Shalom

2 Dec Sun	1st Sunday of Advent (A)
	Is. 2:1-5 Ps. 121:1-2.4-5.6-9 Rom. 13:11-14 Mt. 24:37-44

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A new liturgical year begins today with readings which emphasise the expectation of the return of the Lord. One looks forward not just to the Incarnation and Birth of Christ, but also the blessing of the Second Coming which is so wondrously described in the first reading from the Book of Isaiah.

While this looking forward is filled with exciting hope, it is also a time for 'vigilance' in the sense of 'keeping vigil'. This time is of an indefinable quality and duration for it is God's time. The images used to portray it convey a watchful readiness which is underlined in Matthew 24:42 as well as in Romans which says "The night is almost over . . . ," "you must wake up now . . . " and "it will be daylight soon". The sleep one needs to give up is the sleep of tepidity for the day of one's glorification is approaching fast. Christianity and its virtues are to be one's armour against the sins of godlessness. Unless one looks forward with vigilant resolution, Christ's promise of a share of His kingdom will be lost.

God's breaking into human lives and history is in His dimension of time and can be sudden for those who backslide lackadaisically and are not ever-alert. Anticipation of God's coming necessitates action on one's part to break with one's past sins, weakness and neglect in putting on the armour of light.

Lord, help us this year to walk in Your paths to come to Your mountain in Your light. Amen.

DAILY OFFERING

Eternal Father, I offer You everything I do this day; my thoughts, words, joys and sufferings. Grant that, vivified by the Holy Spirit and united to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, my life this day may be of service to You and to others. I also pray that all those preparing for marriage discover in Sacrament the source of Christ's grace for living a fithful and fruitful love. Amen.

PRAYING WITH THE CHURCH

INTENTION
That Christians may free themselves from the subtle forms of cultural conditioning which prevent them from recognising the dignity and rights of others
Elaboration

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P R A Y I N G W I T H T H E C H U R C H

INTENTION :	That Christians may free themselves from the subtle forms of cultural conditioning which prevent them from recognising the dignity and rights of others
Our vocation and mission as Christians is to bring the light of Christ to the world in order to preserve the world from corruption by permeating it with the values of the Gospel. We need, ourselves, first and foremost to be enlightened by Christ. We do not generate light, we only refract, reflect and radiate. It is His light that we must cast on the world. The more transparent our lives are with the values of the Gospel, the better is the light of Christ reflected and the less we are seen. The world in which we live is mixed with wheat and weeds. There is good and evil. Consumerism is but the logical sequence of a materialistic way of life. Spiritual values are forgotten. Our wants are made to appear as our needs and we are forced to get so immersed in the joys of this world as to forget the joys of the world to come. We are admonished to be aware lest we be trapped by these and other forms of cultural conditioning that mark this world. Awareness is the first step to change. We pray that this awareness may help us to be delivered from the cultural conditioning that hinders and hampers our vision and prevents us from recognising the dignity and the rights of others.
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