Welcome to another year, a liturgical year that is. Today is the First Sunday of Advent. Advent is a time of preparation. Thus I wear purple. Now Advent is not as penitential as Lent, but it is still a time of slowing down, remembering our sins and failures, and asking for mercy and forgiveness. I mean we should do this all the time, but especially during Advent and Lent. So maybe during this Advent season, maybe do something a little different. Maybe something as small as drinking one less cup of coffee each day and giving that money to some charitable organization. Or maybe something as big as spending time reading the Bible each day for 20 minutes.
Jesus says in the Gospel today to not be drowsy from carousing or drunkenness or from the anxieties of daily life. Wow! Isn’t that so true! Daily life can become so hectic, so consuming that we forget about God and eternity. How are you in your daily life (and not just on Sunday) preparing for eternity?Jesus warns us not to be caught off guard. He urges us to be vigilant and pray for strength. As we enter into this season of preparing to celebrate Jesus first coming at Christmas 2000 years ago, maybe we be reminded to prepare for Jesus’ second coming at the end of time. May God give us the strength and courage to prepare now, not later. Two thousand years have passed, but we must no become complacent. We must remain vigilant in preparing for Jesus’ second coming.
Happy New Year,
Father Vogel
Father Andrew Vogel's Blog 