December 2, 2012; First Sunday of Advent

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 heads because 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. (Mark 21:25-28, 34-36)

This is a very difficult gospel to think about.
It sounds scary and I think that in some way Jesus intended us to become a little frightened when we thought about the roaring of the sea and people dying of fright in anticipation of what was coming at the end of the world.
I don’t think Jesus wants to scare us, but he does want us to think about what might happen to us if we never think about–and pray about–His love for us. His love is what Jesus came to earth to tell us about.
He wants us to know how much he loves us, how much he hopes we will love Him and also love other people as He loves us.

Action:

Set aside 10 minutes sometime today to sit quietly somewhere and imagine what the end of your life might be like.
We are so busy living that sometimes we don’t want to think about the fact that we will only live for a short time and when that time comes to an end we will be united in a totally new and beautiful world in heaven.
Try to open your mind and your imagination to that moment and see Jesus welcoming you into that world.