1st Sunday of Advent - Fr. Leo

“Be watchful! Be alert!”

Awaiting the revelation of Christ in every moment is the invitation of Advent.  

Waking up in this context is to do what we can to develop a God-consciousness at all times. The people in our first reading had “wandered” from the Lord and the Lord was angry because he could not lead them with his blessings.  This wandering, or falling asleep, keeps God at bay, and our true-self and happiness hidden.

God’s anger here is not an anger of retribution, but the anger of a broken heart.  The Lord desires us to be his adopted sons and daughters though Christ.  God wants us to share in the community of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, making us partakers in his own divinity.  

No matter how advanced we are in the Spiritual life, we are always beginners, and will always awaken more and more to the presence and action of the Holy Spirit.  Paying attention that we may live in God begins when we let the Spirit pray in us.  It is the Spirit that lives in our in-most being and unites us with God.

In fact, the oneness is already there, awakening is becoming aware of God within, and giving ourselves over to the living Spirit who fills our hearts with his love and joy.

As we pray with the psalmist today, “Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved,” let us turn from all the smaller joys like T.V., phones, etc., and seek the one joy that will bring us the everlasting joy of living in God now and always.  Amen.