Fr. Martin Ali keke Ndemsou, sx
First Sunday of Advent Year B
Watch and Pray
Happy New Liturgical Year B to all! The liturgical Year A ended with a turmoil in Freetown; this chaos sadly prevented us from celebrating well the solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the universe. May the Lord help us to start this new liturgical year B with determination to do God’s will and be instruments of peace.
December is well known as a festive month where there are many distractive occasions (carnivals, outings, etc.). These can dim our spiritual alertness to welcome the Lord Jesus who is coming to save us. Thus we have to be vigilant. Distracted people will remain slaves to sin, and will not be saved.
In today’s pericope taken from the Gospel according to Mark, the word “watch” is repeated four times. This shows us the importance of being watchful because our Lord will come. As Saint Paul put it in the second reading, like the Corinthians at that time, we wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Night before he died, the Lord Jesus asked his apostles to keep watch with him in the garden of Gethsemane and to pray. Yet they failed him by falling asleep, oblivious to his agony, succumbing to the weakness of their flesh. But Jesus had asked them to watch with him so that they might share fully in the mystery of the moment: Jesus makes a total gift of himself to the will of the Father.
How much we need this Advent to commit ourselves to the will of God! How easily we overlook the subtle, unexpected times when Christ comes to unite us to his Father. Like the returning master of the household, Jesus comes to us in the evening to bless us with the Holy Communion of the Last Supper. Jesus comes to us at midnight when our hearts are filled with the betrayal of Judas. Jesus comes to us at cockcrow when we deny knowing our Lord, like Peter. And Jesus comes to us in the morning of the Resurrection to transform us with his peace…. If we are watchful, and not fearful. ( Cf. Magnificat, Vol. 16, N°10)
Then, knowing that God is our Father, we are the clay, He is the potter and we are the work of his hand, let us tirelessly continue to watch and pray. The Lord is coming to dwell among us; let us allow him to transform us into instruments of peace.
First Sunday of Advent Year B
Watch and Pray
Happy New Liturgical Year B to all! The liturgical Year A ended with a turmoil in Freetown; this chaos sadly prevented us from celebrating well the solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the universe. May the Lord help us to start this new liturgical year B with determination to do God’s will and be instruments of peace.
December is well known as a festive month where there are many distractive occasions (carnivals, outings, etc.). These can dim our spiritual alertness to welcome the Lord Jesus who is coming to save us. Thus we have to be vigilant. Distracted people will remain slaves to sin, and will not be saved.
In today’s pericope taken from the Gospel according to Mark, the word “watch” is repeated four times. This shows us the importance of being watchful because our Lord will come. As Saint Paul put it in the second reading, like the Corinthians at that time, we wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Night before he died, the Lord Jesus asked his apostles to keep watch with him in the garden of Gethsemane and to pray. Yet they failed him by falling asleep, oblivious to his agony, succumbing to the weakness of their flesh. But Jesus had asked them to watch with him so that they might share fully in the mystery of the moment: Jesus makes a total gift of himself to the will of the Father.
How much we need this Advent to commit ourselves to the will of God! How easily we overlook the subtle, unexpected times when Christ comes to unite us to his Father. Like the returning master of the household, Jesus comes to us in the evening to bless us with the Holy Communion of the Last Supper. Jesus comes to us at midnight when our hearts are filled with the betrayal of Judas. Jesus comes to us at cockcrow when we deny knowing our Lord, like Peter. And Jesus comes to us in the morning of the Resurrection to transform us with his peace…. If we are watchful, and not fearful. ( Cf. Magnificat, Vol. 16, N°10)
Then, knowing that God is our Father, we are the clay, He is the potter and we are the work of his hand, let us tirelessly continue to watch and pray. The Lord is coming to dwell among us; let us allow him to transform us into instruments of peace.