He calls us to transform our human decision by choosing to love the person, wishing the best for that person. What is the best? It is for the offender to come to a decision of conversion of heart, by God’s grace, and repent and be saved. Not only do we not want to lose our eternal salvation by harboring these evils, but we want the other person’s eternal salvation as well. So, we choose to love. This was the message of the early Christians whose love was so explicitly obvious in the face of persecution leading to martyrdom. It was their love that touched the hearts of many of the spectators. What they saw, they wanted.

" St John says in the Gospel that: “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.... The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world” (1:4-5, 9). Men speak much of light, but they often prefer the deceptive tranquility of darkness. We speak a lot about peace, but we often turn to war or choose the complicity of silence, or to do nothing concrete to build peace. In fact St John says that “He came to his own home, and his own people received him not” (Jn 1:11); for “this is the judgment, that the light — Jesus — has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed” (Jn 3:19-20). This is what St John says in the Gospel. The heart of man may reject the light and prefer the shadows, because light lays bare his evil deeds. Those who do evil hate light. Those who do evil hate peace." Pope Francis

As we celebrate the Feast of St. John the Apostle, the above quote gives us time to pause and reflect. To what extent in our lives do we love the darkness rather than the light? Every time we sin seriously, we reject the light of grace and choose the darkness of evil. Once we repent and reject sin, we allow the light of grace to once more overcome the darkness of alienation. The more we live in the light of Christ, the less will the darkness of sin overcome us. Then there are times we live in the light of dusk, which means we toil with sin, rather than live in the dawn of the new light, where sin will  have no control over us.  Live in the light and live in the glory of God now and forever. 

" There is only one God, brethren, and we earn about him only from sacred Scripture. It is therefore our duty to become acquainted with what Scripture proclaims and to investigate its teachings thoroughly. We should believe them in the sense that the Father wills, thinking of the Son in the way the Father wills, and accepting the teaching he wills to give us with regard to the Holy Spirit. Sacred Scripture is God's gift to us and it should be understood in the way that he intends: we should not do violence to it by interpreting it according to our own preconceived ideas." St. Hippolytus

How important it is that we regularly read and reflect of God's word! Some say that it is difficult to understand what they read. Pray for God's wisdom when we read and reflect on the Sacred writings. There is much wealth in the word of God that is given to us to lift us up, to deepen our relationship with God, to show us the path to holiness, to point out our sins, and to direct our thoughts to what is good, pleasing and perfect according to God's will. If you are looking for a Christmas gift back to Jesus for all he has given and done for you, give him the decision to read and reflect on the scriptures more. It is his word to us. In accepting it and applying it will be our response to him.

 

The Father loved us by sending his Son.

The Son loved us by becoming Man.

The Spirit loved us by overshadowing Mary.

God did all this to share his life with us,

   even before we have responded.

In love let us cry out, Come Jesus, be born anew in us.

 

Merry Christmas!

 "Those who let their appetites take hold of them suffer torture and affliction like an enemy held prisoner." Saint John of the Cross

The O Antiphon for today is: "O Key of David, opening the gates of God's eternal kingdom, come and free the prisoners of darkness." If we are looking to welcome Christ in a fresh new way as he comes to us in the present moment, we need to walk in the light and not in the darkness of sin. Heed the word of St. John the Baptizer, "Repent! Open your lives to the Messiah who is in our midst." While darkness is the absence of light, the light can overcome the darkness. The darkness of sin prevents the light of grace to transform us. But repentance opens the door for the light to come. Come, Lord Jesus, come!

" O Root of Jesse’s stem, sign of God’s love for all his people: come to save us without delay!"

I like St.John of the Cross' refection on this O Antiphon. "What we need most in order to make progress is to be silent before this great God with our appetite and with our tongue, for the language he best hears is silent love. Jesus came to the world in the silence of the night and will continue to come to those are await him in the silence of love and adoration. The busy world did not receive him, only those, like Mary and Joseph, who longed for him in silent prayer. Come, Lord Jesus, come!

 

Homily Fourth Sunday of Advent Year C     

 

Reading 1: The prophet Micah centuries before the birth of Messiah prophesied that he would be born in Bethlehem. This was in keeping with the prophetic word before him, which said that the Messiah would be from the house/clan of Judah. Bethlehem was insignificant among the towns in Judah in size. However, it’s fame was the town which David the King had come from. Again the connection to the prophetic word of God, the Messiah will be of the house of David, of the house of Jesse, of the clan of Judah.

