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December 2007
Therefore
keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But
understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of
night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have
let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the son
of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
(Matthew
24:42-44 NIV)
Dear All Saints' Family,
If you were to ask people on the street what season we are in, the
answer most likely would be "It's Christmas". The so called 'Christmas
Season' seems to begin earlier and earlier every year. I was shocked to
find Christmas merchandise on store shelves as early as October and I
found a radio station that plays 'Holiday Music', offering carols in
early November. The truth is that Christmas begins on December 25th
and lasts until January 6th. This is not the Christmas
season, but it is Advent, a time of spiritual preparation for the coming
of the savior. The four weeks of Advent will either be a frantic time of
shopping, decorating, and wrapping, or it will be a time of profound
spiritual growth culminating in a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.
Each of us will have a choice.
Jesus said, "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what
day your Lord will come." Wait a minute, we all know Jesus comes on
Christmas and that is on December 25th. However we must
remember that the theme of the 'coming of the savior' goes well beyond
the Nativity. The lessons of Advent encompass more than just Jesus'
birth but include his second coming and his coming into our lives each
hour and each day. Those are the times Jesus reminds us to keep watch
and to be prepared. The church has been anticipating Jesus' second
coming from the first century until today. Apocalyptic forecasts and
speculation has been on the mind of scholars for years yet Jesus said,
"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven,
nor the Son, but only the Father". Jesus urges us to always be
ready, to always be prepared for his coming, not just in the end times
but each and every day. God will enter our lives in many wonderful ways
if we watch for those 'Holy Moments' that just seem to happen.
So how do we keep watch and be prepared? We do so by spending special
time in prayer and meditation. We also prepare ourselves by the reading
of Holy Scripture and listening for the Holy Spirit to speak in our
hearts. These disciplines require us to make choices on how we use the
24 hours we share each day. Advent is a time to make a conscious choice
to slow down and prepare our hearts for all of the blessings our Lord
has for us. May this be a holy season for all of us.
Blessings,
Fr. David+
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