Jeremiah 33:14-16 / 1 Thessalonians 3:12—4:2 / Luke 21:25-28, 34-36

We are inaugurating the new Liturgical Year, with the Time of Advent, our preparation for the second coming of Christ and for Christmas.

It is not a festive time, as one might imagine. Note that the liturgical color is purple, that is, an invitation to penance, repentance and conversion. We have no flowers, we have no Hymn of Praise. It is an opportune time for reflection and to confess ourselves through the sacrament of Reconciliation.

It would be very important to dedicate more time to prayer and charity towards the poorest. Let us organize charitable initiatives that purify us of our sins.

Jesus is the Son of Man, who will come at the end of time to free us from all evil, from all danger, and to take us to Heaven. We are not afraid of His return. On the contrary, we long for Him to return. We pray like this: "Come, Jesus. Come soon. Come quickly. Don't delay. Come, we are waiting for You." 

The time before Christ's return will be difficult, marked by persecution, violence, and terrible natural and social phenomena. Unfortunately, we see some of these signs today, and so we remain alert and expectant. In fact, Jesus could return at any moment. We cannot be distracted by excessive eating and drinking, by meaningless worries. 

And if we love our families and friends, we should urgently warn them so that they too stop sinning and return to Christ, to the Church. 

Jesus is the descendant of King David, as the prophet Jeremiah says today, who upholds justice on earth. From Him comes the salvation of Judah and ours as well. His name is "The Lord our justice." When He returns, Jesus will judge us according to our deeds. Therefore, it is urgent that we strive to live holy lives. Many times, we are thinking about the sins of others, but we should be concerned about our own sins. 

For the return of Jesus, our fraternal love must overflow. We must progress even further, without being content with what we already do. May the Lord strengthen our hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God! This is what the Apostle Paul teaches us, writing to the Thessalonians.

May we have an excellent Liturgical Year, full of fruits of conversion and charity!

Local: Springfield, MA, EUA

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