VIGILANCE OF HEART! ~ CookingFood.Org

“SEEDS OF LIFE”

Sunday, 27th November 2016.

First Sunday of Advent

Isaiah2:1-5;

Ps 121:1-2, 4-9;

Romans 13:11-14;

Mt24: 37-44

VIGILANCE OF HEART!

Today we begin a new liturgical year with the Advent season, which prepares for the Solemnity of Christmas. ‘Advent’ means coming and is the time for the preparation for the coming of the King. Liturgically, it is the time for the celebration of the past event, the historical birth of Jesus. The birth of Jesus as man has taken place. Our preparation is not like that of the Israel who looked to the future, but as the new Israel who live the future with the sense of a realization of the coming of the Lord in the present. The season of Advent is a time of preparation to welcome Jesus anew in our hearts. How do we prepare for this?

What does the liturgy of the Word tell us?

Our preparation has two aspects, negative and positive. First, negatively, we are to be reconciled, free of disputes, destroy the weapons of war into tools of agriculture and not to train soldiers for war (First Reading). We have to learn to put away the works of darkness such as drunkenness, promiscuity, licentiousness, fighting, jealousy, and so on. Positively, though we have to be concerned and involved in our daily chores, and obligations, we should not be living as if there is nothing more than our works, small and great. We generally have an obsession of things. So we need to give some time exclusively to our relationship and friendship with God. Hence the necessity to dedicate some time of the day only for God. We are invited to the house of the Lord or the mountain of the Lord. The mountain is the symbol of the presence of God. It is the heavenly Jerusalem. It is a call to intimacy with God. To climb the mountain is not only to be free from evil and sins, but it is to be holy. In the words of St Paul it is ‘to put on Christ’. It is to have the spirit and attitude of Jesus Christ.

How do we do this?

It is by having a humble vigilance of heart. A good football player or basketball player always concentrates his attention on the ball and the players. A good student is alert and attentive to the lessons. A good Catholic is one who is physically and mentally vigilant gazing at God, actively participating in prayer and good works. We know that Christmas comes on 25th December. We will be singing carols, choir practice, the church and the surroundings will be decorated with plenty of big stars; most of us will get new clothes and also make special Christmas sweets. All this is good. But the coming of the Lord is not to be seen in these lines. He comes to us silently in our hearts so we can grow in intimacy with Him! We will have to prepare with a good confession spiritually. But repenting of the past is not necessarily a sign of growth or improvement. We have to grow in love with God. As in the birth of Jesus, God came closer to man, we should grow in holiness, and we should meet Jesus. Growing in holiness means learning the art of prayer said St. John Paul II.

We also have to be vigilant to partake in the life giving sacraments of the Church. We must celebrate the Eucharist in a proper manner, for “Whenever the Church celebrates the Eucharist she remembers his promise and turns her gaze "to him who is to come." In her prayer she calls for his coming: "Maranatha!" "Come, Lord Jesus!" "May your grace come and this world pass away! (The Catechism of the Catholic Church – 1403)

The Jubilee of Mercy has ended and the Holy Door is closed. But the door of mercy of our heart continues to remain wide open. The desire for closeness to Christ requires us to draw near to our brothers and sisters, for nothing is more pleasing to the Father than a true sign of mercy. By its very nature, mercy becomes visible and tangible in specific acts. We thus have not only become close to God, but this closeness must drive us to change our lives and those of our brothers and sisters, especially the sick, the poor and the suffering. May the grace of Advent help us to welcome Jesus with vigilant and humble hearts.

Prayer: Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.