November 29, 2020
Video Clip Fr. Greg Friedman Franciscan
Advent is, once again, a time for us to prepare for the coming of Christ.
It is a time to focus on His Coming everyday of our lives, and not just at our death.
This Sunday's readings remind us to take the time of Advent to reflect on His daily coming.
So, we wait and we watch everyday for the presence of Christ in our lives.
Isaiah reminds the people of his time what happened to the Northern Kingdom- Israel. They were taken into exile in 722 BC because of their infidelity to God. They had turned to pagan gods.
The same was happening in the Southern Kingdom- Judah.
Isaiah hoped that Judah would return to God and avoid disaster. But in spite of his warning, they did not change and eventually they too lost everything and were taken into exile.
Isaiah still gave them hope that God would never abandon them in spite of their unfaithfulness.
We hear in the reading the prayer that he made to God.
We know that in all that happens, God is in charge; yet He gives us freedom to do as we want and sometimes that is where we can get into trouble and sin.
We do need a times to prepare for His daily coming and make what Isaiah said in his prayer..."You are the potter", true in our lives.
God never abandoned his people and He will never abandon us.
St. Paul wrote to the community at Corinth which he was with from 50-52 AD. He had heard that they were having problems. He reminded them of what they have been given and that God would always sustain them to the end.
That is especially good news for each of us during those times when when we are in great stress or difficulties.
God has chosen us and called us by name, as were the Corinthians.
God will not abandon us.
There is always the temptation to hide or to turn away or to even escape from the problems, the stresses, in our lives.
Paul encouraged the Corinthians, when they were faced with doubts and fears.
Christ had not abandoned them, and we need to remember that Christ called each of us in our Baptism and is always with us, always.
But do we recognize Him???
In the gospel we hear we are to wait and watch; we do not know when the Lord will come, but the fact is that He comes everyday and many times we just do not recognize Him.
He may come in the moment we are not expecting Him.
He may come in the poor or difficult person.
He may come in the enemy.
He may come in the demands of another person.
He may come in the situation that is difficult for us.
He may come in our loneliness.
It is almost always difficult for us to wait, especially when we struggle or suffer.
Isn't that true of our world today; we cannot wait?
We want everything now, instantly.
We do not want a period of Advent, a period of waiting and watching.
The gift of Advent becomes a time of daily waiting and watching for the Lord. It is a time of looking deep within ourselves to see what prevents us from everyday recognizing the Lord; or perhaps discovering that we are not willing to wait and watch.
Perhaps we really don't believe that God will not abandon us in our daily struggles.
We want the joys of Christmas now without any struggles or difficulties.
Perhaps this Advent we will be inspired to hold off on the Christmas decorations until the end of our waiting and watching, the end of our Advent.
Advent can become a time of great growth in seeing our selves as the Lord God sees us so that we can know his great compassion, mercy and love for us, even in our failures
Courage...
Come Lord Jesus
Maranatha
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