2nd Sunday of Advent

Mountains and valleys are beautiful to look at until you have to climb or cross them.   

Jerusalem is  high up on a hill and to get to the mountain of Olives, You have to go down into the Kidron Valley cross through it and then climb  out of the valley and up into the mountain of olives.  

In Israel you were always either climbing a mountain or crossing a valley,

So when Isaiah says that God will fill in the valleys and lower the mountains, 

for people who have to walk everywhere imagine how wonderful that would be!

 But the real mountains that we climb and real valleys that we have to cross are those in our own minds and hearts.  

The fields are are beautiful, nice and flat and you can see for miles

 and then one day you wake up there is a mountain in front of you to climb 

or a valley so low that you think you will never be able to cross it.   

And we try everything at our disposal and all of our resources and knowledge and energy and we come up short.  

Jesus is the one the only one who can get us up those mountains and across those valleys because He has climbed His Mount Calvary and He is the Good Shepherd Who has crossed through the Valley of Death.  

Five times Saint Paul received 40 lashes less one; 

Three  times he was beaten with rods and was stoned; 

Three times he was ship wrecked and spent a day and a night adrift on the sea ; 

He spent many a night hungry and thirsty; 

attacked by Jews and Gentiles and betrayed by friends.  

How did he manage to climb those mountains and cross those valleys?  

As He said  “ I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me.”

 Life is filled with mountains to climb and valleys to cross. 

 It is always best to have a Good Shepherd Who has crossed that Valley and a Guide Who has climbed that Mountain

Friday 1st. Week of Advent

 Open our eyes. Mt. 9:27-31

Two blind men asked Jesus to open their eyes,

As they cried out “Son of David, have pity on us.”

What however is the greater blindness,

Those who cannot see with their eyes;

Or those who cannot see with their minds?

Do we dare call out to Jesus and ask Him

To open our minds to see?

To see the needs and suffering of those around us.?

To see ourselves

To see what we have done and what we have failed to do?

And when we do see,

All we will be able to say is,

Son of David, have pity on us!

Thursday 1st. Week of Advent

 The Key to Heaven. Mt. 7:21

Everyone wants to go to Heaven. 

But how does one get there?

Simple; do the Will of God. 

Jesus said only those who do the Will of His Heavenly Father

Will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. 

That makes sense because it IS God’s House. 

And if we want to enter His House,

Just calling on His Name,

Lord, Lord is not enough. 

 

We need to do God’s Will;

For doing God’s Will and not out own

Is the Key to entering the Kingdom of Heaven

Wednesday 1st. Week of Advent

Tears and Hungers Is. 25:6-10

What are you hungry for ?

What tears do you need wiped away?

We hunger for many things in this world and we are never satisfied; 

Never filled. 

We have many sorrows and our tears are never wiped away. 

On the Day of the Lord however,

Isaiah less us that there will be a feast of rich food and choice wines. 

And that God will wipe away all the tears from our eyes. 

Only the Lord is our shepherd who prepares a banquet for us,

And who will lead us through our dark valleys into green pastures. 

Tuesday 1st. Week of Advent

Everything!  Lk. 10:21-22

Jesus is truly the Son of God,

Because “Everything” that the Father has,

He has given to His Son. Lk. 10:22

The Father has shared with His Son, everything that He is and has. 

This is why No one knows the Son except the Father

And no one knows the Father except the Son. 

If you want to know God, then you must know Jesus. 

For ONLY Jesus can reveal God the Father. 

And no one else. 

For the Father has given EVERYTHING to His Son. 

And Jesus gives everything  He has received from His Father to us. 

Monday 1st Week of Advent

 Jesus comes for everyone Mt. 8:5-11

Ever since Abraham

The Jews were God’s chosen people. 

They were set apart from the rest of the world. 

But when Jesus came and opened His arms on the cross,

He welcomed all who came to Him. 

So when the Roman Centurion came to Jesus;

Unworthy as he was;

Jesus welcomed Him too. 

We must not allow our unworthiness to keep us from Jesus. 

For Jesus welcomes everyone who comes to Him. 

But like the centurion we must first believe in Him. 

For Faith is the key that opens our hearts to Jesus. 

1st. Sunday of Advent

 Being Prepared. Lk. 21:25-36

We prepare for many things from Snowstorms to Christmas to vacations to weddings. 

But who really prepares for the Second Coming of Jesus. 

When was the last time, or even the first time,

You sat down and wondered what you need to do to be prepared for the Second Coming of Jesus?

While we believe that Jesus is going to come back one day,

Many people don’t believe it will be tomorrow. 

So they put off preparing for it. 

We think we are too busy to prepare for it. 

We have things to do today. 

The list is endless. 

I can’t possibly get everything done I need to do today 

Let alone worry about Jesus coming tomorrow. 

But it is at precisely that moment. 

When we are in over our heads and don’t know what to do first 

When this world is throwing everything and the kitchen sink at us. 

That we must stop and think about Jesus coming back. 

and what that Day will be like. 

Because if we do 

Then suddenly our priorities will become clear. 

We will be able to sort throughout all the chaos and things we have to do 

And see what is really important. 

If you believe that Jesus is coming tomorrow 

It will change everything you do today. 

If you prepare for the coming of Jesus Tomorrow 

You will also be prepared for whatever the world throws at you Today!