 

Micah further specifies two qualities of the Messiah in relationship to David. Like David he will be a king and like David he will be a shepherd caring for the flock of the Lord. The Messiah will be able to accomplish all because his strength is in the Lord. As a result, he shall bring peace to the earth.

 

This prophetic word was fulfilled by Jesus, who was born in Bethlehem and who said he was the Good Shepherd, whose kingdom is not of this world. The text from Micah was the text that the priests told Herod , when he inquired where the Messiah was to be born.

 

Gospel: Mary had experienced the appearance of an angel, who told her that though insignificant in the eyes of the world had been chosen to be the Mother of the Messiah. He told her that she would conceive the Son of the Most High by the power of the Holy Spirit. This Son would save his people from their sins. Mary without understanding his message submitted herself to God’s plan.

 

Mary was also told of another work of God. Her cousin, Elizabeth, who in her old age as conceived a son. Mary, not thinking about herself hastened to care for Elizabeth. Zachariah and Elizabeth were both insignificant in the eyes of the world. Yet the child to be born would be the greatest of all prophets before Jesus.

 

Elizabeth, by the power of the Holy Spirit confirms for Mary the message that the angel had revealed to Mary. She also confirmed that the child conceived by Mary was the Lord. Elizabeth’s prophetic word concluded with the confirmation of Mary’s decision to submit herself to fulfill the word of God to her.

 

In the eyes of the world, each of us is insignificant. Yet, God has done great and mighty things for us. Mary’s response was obedience to the plan of God. Elizabeth’s response was rejoicing in the Spirit for what God has done in her and in Mary. From them we learn what our response should be to all that God does in our lives.  We are called not only to say “Thy will be done” but to do the will of God consciously each day. We are called not only to recognize what God is doing, but to praise God privately and publically, proclaiming his mighty deeds of mercy and love.

 

Reading 2: Jesus made the hallmark of his mission on earth that of doing the will of the Father, even to become a sacrifice for our sake. “By this will” we have been consecrated through the offering of the body of Jesus once for all. The sin of Adam and Eve was choosing not to do the will of God, not to submit themselves to the plan of God, not to be dependent on God, but to seek to be equal to God. Jesus, in his humanity, came to rectify what was done by the sin of Adam and Eve. He did this by choosing to embrace the will of God even to death by crucifixion.

 

 

 

 

 "It is noteworthy that even though God has knowledge and understanding of all, and even sees the very thoughts of the soul, as Moses asserts [Dt 31:21], it is said when he provides a remedy for us in our needs that he sees them, and when he answers our prayers that he hears them. Not all needs and petitions reach the point at which God, in hearing, grants them. They must wait until in his eyes they arrive at the suitable time, season, and number, and then it is said that he sees and hears them." Saint John of the Cross

The O Antiphon for second day of our Christmas novena is: “O Adonai and Ruler the house of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the flame of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai: come, and redeem us with outstretched arms.”  In this prayer we recognize God as our Lord and Savior. As he redeemed us after a long time between the fall of Adam and Eve until the coming of the Savior, he doesn't always answer our prayers quickly. He delayed his redemption to show us how much he loved us in spite of of our sinfulness. So, if he delays in answering our prayers, it may be to show us his love in spite of our not understanding his ways.

 "Wisdom enters through love, silence, and mortification. It is great wisdom to know how to be silent and to look at neither the remarks, nor the deeds, nor the lives of others." Saint John of the Cross

As we begin our Christmas Novena, the Church has celebrated these days with what is known as the O Antiphons.  These recognize various titles of Christ in preparation of his coming. Today, it is Christ, our Wisdom. From him we learn in a personal way the love of the Father and the will of the Father for each of us. The scriptures tell us that authentic awe of God is the beginning of wisdom. This means that the more we praise the Lord for who he is, the more open we will be to know the mind of the Lord for us. "O Wisdom of our God Most High, guiding creation with power and love, come to teach  us the path of knowledge!"

 "And this is clearly the reason: you first loved us so that we might love you--not because you needed our love, but because we could not be what you created us to be, except by loving you." William of St. Thierry

God called us into existence, so that we could share in his divine life eternally. Since God's life is one of mutual love, the only way we could share in his life is by living also a life of love. To do this, God first loved us. not because we were deserving of his love, but because of who he is. Thus, the commandment of Jesus is that love God with our whole being and love others as he has loved us. Advent is another grace-time to respond and grow in this call of God to love. If we want to receive Christ in a fresh new way this Christmas, then prepare a place in our hearts with acts of intentional love for God and others. And he will come.

