ADVENT SEASON THE CALL TO AWAKE AND WATCH FOR HIS COMING!
This is the time of year when night becomes the longest and it is tempting to sleep longer through out the night. Not only has the natural light diminished, but also at the same time, the world comes roaring at us with various temptations to draw us into its grip of darkness. The temptation to spend our energy on the commercialized Christmas of materialism, favoritism, and excessive pleasure over devotion to Christ is overshadowing us from every side. The Church is called to awaken, watch, and wait for the coming of the Lord Jesus to break into our lives with His Light.
The natural light of the sun always leaves shadows, and in these shadows that are cast behind an object or in a cave or behind a mountain are the many places animals will bed down to be out of the heat of the sun. Many of us as Christians have become lukewarm by seeking the easy way by lying around making a bed out of the shadows in past ways of life, rather then moving on in our journeys with Christ as Lord. He is the Light where remains no shadows of the past and brings the fire of the Holy Spirit as giver of life eternal.
Paul reminds us in his letter to the Roman Church,
“It is the hour for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed: the night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works of darkness (and) put on the armor of light: let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and licentiousness, not in rivalry and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.”
Romans 13:11-14
This light that we are to put on is Christ Jesus Himself. Paul makes this fact clear to us with the need for repentance first by the words “throw off the works of darkness” all starting from the command to awake from sleep.
This advent season the Lord has spoken to my heart to come away from my job of truck driving. Wait and not act until I hear His voice to bring instruction and a purging in my life and an end to old ways of thinking that had its attachment to selfish ambition. I feel it necessary to open my heart to Him regardless of what has happened in my past or may happen in the future. This present moment He desires me to look deep into His eyes of Love and Light to burn away the hate and darkness in my soul. The Light of Christ Jesus is to illuminate our lives today, now in this place and moment in time.
“And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God by which the daybreak from on high will visit us to shine on those who sit in darkness and death's shadow, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
Luke 1:76-79 NAB
May the Lord Jesus find us this Advent season waiting and watching His life of purity and devotion to the Father by the Holy Spirit alive in us. Now His life overtakes our hearts with peace toward God as our Father, and neighbor as or brother and sister.
Peace be with you,
Into His Divine Mercy
Jesus Himself be all Glory and Honor and Praise !
