Advent Daily Dose - 1st Sunday of Advent

Once again, to assist in our prayer this Advent season, we'll be offering, once again, the Daily Dose on this blog. The format will be similar to previous Advents and Lents: a link to the daily Scripture readings, followed by a brief reflection (no longer than 5 minutes of reading time). The daily dose should be posted on the blog by mid-morning each day.

I hope this provides a place and time of prayer for you during this Advent season.

+In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Click here for Daily Readings

Reflection
Today begins the Advent season. This entails quite a bit: it's the beginning of a new 'church year'; it marks the beginning of the Year of Faith pronounced by Pope Benedict XVI (more on this later); and it marks the beginning of a preparation process that, for many, culminates with the celebration of Christmas, the Nativity of our Lord, Our Savior, Jesus Christ.

As we begin, I would like to offer some points for prayer. If you came to one of the Masses this weekend, at which I preached the homily, you may find some of this familiar.
1. Advent is indeed a period of preparation to welcome our Lord, born once again, into our world, our hearts, our homes and our relationships.  It is a time to prepare a place for him to be born by looking inside and recommitting ourselves to our interior life with God and to striving for holiness in our relationship with Him, and with the people in our life.
2. Advent is also a period of recognition and preparation for the Second Coming of our Lord. Advent is a time to reflect upon the reality of the Lord's Coming in Glory, when, as the Gospel describes today, will be full of Glory, Power, and Judgment.  Another place for reflection then is what kind of place will the Lord finds when He does Come again?  What will he find in our hearts, our homes and our relationships.
3. I would like to offer for our reflection this image from the Book of Revelations (3:20): it's Jesus speaking through John, the writer of the Book of Revelations. Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door and I knock."

For our reflection and prayer: in what ways can we open, once again, the door of our hearts, homes and relationships to Jesus? And when we do open, what will He find there?

Advent is an invitation to put "our house in order." He does indeed stand there and knock- let us open up to Him and let Him nourish, strengthen and heal us!

Amen.

+In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.