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Daily Readings, Ho̔milíes, and Prayers - 12월03日2023ياش
Hope, O Israel, because the promise has been fulfilled. The Virgin has conceived and bore a Child, and will come back again at the end of ages.Today is the First Sunday of Advent
In you, Lord, is our hope; * and we shall never hope in vain. (Te Deum)
In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
Amen.
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke:
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘See that you are dressed for action and have your lamps lit. Be like men waiting for their master to return from the wedding feast, ready to open the door as soon as he comes and knocks. Happy those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. I tell you solemnly, he will put on an apron, sit them down at table and wait on them. It may be in the second watch he comes, or in the third, but happy those servants if he finds them ready. You may be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what hour the burglar would come, he would not have let anyone break through the wall of his house. You too must stand ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’
Reflection:
Who is in our hearts? In another gospel verse, Jesus speaks about where our hearts are, there also our treasure. What we love occupies our entire being. As Christians, importantly as Catholics, it is important that our hearts are directed towards God in all things. God in all things, and be totally His. Because God made us, and God did all the effort to bring us back to Him. Saint Augustine writes in his confessions that our hearts are restless until they rest in God.
One day, Jesus will come back to ask us to follow Him into heaven. And what we have built for ourselves, what habits we have set our hearts while we live determines our answer. A total and complete yes, as the saints have did (even to the point of martyrdom, physically or spiritually) made Jesus smile and led them to heaven. A yes, although partial and still holding on to the earth, as the souls are, made the waters of mercy flow from His Most Sacred Heart and led them to purgatory that their yes, their holiness may be perfect; our weakness be supplied. A total rejection of God, in pursuit of the things of this world (especially those that harm others and inspire hatred, discord, and animality) led the poorest of the poor sinners to hell.
Our decision starts now, at least, we start building them up now. All of us, except two born in this world, are weak and sinful in nature and that is true. We then must not despair, because despair is pride and pride is yuck. We must hope, because we belong not to ourselves but to God. God can transform us and not any other man or machine, only God. We are subject to none but God so our hope is in God because God is already loving. I remember watching a preacher and he said, "If we fail, God already wins." Let us imitate the virtue of abandonment and charity to God as we walk on our pilgrimage.
Faithfully, let us wait for the Lord. Again and again, in peace let us pray to the Lord.
All-powerful God,
increase our strength of will for doing good
that Christ may find an eager welcome at his coming
and call us to his side in the kingdom of heaven,
where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
May the Prince of Peace, reign in our hearts. Amen.
In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
Amen.
📖: Universalis App
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