This is what Jesus said:
“But be on your guard. Don’t let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping. Otherwise, that Day is going to take you by complete surprise, spring on you suddenly like a trap, for it’s going to come on everyone, everywhere, at once. So, whatever you do, don’t go to sleep at the switch. Pray constantly that you will have the strength and wits to make it through everything that’s coming and end up on your feet before the Son of Man.”
Luke 21:34-36 (Message version)
That was the year that was, according to the church’s calendar! It’s over! That was the year the covid rolled over us, touching someone we knew and possibly taking someone, we loved. The year we lived on our savings, if we had any, the year we lost our jobs, our income fell, the churches closed, and time took a bite out of our future.
Someone seriously suggested to your little sisters that we need another year of The God who Speaks – because we have not had time to listen to God’s Word! But God never spoke louder before in our age!!
And this is what he said: “Be on your guard. Don’t let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping.” The Lord is always coming. We have been given the tremendous gift of faith to wait in joyful hope for the coming of the Lord of Mercy. We are not those who go to sleep on the job! No! We pray constantly that we will have the strength and wits to make it through everything that’s coming and end up on our feet before the Son of Man.
The Kingdom of God is justice, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Joy is a gift of the Lord; a gift of the Kingdom. It is not dependant on the circumstances.
May the Lord give us this Advent, the gift of love – for everything works out for good to those who love God…!
The Mass intentions are for Madeline H’s Intentions/ Mary Burrows RIP & Chris B’s Intentions
