2nd Sunday of Advent

12-10-2017Weekly ReflectionDeacon Andy Kresha

Day by day, Day by day, Oh Dear Lord, Three things I pray: To see thee more clearly - Love thee more dearly - Follow thee more nearly -Day by day!

Lyrics from Godspell - Day by Day by Fredric Nietsche

Today is the second Sunday of Advent. It is easy for the world to skip over Advent with its "Buy, Buy, Buy" materialism. It is easy to forget about prayer and repentance.

In many 'quit smoking' campaigns, the emphasis is on quitting something.....and too often people have to quit many times before they finally quit for good. Once they realize that they can breathe better, have more energy, and food actually has a taste, they see the benefits of their journey of quitting smoking. They have replaced smoking with a healthier life and better breathing to be sure.

John the Baptist, today, tells us to focus on repentance, letting go of sin to get ready for something better. It was very important for the people of his time, as it is for us now, to be prepared for the spiritual path for the coming of the Messiah, the Savior that they longed for. To be able to be open to hearing the powerful Word of God, to recognize the Lamb of God in our midst requires repentance and continued deepening longing, thirsting, and purifying of our hearts.

With the coming of Jesus, John was in awe, humbled that he was a servant to the Master of the Universe. In this humble state, John was ready to take on whatever role Jesus would ask. The Lamb of God, the Son who came down from heaven and took on human flesh prepared for his ministry by submitting to baptism and fasting. From this preparation, Jesus came forward in loving power to baptize you and me with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the fire of love, the Person joining the Father and the Son in one perfect community, the Trinity of God in love and power.

Out of the movement of the Spirit, Isaiah talks about being comforted. We are being brought close in the kindness of God; shepherded by the Lord God, who comes in power with his strong arm. God comes to reward those who make straight the pathways of their lives. How often we have wandered and drifted away! Yet the Good News is the Savior, the Shepherd, the Sender of the Holy Spirit is calling out to us. Jesus the Infant King, the Humble Shepherd, the Power of God, Son of God and Son of Mary is calling. What a mighty reward for personal conversion and openness to Love himself! What will I do differently for the next two weeks to prepare my heart for this Savior? What will I do differently for the rest of my life to walk with Jesus as he reveals his glory and the Power of the Holy Spirit? Like quitting the bad habit of smoking has great health benefits, to repent and live for God has powerful and eternal benefits!

Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus come! Peter talks about how the Day of the Lord will come like a thief where the heavens and earth will pass away. With a mighty roar and power and fire, everything that is not of God will be dissolved, burned. Like gold purified in fire, the burning love of the Holy Spirit will perfect those willing to follow Jesus Christ in repentance, relying on grace and to be baptized in both the cleansing bath of the waters of repentance and in the baptism by fire. We will be molded into the image of our true nature: we are to become Children of God by the Gift of the Holy Spirit in Baptism, Confession and Eucharist.

We are called not only to receive the gifts and graces offered to us but to reach out to others. One practical way to do this as parishioners is to go out and evangelize, inviting non-practicing Catholics to our Catholics Come Home series, starting Thursday, January 4th at 6:00 pm in the HFPC. If you can, invite them to come to Mass and breakfast with you soon as well as the Catholics Come Home series. Open your gifts early with others: share your greatest gift, that of faith in Jesus Christ this Advent, found in the fullness of grace in our Catholic faith! Day by day, Day by day, Oh Dear Lord, Three things I pray: To see thee more clearly - Love thee more dearly - Follow thee more nearly -Day by day!

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