December 1, 2024 - First Sunday of Advent
Jesus IS THE PROMISE OF GOD!
Jesus comes from the Father to aid us in understanding the true love he has for us.
Like any Father, God cares when we feel lost and even alone.
Jesus’ love is the direct expression of the Father’s love for us,
This week’s Gospel describes the end times of our world. Not to scare us - but to prepare us for a reality we could never imagine out of logic and scientific discovery. Real – Real and it’s coming!
So, we make choices with every action, every day. Do we make those choices informed of the truths Jesus has given us though the Word of the Father? Those are the choices to obey Jesus. The other choices are in opposition to The Word of God made flesh, for our instructions.
That is why St. Paul uses the word “instructions” to describe the Gospel message. These aren’t SUGGESTIONS!
Advent is then, a time to prepare! We get an annual chance to reflect on the choices we make in every one of our Earthly decisions. Did we use the knowledge God gave us (the Scriptures) or did we ignore them as mere literature? OUR ETERNAL LIFE DEPENDS ON THOSE CHOICES!
Theologically, these acts of our free will are called – a “preferential option” – we are given the options to obey or ignore the teachings of Christ. As a creation of God, our soul marks these options (perhaps we can say as RED or BLUE?). At the end of time, when God looks at the color of the choices we have made – will he see mostly RED or mostly BLUE? We always had a choice to decide, you know. If we are condemned – it will because of our choices – not because God is against us. Jesus tells of God LOVE for us as if The Father “dotes” on us!
So, let us self-impose some cleansing penance of fasting or prayer that will repair any of those poor decisions we have made and confessed in the confessional. God forgets the sins we confess. However, the damage those sins do still effects the body of Christ (as we are members, with all the baptized, of His body).
Have a great ADVENT TIME – let it prepare us to see the miracle of Christmas and not just the greed of the season.
May Our Risen Savior Bless you!
Fr. Patrick Nelson, SDS
