1st Sunday of Advent: On Alert for God

Today's Readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/120317.cfm

Isaiah 63:16B-17, 19B; 64:2-7

Psalm 80: 2-3, 15-16, 18-19

1 Corinthians 1: 3-9

Mark 13: 33-37

Today marks the beginning of a new liturgical year, and just like the changing of the new calendar year, this fresh start affords us an opportunity to re-evaluate ourselves and our relationship with Christ. We are especially urged to take up this challenge on this first Sunday of Advent, the beginning of the preparation period for the coming of Christmas, and more importantly, the coming of our Lord at the end of time.

Jesus, as we know, is King of all the universe, wishing for each and every one of His children to enter into the gates of Heaven to rest in His peace for eternity. Being that we are human and imperfect, we understand that this beautiful and hopeful future can only be obtained if we strive toward Jesus in our present life. Fortunately, God has programmed us to require Him in our lives: for strength, for courage, for wisdom, for guidance, for friendship, for love, for everything.

In our first reading today from Isaiah, we hear of a desperate people as Isaiah describes the soiled state of those on Earth:

"Behold, you are angry, and we are sinful;

all of us have become like unclean people,

all our good deeds are like polluted rags;

we have all withered like leaves,

and our guilt carries us away like the wind."

~Isaiah 64: 5

Truly, God's people were lost to the wind; they needed God more than anything. Our world, too, is in jeopardy of losing complete sight of God. We find ourselves lost in the rubble of pop culture and pleasure, the crooked paths of skewed thought processes, the heaven burdens of self-reliance. To our great advantage, we have a Savior who is there to take it all away...if we only trust in Him.

"God is faithful" (1 Corinthians 1:9), and He is there to welcome us into His embrace. Right now, particularly in this season of Advent, let us try to recognize God's faithfulness in every day life: in the trees, in the sky, in the faces of friends and family, in the bountiful sources of love we encounter everywhere. God is there, even in the form of a whisper...we just have to recognize His presence. Truly, when we keep Jesus at the forefront of our minds, we can live in the "now" instead of in the past or future.

This Advent, make it your goal to prepare a comfortable and happy home for Jesus within your heart. Try something challenging that will broaden your spiritual heights: confession, rosary, daily mass, or biblical reflections are just a few ideas to get you started. Regardless of whatever you choose, be alert to your surroundings, to the people you encounter, and to your inner spirit; you may not believe it, but God is using you as His powerful instrument in this world. Not only that, but He wants you to have the fullest life, enjoying its fruits each and every moment.

Let us therefore be alert in all things, preparing ourselves for a beautiful Christmas celebration!