"Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, [then] I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me. I will give the victor the right to sit with me on my throne, as I myself first won the victory and sit with my Father on his throne."
Today, begins the season of Advent. In the Gospel of Mark this morning, we hear the words of Christ, Our Lord and King, "Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come. It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his work, and orders the gate keeper to be on the watch. Watch, therefore; you do not know when the lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning. May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: Watch!"
Those of us who received the Eucharist this morning, were called to be like Mary. We were called to receive the body of the Lord into our very selves. May we be impregnated with the love of Christ that our good works before the sight of all men might point to the love of our Lord and Kind reigning from the throne of our hearts. Like the stable in Bethlehem, our souls are humble quarters for the birth of our Lord and King. Our heart too, is crude in the same manner as the manger, yet it is the throne Emmanuel desires to rule and govern our very lives from each day. Will we answer the knock at the door to our hearts this Advent, or will we be so filled with the anxieties plaguing the world during the holiday season that, like the inn keeper, we turn away our Lord and King because we have no room in our hearts for him?
Until Advent becomes our Little Lent in which we heed the words of the voice crying out in the wilderness, "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!", the Christ-Child will find no room in our hearts. For we are called to be like Jesus and in response to our Lord and King, we must echo his words, "This is my body which will be given up for you." Will we carry our crosses and die each day to ourselves this Advent, embracing our cross out of love that we might offer ourselves in a fitting sacrifice to him who is Love and Mercy himself? Will we allow Christ to descend into the hell of selfish-love in each of our hearts that he may conquer the sin and death which plagues each of us? Will we submit ourselves totally to the the gentle hands of our Creator that he might mold and makes us into a new creation, in the hope the image of God in which we were created might be restored to its proper likeness?
Let us pray:
"Father, in the wilderness of the Jordan you sent a messenger to prepare people's hearts for the coming of your Son. Help me to hear his words and repent of my sins, so that I may clearly see the way to walk, the truth to speak, and the life to live for Him, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen."
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on us, sinners!
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death! Amen.
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