 
"The liturgy of Advent...helps us to understand fully the value and meaning of the mystery of Christmas. It is not just about commemorating the historical event, which occurred some 2,000 years ago in a little village of Judea. Instead, it is necessary to understand that the whole of our life must be an 'advent,' a vigilant awaiting of the final coming of Christ. To predispose our mind to welcome the Lord who, as we say in the creed, one day will come to judge the living and the dead, we must learn to recognize him as present in the events of daily life. Therefore, Advent is, so to speak, an intense training that directs us decisively toward him who already came, who will come, and who comes continuously." St John Paul II

For most of us, Advent is a time to buy gifts for Christmas, put up festive lights, celebrate Christmas and then move on in our life. We are not that conscious of Christ's coming in the present moment of each of our lives and thus we are not preparing for his final coming in time for each of us. We miss the graces of his different comings in the present moments of our lives. We are too busy with life that we fail to recognized Life when he comes to us.  Only an attentive heart that is longing for Jesus will become sensitive to his presence. Mary Magdalene was searching for the body of Jesus at the empty tomb. Jesus comes to her as the Risen Lord, not a dead corpse. When  he speaks her name, she recognized that it was the Lord. That recognition resulted from her seeking him in love. Seek the Lord in love. Long for the Lord in love, so that your spiritual eyes may be able to recognize him in the present moment. 

 "Next  to that which directly concerns God, nothing is more precious for truly enlightened piety than that which concerns the honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Here we encounter all that exists in a son towards his mother. And what a Mother! To us she gave her Son, the world's life and salvation she engendered all of us spiritually at the foot of the Cross through the pangs of the passion and death of the God-Man, the blessed fruit of her womb. She is rightly called the new Eve of the human race." St Eugene de Mazenod

On this Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, we thank God for all that he has done in her life and even today through her. Mary's various apparitions reminds us of the same message. Jesus is the Savior of the world. She calls us to repent and encounter her Son in a fresh new way, so that her Son may accomplish in us what he truly desires, union with him. Mary is the one who proclaims to us today: "Prepare the way of the Lord." He came in the flesh through Mary as his Mother. Now, he comes in spirit and in sacramental signs to prepare us for his final coming in glory. If we receive him now as he comes, hopefully, we will receive him then, in his final coming, the most important encounter. Come, Lord Jesus, come!

 

Homily Third Sunday of Advent Year C

 

Reading 1: What is the cause or reason for rejoicing? The prophet Zephaniah gives two reasons why they should rejoice. One, God has removed his judgment against the people of Israel, namely their sinfulness and consequent punishment of exile. Their time of mourning and shame is to come to an end. Secondly, the Lord is in their midst. In spite of the fact that the people had abandoned the way of the Lord, God had not abandoned them.  As a result, they were no longer to fear or become discouraged by their situation in exile. The prophet also gives them a promise. The Lord will renew them in his love.

 

To shout with joy, to rejoice in the midst of struggles and difficulties, tragedies and major disappointments is not easy. In fact, it goes against real feelings and perceptions. But it can be our attitude, if we recognize what God has and is doing and desires to do in and for us. Joy can be in us, if we realize that God is with us, even when we don’t see or feel him.

 

Is it possible that we have forgotten the good news, namely, the promise that Jesus has made? He said that he would be with us always. There may be at times a lack of inner joy in our lives because we focus on externals and not internals. If we are living in relationship with God, sharing in his life, is he not present within us? Is that a reason for joy? That he has forgiven our many sins and taken away our shame and guilt, is this not a reason for rejoicing? Like the Israelites, we have to be reminded again and again of the deeds and promises of God for us. We are called not to deny our past life of sin, but to embrace the present grace of God.

 

Reading 2: Paul is also a prophet of the Lord. He reminds us that we are not just to rejoice but to rejoice in the Lord, not occasionally, but always. Our joy, he says, should be obvious to others, for we are aware that the Lord is near as far as his second coming. But more importantly he is in us and with us in his present coming.

