Gospel: Luke 21:25-28, 34-36
Jesus said to his
disciples: “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on
earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the
waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the
world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the
Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these signs
begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at
hand.
“Beware that your
hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of
daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will
assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and
pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and
to stand before the Son of Man.”
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Reflection:
A fishing vessel
encountered a strong storm in the middle of the ocean. As such the vessel was
tossed like a ping pong ball by the violent storm. The captain of the vessel
who was a deeply religious man told his crew, let us pray so that the Lord may
come to save us. While they were praying they suddenly notice the violent waves
calming like a pristine river in a forest.
Today is the first Sunday
of Advent, what does Advent mean? Advent means coming or arrival and who is
going to come? Of course we very well know that the one who is coming is Jesus.
Through the coming of Jesus we will once again find hope, strength and
motivation to conquer our many fears and worries.
But what should we
do before the Lord comes? Of course we also have to be worthy of His coming thus
we must prepare! How shall we prepare or how could we best prepare ourselves
for the coming of the Lord? We can best prepare by cleaning ourselves from all
forms of sinfulness. And this we can do best when we decide to humble ourselves
before the Lord in the Sacrament of Reconciliation/Confession.
We all are sinful,
we all are in dire need of His healing, mercy and forgiveness. The first Sunday
of Advent is the most opportune time to heal all these sins before He comes. –
Marino J. Dasmarinas
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