Preparation

Welcome to the beginning of the new liturgical year and the period of preparation for Christmas. This is Year A and the focus Gospel is Matthew. For me the Advent period is about making the ideas or experiences of Christmas the focus of our being at Christmas. These ideas/experiences are

Hope

Peace

Joy

Love

I believe these ideas/experiences can be lived two ways, through the world or through the spirit. The world way is that we gain and give these ideas/experiences in response to the world. In this way people may not have them or give them in response to what they have experienced through relationships. there are those who do not know peace because they have not experienced peace in the world. The same with the others.

 

The spiritual way is to know these ideas/experiences through God. we give because God has given. We respond to God not humans. I can love that person who does not love me because I do not need that person's love. 

 

The Advent journey is that each week we look at one of these ideas/experiences and understand them through our faith and to then open ourselves to let the Holy Spirit to live them. to see ourselves and others in Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. As we are moved to live them are expression and experience of Christmas deepens to be moved by them rather than chasing them or pretending to have them.  

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If you are looking to know the experience of Christmas, come and invite others to the journey of living them through the Spirit.

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The journey starts with HOPE.

Hope is the positive experience that gives strength, positive thoughts and feelings. We can get it from the world, but we can also get it through faith in God.

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Isaiah 2.1-5

1 The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2 In days to come
    the mountain of the Lord ’s house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
    and shall be raised above the hills;
all the nations shall stream to it.
3 Many peoples shall come and say,
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord ,
    to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
    and that we may walk in his paths.’
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
    and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 He shall judge between the nations,
    and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
    and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
    neither shall they learn war any more.
5 O house of Jacob,
    come, let us walk
    in the light of the Lord !

 

 

REFLECTION

 Prophecies have a number of purposes. They provide warning, consequence, they prove that God exists outside of time. Our focus at this time is on the prophecies of hope. This prophesy holds the promise of a rule where all will come, and God will provide instruction, guidance and peace. In a world where violence, war, disagreement and hatred seem dominant, there is hope for a better way. The prophecy says, 'Many people will come...' No one is forced to come and not everyone will come, but those who do will receive. God offers us hope and still gives us the freewill choice to come. Will you come?

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Psalm 122

1 I was glad when they said to me:

‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’

2 And now our feet are standing:

within your gates, O Jerusalem;

3 Jerusalem which is built as a city:

where the pilgrims gather in unity.

4 There the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord:

as he commanded Israel,

to give thanks to the name of the Lord.

5 There are set thrones of judgement:

the thrones of the house of David.

6 O pray for the peace of Jerusalem:

may those who love you prosper.

7 Peace be within your walls:

and prosperity in your palaces.

8 For the sake of my kindred and companions:

I will pray that peace be with you.

9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God:

I will seek for your good.

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Romans 13.9-14

9 The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet’; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law. 11 Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; 12 the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of light; 13 let us live honourably as in the day, not in revelling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy. 14 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

  

REFLECTION

Paul writes to the Romans about love, and I think we would all agree with the idea of love Paul write about, but when have we seen it and when have we lived it? He writes, '... , love is the fulfilling of the law.' This is something we will reflect on in the last week about love. Paul then moves to writing about waking up and living into salvation. It appears Paul saw salvation as the money when Jesus will come again. this is not how I think of salvation. I believe I have received salvation. Salvation is release from this world and entering into God's Kingdom. That is what I hope for, and I guess I choose to live to be there. this is what Paul is encouraging the Romans to focus on too. To live for that salvation. To live in the divine HOPE is to be excited now because of the Spiritual kingdom that I am going to.  

 

Matthew 24.36-44

36 ‘But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, 39 and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. 42 Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

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REFLECTION

Jesus talks about being prepared for the second coming. He emphasizes that we do not know when and so we need to be always prepared. I don't know about you, but I may start with good intentions but waiting kills enthusiasm and eventually I start to doubt and to start thinking it isn't going to happen and then I move off to something that is present and relevant, and that is interesting to me. How does Jesus expect us to stay focused after 2000 plus years. I have not found the knowledge that he is coming back the motivation and the claims it is happening soon have little impact. My reason for keeping focused is knowing God's love, being in a relationship with God, and the HOPE that one day I will see God and live eternally with God. It is like going away from home and those you love to do something and looking forward to the time you will go back to those you love and the place you love. The importance is how real is the love and place to us? How much do we long to be home? this is the HOPE that moves our actions and excitement.

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