 

If we are conscious of the Lord’s presence and love is there room for anxiety? Instead of being anxious over things we have no control over, Paul urges us to pray to the Lord in thanksgiving. In another words, offer our anxieties to the Lord. If we follow this pattern, then the peace that surpasses all understanding will be present in our hearts. In either case, rejoicing in the Lord or becoming overwhelmed by anxieties is a choice that I make.

 

Gospel: The people who came to John at the Jordan and were asking to be baptized, were instructed by John to show their repentance by their way of life. They were expecting the Messiah. They wanted to prepare for his coming. But they wanted to know what more should they do to prepare for him. John basically said to act in a truly loving way to others, sharing with them, treating them justly and rightly with respect.

 

John reminded them that the One who is to come will baptize them with the Holy Spirit and fire. This is what Jesus said to the Apostles on the Day of the Ascension: “You will be baptized with the Holy Spirit….You will receive power to witness to others.” This is what happened on the Day of Pentecost. The Spirit came upon them and tongues of fire hovered over them. Jesus was the Lord of their lives. They rejoiced in him and followed the lead of the Spirit in preaching God’s love and plan to others.

 

We can become so off focus during this season that we miss the point of it. We can become overwhelmed and caught up with the details of the pre-Christmas season that we missed the person, Jesus. Is there a joy or excitement in our hearts? Is the reason for that excitement and joy Jesus? The celebration of his birth? Like the people in today’s Gospel, we should be asking what more can we do to prepare for his coming? Will we cleanse our hearts of sin? Will we desire him to come more fully into our lives and be the Lord of them? Will we recognize him in one another? Will love or obligation be the reason we do for others?

 

Let the Lord be the reason of our joy as we invite him more fully into our lives.  Come, Lord Jesus, come!

 "God, who is faithful, put himself in our debt, not by receiving anything but by promising so much....He promised eternal salvation, everlasting happiness with the angels, an immortal inheritance, endless glory, the joyful vision of his face, his holy dwelling in heaven, and after resurrection from the dead no further fear of dying., This is as it were his final promise, the goal of all our striving. When we reach it, we shall ask for nothing more." (St. Augustine)

How great is our God! We deserve none of these promises. They are beyond our reach on our own. But out of his abundant, unconditional love, God wanted more for us than mere human existence. He wanted us to experience and share in his own divine life and glory. Even when we sinned, he would not allow that to be a lasting bearer, unless that is our last choice of will. Knowing these graced promises, how should we respond? Surrender ourselves into the plan and will of God. He loves us and waits for our love gift by which we acknowledge his promises and choose to receive them from his hands. We allow him to transform us without any resistance, step by step, until the promises are fulfilled. Come, Lord Jesus, come.

 Third Sunday of Advent Gospel C

At that time, the crowds asked John the Baptist, “What should we do?”

· Some of them had already repented and were baptized. Now they where asking for the more. This should be our question as well, as we prepare for the continuing and final coming of Jesus. This was the question of the rich young man to Jesus. Unfortunately, asking isn’t enough. We have to act on the answer.

 He said to them in reply, “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none.  And whoever has food should do likewise.” 

· John called them (and us) to examine our true needs and to share with those who have less.  It is not enough to do the minimum, namely repentance and forgiveness, but we must be willing to follow the call to love through providing for the needs of others whenever possible.  Will not this be the issue at the Last Judgment when God will say: “What you did or did not do to the least you did or did not for me?”

Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He answered them, “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.” Soldiers also asked him, “And what is it that we should do?” He told them, “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.” 

· How fairly and justly do we treat others?  Ask this question within the context of being judged by God one day.

· Again, it is not enough to ask, if we are not determined to act accordingly.

Now the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ. John answered them all, saying, “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” Exhorting them in many other ways, he preached good news to the people.

· John quickly distinguishes himself from the true Messiah who is to come.

· The baptism that the Messiah will proclaim will be greater than the one John preached. The latter was a preparation of the former.

· John considers himself, in comparison, as less than a servant. For a servant would be the one who unties the straps of the master’s sandals.

· The Messiah will come as judge separating the good and the bad.

· How do we apply this text in our lives today?

· Have we been baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire? Are we living out of that context in our daily lives? Are we zealot for the kingdom of God under the lead of the Holy Spirit?

· How attentive are we to our own baptismal life and the grace of Confirmation? To what extent do we witness these graces in our lives to others?

