FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Let us see, O Lord, your mercy
and give us your saving help. PS 84:8

ISAIAH 63:16-17,64:1,3-8 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

You did tear the heavens and come do to dwell among us. The Father sent You into the world to redeem us for we had all strayed far from the path of righteousness and were doomed to an eternal death. Sadly we continue to stray. We are sinners even though we have been saved. You have made every provision for us through the grace of the Sacraments and the Holy Spirit whom You sent to tabernacle in our hearts and yet, and yet O Lord, we ignore His presence, we grieve Him constantly, and we wound You. We long to live holy lives pleasing to You in all things and yet we continue to fall short of Your glory O Lord. 

Grant us this gift my Beloved, that this holy season of Advent will be different - that we might sincerely desire to experience a real conversion and permit the Holy Spirit complete freedom in making us a new creation. The world cannot continue on its current path of destruction of the earth and of each other. In every age, Lord, it would seem that we cannot sink any lower, and yet we do. We make the prophet's lament our own this day, Lord"

Why, Lord, leave us to stray from your ways
and harden our hearts against fearing you?
Return, for the sake of your servants,
the tribes of your inheritance.

We are like the prodigal son who found himself among the pigs and not able to eat even the scraps that were fed to them. We have lost our humanity. We are worse than beasts for beasts act according to their nature but we have the nature of God being created in His image and likeness and we drag that beautiful image of the Creator imprinted in our souls through the filthy mire of sin. We have lost all sense of decorum and shame. Evil has taken possession of us and we have not only given evil access we have allowed it to rule us. Nothing is off the table - no one is spared not even infants and children. Innocence has long fled and the wickedness of the world is insatiable. If You do not intervene Lord, we will annihilate our world and send it straight to the deepest, darkest, pit of hell. 

For the sake of the remnant do not forsake the world that You have redeemed and sanctified by Your precious Blood O Lord. Father, Your Son carried out Your plan of salvation because You did not desire that Your children should perish. O Father, do not forsake us, for we are the work of Your hands.

We were all like men unclean,

all that integrity of ours like filthy clothing.
We have all withered like leaves
and our sins blew us away like the wind.
No one invoked your name
or roused himself to catch hold of you.
For you hid your face from us
and gave us up to the power of our sins.
And yet, Lord, you are our Father;
we the clay, you the potter,
we are all the work of your hand.

PSALM 79(80):2-3,15-16,18-19 ©

O shepherd of Israel, hear us,

shine forth from your cherubim throne.
O Lord, rouse up your might,
O Lord, come to our help.

God of hosts, turn again, we implore,

look down from heaven and see.
Visit this vine and protect it,
the vine your right hand has planted.

May your hand be on the man you have chosen,

the man you have given your strength.
And we shall never forsake you again;
give us life that we may call upon your name.

God of hosts, bring us back; let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.

1 CORINTHIANS 1:3-9 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

It is so easy to lose heart when we look at our world today. There is such great misery and suffering. There is so much sin, so much brokenness, so much hate. Evil has taken possession of so many especially those in high places and they are making it increasingly difficult for those who are called by Your Name to live in peace and proclaim peace in Your Name.

We are aware of our identity because the beloved disciple reminds us who we are: Little children, you are from God, and have conquered them; for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. I know Lord that this is not the time to lose heart but to be of good cheer because, despite all the darkness that is seeping around us from the pit of hell, You assure us that in You we have peace and despite all the persecution we have to face we can take courage because You have conquered the world. 

So let us not lose heart, Beloved, but praise and thank God in all things in the power of Your Holy Spirit as we wait in joyful hope for Your coming again in glory. 

St. Paul reminds us: He will keep you steady and without blame until the last day, the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, because God by calling you has joined you to his Son, Jesus Christ; and God is faithful. Alleluia. Amen. Amen.

MARK 13:33-37 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Human nature is broken, it is weak, it is self-willed, self-indulgent, and lazy in the things that are commanded by God this is why Holy Mother Church in her maternal wisdom gives us the liturgical seasons inviting us at different times to reflect on the different aspects of our salvation and of the eternal consequences of the choices we make in this life. 

We are now entering this glorious and holy season of Advent and we ask for the grace not only to prepare well for the celebration of the joyous event of Your birth but also to get ready with joyful anticipation for Your second coming in glory. 

Today's reflection on the First Sunday of Advent taken from the Gospel of Mark is a reminder that the time for sleeping is over. It is a call to arms. It is time to put on Your full armor and to get ready for the greatest battle that will be led by St. Michael and the angels at Your command to finally destroy death and to claim the victory that You have already won on the Cross. We are Your servants and we are given stewardship of all Your riches may we not be found wanting on the day of Your return.

‘Be on your guard, stay awake, because you never know when the time will come. It is like a man travelling abroad: he has gone from home, and left his servants in charge, each with his own task; and he has told the doorkeeper to stay awake. So stay awake, because you do not know when the master of the house is coming, evening, midnight, cockcrow, dawn; if he comes unexpectedly, he must not find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake!’