December 02, 2018 1st Sunday of Advent 1st Reading: Jer 33:14–162nd Reading: 1 Thes 3:12–4:2 Gospel: Lk 21:25-28, 34-36
Jesus said, “Then there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth anguish of perplexed nations when they hear the roaring of the sea and its waves. People will faint with fear at the mere thought of what is to come upon the world, for the forces of the universe will be shaken. And at this time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. “Now, when you see the first events, stand erect and lift up your heads, for your deliverance is drawing near.” “Be on your guard; let not your hearts be weighed down with a life of pleasure, drunkenness and worldly cares, lest that day catch you suddenly as a trap. For it will come upon all the inhabitants of the whole earth. But watch at all times and pray, that you may be able to escape all that is bound to happen and to stand before the Son of Man.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the
Assimilated Life
Experience)
During Ayala’s premier showing of Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” in early 2006, people were watching and praying fervently. Some even failed to hold back their tears at the scene of the flogging of Jesus. Others were literally sobbing. Then suddenly came a loud roaring sound, not from the movie but from the audience. Someone was snoring. After the movie he apologized to his friends for the disturbance he caused. To modulate the embarrassment he quipped that he was also praying but “with groaning that cannot be uttered.” He was quoting Romans 8:26. Because we do not know when the world will end, today’s Gospel exhorts us to do two things: “watch and pray”. Our watching should not be the passive watching of moviegoers but the active one that engages us in works of reparation for sins done in the world. Our praying should not be the prayer in one’s slumber hilariously described as “groaning that cannot be uttered”. Rather, it should be the prayer which makes it clear to the person praying that all petitions must be in accordance with God’s Will in order to preserve the natural order that has been established from the beginning of time. “Praying and watching” imply self-restraint from vices. Too much pleasure makes us too comfortable in this world and will kill any longing for the life hereafter. When we watch and pray rather than wallow in a life of pleasure, the ‘groaning’ of our spirit will be genuine, not fake, and the day won’t catch us sleeping but waiting with eagerness for our salvation. – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., D.M. Email: [email protected].
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