 "God walks into your soul with silent step. God comes to you more than you go to Him. Never will his coming be what you expect, and yet never will it disappoint. The more you respond to his gentle pressure, the greater will be your freedom." Venerable Fulton Sheen

As the Christ child came into the world without much fanfare, in the silent of the night, while the world was asleep, so Christ comes to us.  It is hard to perceive his presence, except through faith. Mary and Joseph and the shepherds saw a new born child with their natural eyes, but saw in faith the Messiah of the world. How often he comes to us in the same way. We see bead and wine but receive Jesus. We hear words from the Scriptures, we heed the voice of the Lord. In the silence of our hearts, Jesus speaks the language of love and peace. The more we are attentive to this different comings of the Lord to us, the more his life will transform ours.  Come, Lord Jesus, come.

 
"Open to the Spirit, Mary consecrated herself totally as lowly handmaid to the person and work of the Savior. She received Christ in order to share Him with all the world whose hope He is. In her, we recognize the model of the Church's faith and our own.." St. Eugene de Mazenod

As we celebrate Mary's Immaculate Conception, we can understand why the Angel greeted her the way he did. "Hail, full of grace. The Lord is with you." He was attesting to the great grace, privilege God had already given Mary. In lieu of Jesus' death and resurrection, Mary received the grace of salvation, freeing her from the sin of Adam and Eve. From her first moment of existence she was full of grace, sharing in God's life. This special grace was given to Mary so that she could later conceive the Son of the Most High by the power of the Holy Spirit. As her Immaculate Conception is a mystery, so is her vocation as the Mother of the Son of God in flesh. In honoring Mary, we are honoring God for his marvelous plan.

 "Insignificant man, escape from your everyday business for a short while, hide for a moment from your restless thoughts. Break off from your cares and troubles and be less concerned about your tasks and labors. Make a little time for God and rest a while in him." (St. Anselm)

Even in our business and in the complications of our daily life, we need to take time to seek the Lord. If we hope to spend eternity with God, how can that be unless we learn to spend time with him in this life. Even though our daily tasks are important, will they matter in the end? What will God ask of us when our time to depart from this life comes? Who was I to you? Did you seek me? Did you spend time with me? If I was not that important to you then, why should you be important to me now? Spending time with the Lord now is not a luxury, but a necessity, not an option, but a priority.

 "The liturgy of Advent...helps us to understand fully the value and meaning of the mystery of Christmas. It is not just about commemorating the historical event, which occurred some 2000 years ago in a little village of Judea. Instead, it is necessary to understand that the whole of our life must be an "advent,' a vigilant awaiting of the final coming of Christ. To predispose our mind to welcome the Lord who, as we say in the Creed, one day will come to judge the living and the dead, we must learn to recognize him as present in the events of daily life. Therefore, Advent is so to speak, an intense training that directs us decisively toward him who already came, who will come, and who comes continuously" (St. John Paul II)

We know in faith that Jesus is coming again in glory,  but do we know this in lived reality? What does that mean? When one expects another to come, the person  is always in a state of readiness for that coming. When we expect a guest to come to dinner, we prepare everything before hand and we anticipate the person's coming. How attentive are we to the Lord's coming in the present moments of life? How attentive are we, not in fear or anxiety, but in love and hope for his final coming to us? His coming is a certainty. The timing is not known to us, so that we can truly be ready to receive and welcome him when he does come. But what we do know is that while we wait we are given time to repent of our sins and live a life worthy of our calling. In that way, when he comes, he will find us ready to receive him. Come, Lord Jesus, come!

Advent wreath prayer for Second Week

Father in heaven, set our hearts ablaze to follow in the steps of John the Baptist. May we bring light and love to all we meet, that the darkness of sin and fear may be overcome. In Christ's name we ask this.  Amen

 "We know that there are three comings of the Lord. The third lies between the other two. It is invisible, while the other two are visible. In the first coming he was seen on earth, dwelling among men; he himself testifies that they saw him and hated him. In the final coming 'all flesh will see the salvation of our God, and they will look on him whom they pierced.' The intermediate coming is a hidden one; in it only the elect see the Lord within their own selves, and they are saved. In his first coming our Lord came in our flesh and in our weakness; in this middle coming he comes in spirit and in power; in the final coming he will be seen in glory and majesty." (St. Bernard)

How attentive are we of his present coming? Only those with a keen eye of faith can appreciate this invisible coming of the Lord. As St. Paul says, "we live by faith and not by sight." He comes today in his Word, which we hear, receive and respond to in faith. He comes to us in the Eucharist though we see bread and wine. He comes to us in the silence ;of prayer. He comes to us in one another, especially in those who are sharing in his divine life. Remember his first coming with gratitude. Prepare for his second coming with longing expectation. Connect the two by living a life worthy of your calling as his adopted sons and daughters. Then the first will have meaning and the third will be an eternal blessing.

