Stripped

Ave Maria :-)

Tis the season to be merry fa, la, la.... la..la..la! Merry because  without the tinsel, the shopping, the endless feasts, parties..merry-making --- we rejoice simply because we remember the coming of our Saviour.

A young relative was downtrodden..sad really and vowed..." it'll Christmas..kelangan magka pera...para sumaya." (I must have money so that I'll be happy this season)

I felt so sorry for this young adult --- the heart was still anchored on what he thought was the essence of Christmas -- that without the sufficient budget to buy gifts, to buy new things whether for one's self or for others... to probably gorge on the hams and lechons and yummies of endless gatherings - to enjoy the nightlife,mall and shop till we drop spend Christmas at cool Tagaytay or Baguio City for a change --- to do anything and everything one would deem joyous -- but to Not Do the Essential Thing -To recieve The Christ -child in our hearts.      

Beloved brothers and sisters..here's a gentle reminder of what starts this joyous Sunday Dec. 2, 2012

In the Catholic Church, Advent is a period of preparation, extending over four Sundays, before Christmas. 

 The word Advent comes from the Latinadvenio, "to come to," and refers to the coming of Christ. 

This refers, 

1) to our celebration of Christ's birth at Christmas; 

2) to the coming of Christ in our lives through grace and the Sacrament of Holy Communion;

 and finally 3), to His Second Coming at the end of time.

Our preparations, therefore, should have all three comings in mind. We need to prepare our souls to receive Christ worthily.

As we gear up... agreeing in spirit to be totally committed and immersed in the Spirit of Advent  , let's not forget how our dear Jesus, Mary and Joseph  themselves prepared. I can't go lengthily in reflection as will need to catch up with noon mass but may God help us out with this short reflection.

Whether it was Mary , Joseph, the apostles or any of the saints, including you beloved reader -- countless times over-- thru the years, we realize that in order to recieve Christ , His Kingdom , His forgivenss and love --His very fullness Itself - we must be stripped of every single thing, every idea , every entity that proposes itself as demi-god , a security blanket or false saviour or ultimate resource for us . ... stripped ...stripped of it all and more especially..stripped of our sins.

Come look back... take a long hard honest look at the different ways our Lord has molded you...sometimes in a happy painless way.. but more often in grueling,arrrrghhh circumstances. To have too much  of the world... of support systems.. to have easy access to material wealth.. to always be physically and emotionally strong and invincible..sitting on Top of the world... absorbed in our success ..can be a trap for our heart to not hunger for the Lord..to not seek Him..to not listen to His Word... to not Favor Him over everything else..because we foolishly think the All Else Counts more..tastes better... is painless and just soooo satisfying. How false these worldly attachments are..how decieving!

Joseph  had to give up his idea of fathering a child biologically, swallow his manly pride and pledge to care for a woman pregnant with SomeOne else's child.

Mary had to give up her youthfulness, all freedom from cares and instead embrace such an Unknown Future  -- if Mary were born in this century,she'd have to cope with nagging temptations of the embryo growing in her womb quite possibly an alien..yet she chose to take the angel at his word..... "You will be the mother of GOD." and that was that as far as she was concerned.

Apostles left their livelihood, their families..... once fishermen, Matthew - a tax collector ...... there was too a persecutor of Christians, this was Saul -who became the greatest apostle. He had to be blinded physically so that HE could SEE THE CHRiST.

Hence whether we experience physical blindness, affliction, financial crisis... broken relationships, loss of job, even loss of  our good standing in society... all these..all these will be well worth it--- if in exchange we recieve knowledge and faith in God Most High thru His SON JESUS CHRiST..for when we recieve Christ..we will have it all...His grace is sufficient..Amen all glory and honor to Him our Messiah..

Wishing all a lovely entry into Advent as we keep praying for one another...Come Lord Jesus ..come and reign in our hearts! Come oh Emmanuel and be with us...forever~

....................................................................................................................te mye

Wishing all a lovely entry into Advent as we keep praying for one another...Come Lord Jesus ..come and reign in our hearts! Come oh Emmanuel and be with us...forever~

....................................................................................................................te mye

Jesus said to his disciples:
"There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on earth nations will be in dismay,
perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will die of fright
in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
But when these signs begin to happen,
stand erect and raise your headsbecause your redemption is at hand.

"Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy
from carousing and drunkenness
and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.
For that day will assault everyone
who lives on the face of the earth.
Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man."