Continue to Prepare

The WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/121816.cfm) reminds me that I should continue to prepare for Christmas. 

For weeks, we have been preparing for Christmas, and how fast time flies, we are now on the last Sunday before Christmas Sunday, we are now on the the fourth Sunday of advent. God has been telling us how we can prepare and that we should serve and proclaim him in this world. now the question is, how are we responding to his messages?

The Psalmist reminds me to let the Lord, the king, enter my life. Did I already let God enter my life, or am I still full of hatred, anger, unnecessary stress that bothers me? Do I let his joy, peace and love enter and stay in my life? 

As we let God enter our lives, we will act like Ahaz in the first reading. If God is in us, we will not need signs for confirmation of God's answers to our prayers or to know what he wants us to do. If God is in us, if we have a close relationship with him, that would be enough. And it can only start when we let him enter our lives and our hearts.

The gospel story is a familiar one. We also see the effect of what having a relationship with God would bring. Joseph was about to leave Mama Mary because he found out she was pregnant. However, when God told him through an angel in his dream not to leave Mary, he obliged. No further questions. No concerns. He just obeyed. Because he has a good relationship with God. 

All these examples show the effect and importance of having a good and personal relationship with God. it starts from letting him enter our lives, but it does not stop there. We need to continue working on our relationship with Him. Just as we do, we need to continue to prepare for him this Christmas.  

do I respond positively to God’s message like St Joseph? Do I put things in the proper perspective? Am I making him the center of the celebration, the reason for the season? OR am I still busy buying and wrapping gifts, preparing for parties and get together, being annoyed by the traffic, that I forget the reason why we are celebrating Christmas in the first place?

May we be wiling to let God enter our live, and prepare for Him as we commemorate his birth next week. 

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another Sunday. Thank you for the reminder. thank you for knowing me, for reaching out to me, for giving me a long time to prepare, for you know it will take time. Lord, sorry for not doing my best to prepare. Sorry for being busy and distracted. Sorry for not making this about you. help me make the most out of the preparation time you are giving me, and help me make this season a really meaningful one. May I continue to prepare and may I continue to let you into my life and work on my relationship with you.  Amen.

Blessed Sunday!

In Christ,

-g-

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December 18, 2016
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Lectionary: 10

Reading 1 Is 7:10-14

The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying:
Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God;
let it be deep as the netherworld, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered,
“I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!”
Then Isaiah said:
Listen, O house of David!
Is it not enough for you to weary people,
must you also weary my God?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R. (7c and 10b) Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.

Reading 2 Rom 1:1-7

Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus,
called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God,
which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,
the gospel about his Son, descended from David according to the flesh,
but established as Son of God in power
according to the Spirit of holiness
through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Through him we have received the grace of apostleship,
to bring about the obedience of faith,
for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles,
among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ;
to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Alleluia Mt 1:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mt 1:18-24

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.”
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him

and took his wife into his home.