Christ the King (John 18:33-37)
Jesus is not king in an earthly sense, but because he is the anointed one of God, who comes to do the will of God. Jesus’ kingdom is ‘a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love and peace’. Jesus came’ to bear witness to the truth’.. Jesus bears witness above all to the truth that God is a God of love to be loved without reserve.
In what sense is Jesus a king?
Do I realise that at Baptism I became a member of the kingly and priestly people of Christ?
Let us pray that we may always be faithful to the truth we have learnt from Christ.
We pray that, with our brothers and sisters who have gone before us in faith, we may come to share in God’s kingdom of truth and love.
First Sunday of Advent (Luke 21:25-28.34-36)
Jesus tells us not to fear the violence of men, or the devastation nature can bring. Jesus tells us to ‘stand erect and hold our heads high’. Jesus speaks of our coming ‘liberation’. Since Jesus has conquered sin and death and demonstrated that the love of God is stronger than both of these, we have no need to fear. Our faith in Jesus means our lifestyle will change and will challenge the values and behaviour of our contemporary society. We are told to ‘stay awake, praying at all times’. We do not know the day or the hour in which the Lord will call us. But as Christians we know that death is the gateway to eternal life.
Does my faith really inspire the whole of my life?
What is my attitude to the future and the end of my life on earth?
Let us pray for all those who are earful today for whatever reason.
Let us pray with the early Christians ‘Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!’
Second Sunday of Advent (Luke 3:1-6)
One of the great characters of the Advent season is John. Whose work is to travel around Jordan proclaiming ‘a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins’. If they respond, they will be ready to welcome the Messiah. We identify the voice in the wilderness as the voice of John. The whole of creation is described as getting ready for the coming of the Lord. Finally, ‘all mankind shall see the salvation of God’. Luke makes clear that the Messiah comes to offer salvation to all nations.
How does the preaching of John the Baptist speak to me today?
Do I welcome the coming of Christ as a gift for all the people of the earth?
Pray for the wisdom to see that God still cares for the real world of our day.
Pray for the zeal of John the Baptist to bear witness to Christ as he did.
Fr Adrian Graffy