Advent is the Time to Make Room for Christ

"Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight,” (Luke 3:4).

The real sign of Christmas is the coming of Christ as a gift to our homes and our hearts. It is a real sign of Christ presence, and we tend to forget easily.

Before all the excitement in this Christmas, today we need to stop and think about “What I need to change in my life?”  In our own life there are many things that we need to straighten out. Our resentment till now has never resolved.  How about our patience and tolerance with one another? What obstacle can I remove to prepare a way for the Lord? How often we look at our lives and our situations - and say “Lord I need help.” 

We must not forget that this Advent is a time to make room for Christ to enter into our heart. We need him to be a real part of our lives. We have to let go of the old way of thinking and acting and put on Christ in a real and visible way.

Peace is the theme of the Second Sunday of Advent. Whatever separates us from God's peace, whatever makes us restful relationship with God and with one another, we must get rid of it today. May Christ equip and prepare us for this advent in true peace!

Advent Practices!

Some simple ways to include “Advent Practices” in your busy schedule:

1)      Desire for the Lord. Make it a habit of silently praying, “Come, Lord Jesus.” Take a few deep breaths throughout the day. As you exhale, let go of tension, worry and anything else that is not of God. The best way to transform trials and tensions is to turn them into a prayer.

2)      Do something nice for someone every day. It might be an encouraging word, a phone call, a note of appreciation or a little act of kindness.

3)      Get rid of grudges. Use Advent as an opportunity to let go of any anger or resentment that you might be holding onto.

4)      Pray for patience. If you find yourself becoming anxious or upset, ask the Lord for the gift of patience. Then make a conscious effort to be a more patient person.

5)      Receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation and take advantage of the opportunity to cleanse your soul in preparation for the coming of Jesus at Christmas.

6)      Unite with Mary. Set aside time once a day to join Our Lady in praying the Magnificat (see Lk 1:46-55) and the Rosary with your family.

What is to Come?

We have begun the season of Advent. The word "advent" comes from the Latin "adventus" meaning, "to come." The stories of Advent are stories of thrilling expectation, stories of hope and stories of joy. 

On this First Sunday of Advent we are reminded that we should not spend all our time waiting and doing nothing. The best way to live each day is to live it as if it were our last day. That means having a serious prayer life and acting with a deep spirit of charity during the Advent.

Lord, I want to prepare myself well this Advent for your arrival at Christmas, so that I can offer you a fitting birthday gift. Help me to live each day to the full in order to grow in holiness and to keep my gaze fixed on the things of heaven.

The Year of Faith 2012/2013

We have already come to the end of the Year of Faith (11th October, 2012 to 24th November, 2013). A time that called you and I to dedicate ourselves entirely to the renewal of faith.

During this Year of Faith, we were enabled to experience a lot of challenges and opportunities to grow spiritually, emotionally and psychologically. 

As for me one of the greatest challenges is to always remain faithful to the teaching of Jesus, to His message and also to make it relevant to young people. I found working with youths a challenging yet rewarding experience.

As we look forward to the future especially after this Year of Faith, what positive outcomes can we hope for?

What exciting challenges or opportunities do you foresee for yourself and your family beyond this Year of Faith?

But more importantly, are we aware that even though the Year of Faith is officially over, our faith life must continue till the end of time. What are some of the steps that you will be taking to ensure that your faith continues to grow and flourish? 

Long Live Christ the King!

Today is the last Sunday of the liturgical year - traditionally recognised as the feast of “Christ the King”. This week we conclude with a proclamation of the kingship of Christ, and a call upon all of us to declare our loyalties and commitments to the rule of Christ.

The Kingdom of Christ is something more appealing, more permanent and more rewarding than the temporal advantages offered by the kings, presidents or politicians of the world. Christ offers Truth. His Kingdom is not in power, wealth and popularity but Truth. His Kingdom is qualitatively different from the Kingdoms of this world.

His is the Kingdom where power and money mean nothing in terms of a person’s value, but where humility and sacrifice mean everything.

We have chosen Christ as our King. We stand by Christ, holding fast to our belief in the better world that is to come, and together with our King, we move forward through sacrifice and service.

Jesus is our Victor,

Jesus is our Ruler, 

Jesus our Lord and Redeemer.

Long live Christ the King!