Enter into the spirit of Advent with hope.

"The days are coming—oracle of the Lord—when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah."  Jeremiah 33: 14).

As Advent begins today, let us give some thought to the concept of Waiting and God's Faithfulness.  What have you waited for in your life?  What are you waiting for now?   Use the Scripture from Lamentations below to enter into the spirit of Advent.

"The Lord’s acts of mercy are not exhausted, his compassion is not spent;
They are renewed each morning — great is your faithfulness! The Lord is my portion, I tell myself, therefore I will hope in him.

The Lord is good to those who trust in him, to the one that seeks him; It is good to hope in silence for the Lord’s deliverance." 
(Lamentations 3: 22 - 26).

To hope in the Lord is to wait for the Lord.

I hope your heart will be warmed by the truth that God fulfills His promises in the fullness of time.

As we wait with expectant faith for God to fulfill His promises to us, we do well to take note of obstacles and barriers that may stand in our way.

"Jesus said to his disciples:
“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."  (Luke 21: 34).

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What are your plans for Advent?

"Jesus said to his disciples:
“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."  (Luke 21: 34).

Today is the last day before Advent, the beginning of the New Year of the Church.  What is the above Scripture saying to me?  Be careful not to spend the next four weeks before Christmas like the Unredeemed. Parties, shopping, games, etc.  If you do, you will miss out on a lot of graces that Jesus Christ has prepared for you this Advent.

You ask: What should I do?

"Be vigilant that you may have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent." 
(Luke 21: 34 - 36).

"Be vigilant" means: Be alert and watchful through prayer, worship, songs and praises like someone waiting for the arrival of a very important guest.

"Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus!" (Revelation 22: 20).

“These words are trustworthy and true, and the Lord, the God of prophetic spirits, sent his angel to show his servants what must happen soon.”  (Revelation 22: 6 - 7).

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Go bring someone to Jesus.

"Beside the Sea of Galilee,
the Lord saw two brothers, Peter and Andrew, and he said to them: Come after me and I will make you fishers of men."  (Cf. Matthew 4: 18-19).

Today is the feast of St Andrew the Apostle.  One of his biographers describes St Andrew thus:
"Andrew went through life leading people to Jesus, both before and after the Crucifixion."  This is the ultimate accolade.  Sacred Scripture puts it this way:
“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!”  (Romans 10: 15).

Indeed!
“Their voice has gone forth to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” 
(Romans 10: 18).

Jesus may be calling you today to be an Evangelist. Andrew, Simon Peter and the rest of the Apostles have sown the seed. It is up to us to finish the harvesting:

"And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach?  And how can people preach unless they are sent? (Romans 10: 14 - 15).

Go bring your brother, cousin, neighbor, friend, colleague to Jesus as Andrew did:
"Andrew told his brother Simon: We have found the Messiah, the Christ, and he brought him to Jesus."  (Cf. John 1: 41-42).

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The Wedding Feast of the Lamb is the Eucharist.

"Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.”
(Revelation 19: 9).

3 days to go before the beginning of Advent.  The Readings are frightful, urgent and escathological, pointing us to the end of the world. In the midst of the grim scenario, we receive a blessing and a hope:
"Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.”

The wedding feast of the Lamb is understood by Church militants here on earth as the Eucharist.  We come to this feast by summons or invitation.  Those who receive the invitation of the King to the Eucharist and turn it down with scorn will miss the blessings pronounced in Revelation 19: 9.

Those who cling to deceitful attractions and distractions of the world are warned of what will happen to their beloved kingdom:

“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great.  She has become a haunt for demons.  She is a cage for every unclean spirit, a cage for every unclean bird, a cage for every unclean and disgusting beast.”  (Revelation 18: 2).

What do you think of this warning of Jesus?
"Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled."  (Cf Luke 21:20-28).

The Redeemed marked by the sign of the Lamb are encouraged to:
"Serve the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing for joy. Know that he, the Lord, is God. He made us, we belong to him, we are his people, the sheep of his flock."

Advent is the Season of expectation, praise and singing. Let us not hold back. Our Redeemer is coming.  He will redeem us from these dire predictions.

"O praise the Lord, all you nations, for his merciful love towards us is great.  (Psalm 117: 1, 2).

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Join the army of martyrs.

"Jesus said to the crowd:
“They will seize and persecute you... because of my name.
It will lead to your giving testimony."  (Luke 21: 12, 13).

Is your faith growing? Are you persevering in daily prayer, Reconciliation, Eucharist and works of mercy?  If your answer is Yes, then your faith is growing.  Your faith will be tested so that it becomes mature and bear fruit.  The branch that shows potential will be pruned.
You may consider your pruning season a very severe trial.  But be comforted by this truth:  "Man's extremity is God's opportunity."

One thing to remember in your period of trial is to be steadfast and constant in your determination not to give up.  At the end of every year, many people make New Year Resolutions.  The person that succeeds in forming the precious new habit is the one that breaks the resolution many times and refuses to give up.  He starts all over again. He or she is the one who will smile at the end of the year.  "By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”  (Luke 21: 19).

Join the army of martyrs (witnesses) by resolving today through your daily witness to the power of God to shock the conscience of the unbelievers.
How many years will the Lord require you to witness? The secret is to take one day at a time as if that day is your last.

"Remain faithful until death,
and I will give you the crown of life."  (Revelation 2: 10).

And never forget this priceless promise:
"Behold, I am with you always,
even to the end of the age, says the Lord."  (Matthew 28: 20).

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Remain faithful until death.

"Remain faithful until death,
and I will give you the crown of life."  (Revelation 2: 10).

As we listen to the End Times Scriptures from Revelation and Luke, it cannot be exaggerated that the counsel to persevere in the Christian life is the most important message today. In a culture of dictatorship of relativism, nothing is sacred anymore.  Not the vow to stick to marriage vows "till death do us part."  Not the perpetual vows of the priests and those in Consecrated life. Not the civil contract between the governed and the governors. We cannot forget that God loves constancy and faithfulness because faithfulness is the essence of who He is.

Although the Lord will come to judge the earth as Scripture teaches, we can never forget that God is full of mercy and always "speaks of peace to his people and his holy ones
and to those who turn to him." (Cf Psalm 85: 9).

If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

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Who shall see the face of the Lord?

"Stay awake!
For you do not know when the Son of Man will come." 
(Matthew 24: 42, 44).

We are in the last week of the Church Year. One week to go. Does it occur to you that these may be the last days on earth for some people?  The message of the Holy Spirit to the Churches these days are urgent and simple:  "Stay awake!  For you do not know when the Son of Man will come."  (Matthew 24: 42, 44).

How much do you long to see the face of the Lord?   (Cf Psalm 24: 6).

But "Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD? Or who may stand in his holy place?
He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain."  (Psalm 24: 3-4).

Sacred Scripture continues in Revelation 14 to refine the profiles of men and women who desire to see the face of the Lord and pray with constancy and sincerity: "Thy Kingdom come!"

"These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes.  They have been ransomed as the first fruits of the human race for God and the Lamb. On their lips no deceit has been found; they are unblemished."  (Revelation 14:  4 - 5).

As we wait with eager hearts for the coming of the Lord, we are comforted by this unshakable truth of Sacred Scripture:
"Behold, I am with you always,
even to the end of the age, says the Lord."  (Matthew 28: 20).

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