Isaiah 63:16-17, 64:1, 3-8, 1 Corinthians 1:3-9, Psalm 80:2-3,15-16, 18-19, Mark 13:33-37

1ST SUNDAY IN ADVENT

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Isaiah 63:16-17, 64:1, 3-8, 1 Corinthians 1:3-9, Psalm 80:2-3,15-16, 18-19,
 Mark 13:33-37

Isaiah 63:16-17, 64:1, 3-8

Abba, this is the Name that Jesus Your Son revealed to us and invited us as Your children to address You so - as our Daddy God.  Thank You for loving us so much that You sent Your only Son  to redeem us for You saw how helpless we were to save ourselves and all the while we kept drifting further and further away from You.
This was not Your plan - You created us to know and love You and to rejoice in our knowledge of You.  Unfortunately, we sinned and strayed. Thank You for rending the heavens, for piercing time and space and sending Jesus to us born as a poor, little Baby helpless and weak so He could identify with us in every way and understanding our weakness would desire Himself to save us from our inequity, cleanse us from our sins and restore what we had lost forever.

1 Corinthians 1:3-9

My Beloved, grace is mine and peace is Your gift to me.  You make grace available to me each day and I am permitted to drink at the never drying fountain of Your love always. You have saved me and You are pleased because even though I am a sinner I strive with Your help to be pleasing to God our Father and to You.
You have given me the treasure of Your Word and the gift of knowledge of You through Your Holy Spirit who has given me every good and perfect gift to help me overcome temptation and my weaknesses which are legion.  You keep me safe in Your Word, You feed me with Your Body, You cleanse me with Your Blood and You fellowship with me through Your Holy Spirit - Thank You!

Psalm 80:2-3,15-16, 18-19

Abba, Father, You saw our need for a Savior and You sent us Your Son to be our hope and our light.  Thank You for saving us. Thank You for our redemption.  Thank You for restoring to us through Your Son Jesus all we had lost through sin.

Mark 13:33-37

My Beloved, this Advent help me to be more vigilant and watchful than ever.  Guard me against the snares of the devil.  Evil lurks on all sides and if I am not careful, my own weaknesses will lead to my destruction and my headlong fall from grace.

Preserve me Lord! Keep me as the apple of Your eye.  Strengthen me with Your grace and place Your angels around me to guard and protect me and all whom I love and pray for.   

Thank You!

Revelations 18:1-2, 21-23, 19:1-3 & 9, Psalm 100:1-5, Luke 21:20-28

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Revelations 18:1-2, 21-23, 19:1-3 & 9,  Psalm 100:1-5, 

Luke 21:20-28

Revelations 18:1-2, 21-23, 19:1-3 & 9

My Beloved, the world and all in it belongs to You attempts have been made through the ages to wrest from You what is Yours alone.  This is true of the powerful and the rich who use their wealth accumulated without conscience by any means available fair and foul and have used it to propagate evil rather than good.

We are created for God to love Him with our whole heart, mind, soul, body and strength and our neighbor as ourselves.  This is no longer true for we grow increasingly selfish and worship several gods rather than the one true God.  We are selfish and self-indulgent and discipline of any kind is anathema to us.  We have given ourselves over to the culture of death prevalent in the world and You warn us that a terrible judgement awaits those who continue to wallow in sin.  The lusts of the flesh will consume all that is good in us as we give ourselves over to the material world.

It is not too late my Lord and as long as we are alive it is never too late.  You have won the victory.  You are triumphant. The wicked will be punished but the faithful rejoice for we are invited to the Wedding of the Lamb.

Psalm 100:1-5

My Beloved, those who serve You must do so joyfully and generously not smugly and self-righteously. We must not get stuck in the rut of habit and custom.  We belong to You and all we do for each other is possible because we know that in loving and serving our brothers and sisters we love and serve You.

We have a future and a hope that compels us to sing songs of thanksgiving and praise.  Our life is in You, we are Yours now and eternally.  We live in the world but we are not of it we belong to God who is our Father and Provider and His love is everlasting.  It is no wonder that we are invited to rejoice always.

Luke 21:20-28

My Beloved, You foretold the fall of Jerusalem and the world as the Jews knew it then.  Rome went on a rampage and destroyed the Temple razing it to the ground just as You prophesied.  So will it be, Lord, if the world continues to give itself over to godlessness or to making idols and worshipping anything and everything but You.  The Good News has been preached to all the corners of the world and Your faithful continue to spread it even in very hostile environments.

The time will come when history must end and Your triumphant reign will begin.  You will gather to Yourself those who have remained faithful, the sheep of Your flock.  No matter how terrible the times we live in, You urge us to be strong and unafraid but to look with confidence and trust to You who will come to rule the world.
MARANATHA!  LORD JESUS - MARANATHA!