My brothers and sisters, as we draw closer to the birth of Christ on Christmas Day, let us work harder this Advent season to bring the happiness and joy of God into our lives first and then, into our world by praying constantly and consistently; by being generous and charitable and by being just and honest in our dealings with others.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, let us start preparing the way of the Lord and making straight his paths this Advent season by sincerely and prayerfully reflecting on our thoughts, words, and deeds in order to identify our sins and failings, and by participating in the sacrament of Confession to receive forgiveness for our sins.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, it is a well known fact that our Savior is coming to save us, so let us stand erect and raise our heads as Jesus urged us in today’s gospel reading by doing what is right and just when we truly love God and our neighbor; and by being vigilant in our spiritual lives through doing an examination of conscience, going to confession, praying more consistently, and lastly, by practicing mortification.
My brothers and sisters, as we celebrate Christ, the King of Kings in our lives today, let us be His loyal and faithful servants, who will truly work for Him in establishing His kingdom on earth when we go out and proclaim His kingdom that is eternal, universal, holy, grace filled, just, loving and peaceful to the world.
How are we preparing ourselves for the second coming of Christ or for judgment day? We can prepare ourselves for the second coming of Christ or judgment day by truly understanding and accepting the Word of God proclaimed and explained to us; by sincerely following Christ in word and deeds; and by continually praising and honoring God all the days of our lives.
Let us emulate the example of the two widows in today’s readings by being loving and generous to our brothers and sisters in need, so that we will be blessed all the more and praised by our God as we answer His call to be charitable to others.
So my brothers and sisters in Christ, let us love God more dearly and exemplify our love for Him in our love for our neighbor.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us understand and appreciate the importance and power of prayer as taught us in today’s gospel reading by always communicating with God with respect and devotion; with a spirit of perseverance, with humility, and with total resignation to God’s will.
So my brothers and sisters in Christ, let us be the servant or slave of all in our service to God and our neighbor as emphasized by Jesus in today’s gospel reading by serving God with joy, no matter the situation; by being humble and by being selfless and generous as Jesus is to us.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, it is time to stay away from and give up everything that keeps us from loving God, listening to His word, accepting His word, following Him and living out His commandments. So let us detach ourselves from earthly attachments and keep Jesus’s teaching in today’s gospel reading in mind.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it is time to wake up and like Jesus, reemphasize the importance of the Sacrament of Matrimony in our lives as Catholic Christians because this sacrament reflects God's self-giving love in the love spouses have for each other; in the act of procreation and in the act of educating our children in the Catholic faith.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, if we wish to attain heaven, we must be prepared to truly follow Christ by cutting off every and all things that will make us not attain the kingdom of heaven by resisting our evil inclinations. Then through sacrifice, give up things that are needed and that are dearest to our human nature and avoid the temptations of the devil.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, as Jesus reminded us in today’s gospel reading to be the last of all and the servant of all, if we wish to be first, let us become better servants and disciples of Christ by becoming true servants of all in our devotedness to God, in our obedience to Him, by being humble and by being honest in our service to Him and in our dealings with others.
My dear brothers and sisters, as Jesus reminds us of the demands of discipleship today, let us answer our call to discipleship better by knowing and acknowledging Christ in our lives; by denying our own desires, interests and needs for the greater glory of God’s name; by taking up our crosses daily and by following Christ as we live out our faith through our works.
It is time to be healed of our spiritual deafness and muteness, so let sincerely listen to God’s word proclaimed to us. Let us acknowledge and receive God’s word proclaimed and explained to us. Then let us go out and proclaim God’s word and our faith in Him to the world.