 Second Sunday of Advent: Gospel C

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert.

· Luke sets the ministry of John the Baptist (and of Jesus) in its historical context, in particular, during the Roman Empire.

· This would be around 28-29AD.

· Following the death of Herod the Great, his kingdom was divided into four parts.   Herod Antipas, one of the sons of Herod the Great, ruled Galilee.  We know little about Philip (except that Herodias, whom Herod married, was first married to Philip) and Lysanias. Along with the connection to Tiberius and Pilate, Luke further situates John’s ministry in the political context of his day.

· According to Jewish tradition there could be one high priest at a time and he remained for life. The Romans insisted that there would be some tenure. So even though in fact Caiaphas was the high priest, Annas was still recognized as such by the people.  This is the religious context.

· God has chosen John to be the forerunner of the Christ.

· That the word of God came to John in the wilderness reminds the people of the covenant which was ratified in the desert or wilderness.

John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: A voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth,

and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

· The purpose of the repentance and the baptism as a sign of their desire for forgiveness was to prepare their hearts to receive the word of the Messiah.

· Luke situates John’s ministry in the prophetic context. He quotes Isaiah 40:3-5.

· It was the custom of the day for the king to send messengers ahead of him to prepare the people for his pending visit. God sends John to be his spokesperson.

· During this Advent season what are we doing to prepare our hearts for a deeper coming of Jesus, so that we too can see his salvation?

· Will that preparation include the Sacrament of Reconciliation? Will it include the forgiveness of others as well as asking their forgiveness?

· Pray: Come, Lord, Jesus, Come.  Come into my heart in a fuller way. Draw me into your presence.

 "There are two births of Christ, one unto the world in Bethlehem; the other in the soul, when it is spiritually reborn. Men think of the former much more than the later, and celebrate it every year; but the spiritual Bethlehem is equally momentous...It was the second birth that Saint Paul insisted on when he wrote from prison to his beloved people, the Ephesians, asking that Christ may dwell in their hearts by faith and that they be rooted and grounded in love. This is the second Bethlehem, or the personal relationship of the individual heart to the Lord Christ." (Venerable Fulton Sheen)

During this Advent season as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Our Savior, we are reminded that because of his birth, death and resurrection we have been given the grace to be reborn as a child of God. Without his birth, our rebirth would not have been possible. In honoring his birth  with gratitude, we are also honoring our rebirth with heartfelt thanks. We honor his birth by sharing gifts with one another. The gift that means most to God is our love for one another for his sake. The gifts we exchange at Christmas are important. But what is of greater importance is the love we express to others in our daily encounters with them. This is the gift we give to Jesus in thanksgiving for his birth and our rebirth in the waters of salvation.

 "We do not preach only one coming of Christ, but a second as well, much more glorious that the first. The first coming was marked by patience; the second will bring the crown of a divine kingdom. In general, whatever relates to our Lord Jesus Christ has two aspects. There is a birth from God before the ages, and a birth from a virgin at the fullness of time. There is a hidden coming, like that of rain on fleece and a coming before all eyes in the future. At the first coming he was wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger. At his second coming he will be clothed in light as in a garment. In the first coming he endured the cross, despising the shame; in the second coming he will be in glory, escorted by an army of angels." (St. John Chrysostom)

As we begin this new Advent season, our focus is not on a past event, even though we are preparing to celebrate the birth of our Savior on Christmas, but on a present and future event. In his first coming the world waited in patience for the promises of God to be fulfilled. In his second coming, he will come in glory as King. His first coming was quiet, was announced by angels, and was experienced by a few. His second coming will be more glorious with signs and wonders preceding his return as judge of the living and the dead. In his first coming, his name was written in the synagogue as a newly circumcised devotee of the Most High. In his second coming, only those whose names are written in the Book of Life will celebrate and be with him forever in glory. Prepare to remember his birth but, more importantly, be prepared to welcome him when he comes for you at a time and day you know not.