Last evening when we lit the second candle on our Advent wreath I thought to myself: “Stop! This season is going to fast!”As I was praying about Advent, the liturgical season given to us to prepare our hearts for the coming of the Lord, it occurred to me that the Israelites waited hundreds and hundreds of years for the Messiah. But we have received Him and have Him in our midst. He is with us at all times but I would venture to guess that many times we take Him for granted. The Israelites waited for Him with deep longing. When we go to Mass do we anticipate receiving Him with great longing? I know I don’t very often.
I am sure that each day our hearts long for many things – for happiness, for peace of mind, for answers to life’s challenging questions, for reconciliation with others, for forgiveness, for love! Are we in touch with our longings? I know they are there! Scripture tells us that our happiness lies in God alone. He is the fulfillment of all of our longings! A relationship with Him is what makes life meaningful; without such a relationship life is just plain empty.
We have the rest of our lives to develop this relationship but this Advent season is just the right time to begin. Put the Christmas shopping list aside for awhile and try to get to daily Mass or pray the Rosary and meditate on the Joyful Mysteries in the life of Mary and her Son. Or go to Confession this week; many parishes are having Advent Penance services. If it has been a long time since you have been to Confession, this Advent season is just the right time to grit your teeth and walk through that Confessional door! For some of us this just might be our last Advent.
We have the rest of our lives to develop this relationship but this Advent season is just the right time to begin. Put the Christmas shopping list aside for awhile and try to get to daily Mass or pray the Rosary and meditate on the Joyful Mysteries in the life of Mary and her Son. Or go to Confession this week; many parishes are having Advent Penance services. If it has been a long time since you have been to Confession, this Advent season is just the right time to grit your teeth and walk through that Confessional door! For some of us this just might be our last Advent.
To help in focusing your thoughts on Advent click on this link and read the homily of one of my favorite homilists! http://www.catholicpreaching.com/index.php?content=homilies&homilies=20061210 Copy and paste it onto a WORD document, print it out and read it slowly. I guarantee that your heart will be moved! You may even find yourself longing - for the Lord!
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