First Sunday of Advent ( C )
INTRO:

One of the most difficulties, if not the most difficulty is the loss of life and the life of our loved ones, whether expected or unexpected…. This loss is HUGE!

??? How many of us have experienced this???

Another kind of loss that the church is trying to teach us for which to be ready, in these four ADVENT LITURGIES, is the loss of our world as we know it… the end times, and the final judgement.

Do you remember getting your report cards in school? It is a bit different and highly technological today, but in the olden days….

Handwritten messages from the teacher accompanied the letter grades of “A”/ “B”/ “C”/ “D” and “F” for each subject. I have never forgotten my second-grade teacher’s remarks in this handwritten section:

“James would do a lot better in class if he would simply mind his own business and stop talking to others during class!”

The report card is THE JUDGEMENT of how we are doing in “life”!

And the JUDGEMENT at the end of the world…. .is likewise going to happen and we need to be ready.

Today’s Advent Gospel is asking all of us TO PRAY DAILY which will help us be READY!!

“Be vigilant at all times and pray that you may have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man!”

So, we are hearing to pray daily and that will help us be ready.

One form of PRAYER is praying with the Scriptures….

Reading a simple paragraph from a chosen book of the Bible…. Let us say you choose the Gospel of LUKE….

• Read a passage slowly and carefully within the bible.
• Think deeply about a spiritual reality within the text.
• Be quiet in God’s presence.
It will not take long, and it will improve your life!

CONCLUSION

A dynamic catholic spends 10-15 minutes a day in prayer.

Make this the best Advent ever and begin to pray daily, for we know not the day, the time, nor the hour when our Savior will come.