Praise be to our Lord Jesus Christ. Welcome to a new liturgical year of the Church. We are now in Year B of our liturgical celebration. It is also the day when we will be looking at prophecies related to Advent.
It is a great time to be Catholic. The words and messages you will hear and participate in are absolutely gorgeous. As we go through the time of anticipation together, think about what you are hearing. We will have to pay attention and learn new things, but our Church is never stagnant. It is always filled with new life and busting forth with great graces to be had by all who participate. This brings me to today’s readings.
The great prophet Isaiah tells us that eye has not seen nor has ear heard what God has in store for us. This is why Advent is so beautiful. The anticipation builds and leads to the greatest miracle of all time: the Incarnation, where God became man!
St. Paul reminds us to look forward to being with the Lord and if we are lacking in any spiritual gift, then we should ask of our Lord and He will give it to us.
Finally, in the gospel of St. Mark, Jesus Himself tells us to wake up and be alert. It is like a gentle nudge to remind us to snap out of the daze of mediocrity and sloth that we can wander into in our walk with God. That is why today is a great day to start. We have beautiful prayers and readings all designed to bring us closer to the Lord and to be in union with all the other parishes who are also saying these prayers and readings as well.
So this week I am issuing a challenge. I want you to enter into Advent in a brand new way. Take some time to look at the scriptures, ask God to open you up and help wake you from your slumber. Make this Advent season different than any other. Perhaps try volunteering or helping out in some new way. It is a time of new beginnings. No more namby pamby stuff. This is a new era in the Church. A time of excitement and revival, and you are a part of it. Let us be awake, let us help each other, and let us rejoice and be proud to be Catholic. May God richly bless you always!
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