Month: December 2022

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What do we really celebrate at Christmas?

Nativity scenes, decorated trees, lights, garlands, gifts, special dinners; All this makes Christmas present to us, a time in which joy abounds, but within that joy, what is it that we really celebrate at Christmas? Do we celebrate the secular vision of a good-natured and generous bishop riding around in a reindeer-drawn sleigh? Do we celebrate in advance the gifts brought by the wise men from the east or also known as the Three Kings? Or is it that we celebrate the first coming of the world’s redeemer and prepare for his second coming?

The first coming of Jesus Christ into the world is that coming prophesied from the beginning of time (Genesis 3:15) to save humanity from sin, because God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him would not die, but have eternal life (John 3:16). Our Lord Jesus had to come to this world as a man, because, just as Adam’s  trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act of Jesus Christ resulted in justification and life for all people (Romans 5:18-19).

Jesus in his ministry lets us glimpse through many of his parables that we must be prepared for his second coming. Advent season gives us an example of how we can prepare ourselves. During advent we prepare the nativity scene, cleaning the dust accumulated in each figurine from being stored for almost a year, we make a space in our home to assemble it and make it look beautiful, and then we keep the manger empty to place the baby Jesus in it in the last hours on Christmas Eve, so we must also prepare ourselves to receive Jesus, cleansing our souls of those sins that we may have committed, making space for mercy in our hearts, and just as the manger receives Jesus, let us also receive his body that it is the bread of eternal life (John 6:35) every time we come to Mass.

Let us celebrate Christmas always, with the perfect banquet, the banquet that Jesus Christ himself has prepared for us, the banquet that gives us eternal life consecrated on the altar, so that the grace, love and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ may always be with us.

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What is the Incarnation?

During the last week of Advent, the Church guides us to meditate on the mystery of the Incarnation, but what is the Incarnation itself? As the apostle Saint John says in the preface of his gospel: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us…” (John 1:1,14) The incarnation means that the second Person of the Trinity, the eternal Son of God became flesh, in other words, he assumed a nature additional to the divine, a human nature.

But this miracle would not be possible without the acceptance of Mary, the human vehicle through which Jesus Christ became incarnate and dwelt among us, the one through whom we were created (John 1:3) wanted to be part of human nature and was the Holy Spirit was incarnate of a virgin as Isaiah had prophesied (Isaiah 7:14), Jesus Christ is born, God and man at the same time. Faced with the angel Gabriel’s announcement that she would be the mother of the promised Messiah, Mary humbly accepts by saying: “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:34-38)

The incarnation is also necessary for the redemption of sins, it was necessary for Jesus Christ to take human form, since it was necessary for him to be born under the law (Galatians 4:4-5), to fulfill the law in our favor (Matthew 5:17). It was also necessary that our Savior shed his blood for the forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:22), since without a body of flesh and blood there can be no blood sacrifice. Without the Incarnation, our Lord Jesus Christ could not really die, and the cross would have no meaning.

Let us participate in the great banquet that our Lord Jesus Christ has prepared for us, since it is through his sacrifice of his flesh and blood that we were redeemed from sin, flesh and blood that are present in the consecrated bread and wine.

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Is it all penance during the Advent season?

During the liturgical season of Advent, as Catholics we prepare our hearts for the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, doing penance for our sins and being austere to avoid falling into temptation that will take us away from that eternal dwelling that the Lord has reserved for us in heaven. (John 14:2), but neither should we fall into a gloomy mentality, because the Lord will come victorious and full of glory to reign over Heaven and Earth (CCC 1043), and His kingdom will have no end (Luke 1:32-33).

That is why our Holy mother Church teaches us that we must also rejoice during this time of preparation, through “Gaudete” Sunday, the third Sunday during Advent, this is a Sunday of rejoicing, because the Lord is at hand. Let us be filled with joy because we will overcome sin and eternal death through Jesus Christ, King of the universe and redeemer of the world.

Let us joyfully participate in the banquet with which Jesus Christ offers us eternal life (John 6:58). Let us do good works for the benefit of our brothers in Christ, and thus bear good fruit in the eyes of God (Matthew 7:15-20). Let us keep the Bible as a source of continuous reference and let us participate in the joy of the gospel (Evangelii Gaudium 5).

Let us rejoice in the Lord always. Let our gentleness be evident to all. Let us not be anxious about anything, but in every situation  by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God (Philippians 4:4-6).

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How should I prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ?

Advent is a time of preparation, to make us remember that we must be prepared for the moment that our Lord Jesus Christ returns to reign again victor over sin and death, He himself told us to be prepared, because we do not know what day is He coming, since He will come when we least expect it (Matthew 24:42-44).

What should we do then to be ready? Jesus Christ himself through all his ministry has taught us what to do, but He especially left us a guide in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5, 6 and 7), the works of mercy (Matthew 25:35-40), and the sacraments (CCC 1210).

A very important part of our preparation involves receiving the sacraments instituted by Jesus Christ, to be completely part of His Church through the sacraments of initiation, namely; baptism, which frees us from all sins (CCC 1263); confirmation, which roots us more deeply as children of God and increases in us the gifts of the Holy Spirit (CCC 1303) and communion, through which we will have eternal life and are one with Christ (John 6:54-56). Blessing our unions through the sacrament of marriage, because the sanctification of our spouse is our mission (CCC 1661), and thus we love our spouse as Christ loves his Church (Ephesians 5:25). Cleanse our soul from sins committed by going to the sacrament of reconciliation, since, through repentance, confession and penance, we are reconciled again with God and His Church (CCC 1468).

Let us listen to the call made to us by John the Baptist, let us repent and confess our sins, receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit brought to us by Jesus Christ, let us practice the works of mercy, let us feed on the scriptures and on the Body and Blood of our Lord, in order to achieve eternal life.