First Sunday Advent December 3, 2023

Readings: Isaiah :2, 1-5;  Romans:13, 11-14;  Mathew: 24, 37-44

God wants all men to be saved. In Christ he has called all peoples and nations to salvation. We are to appreciate all that is good, just and holy in a person, quite apart from his race, culture or creed. St. Thomas teaches that all truth, no matter who expresses it, comes from the Holy Spirit. In keeping with this, and without loss of our identity, we are to be open to dialogue with our separated brethren, with fellow-workers and even with friends who profess non-Christian beliefs. Given that the Church is the sacrament of salvation, we must be committed to the apostolic and missionary action of the Church,

Vigilance is an eminently Christian virtue. We must practice it, notwithstanding the attractions and appeals of the world we live in, and the passions that nestle in our hearts and tempt us to look down to earth rather than to gaze at heaven. Vigilance on the part of shepherds for their "sheep" means to lead them to good pasture, to search for those who have strayed, to cure the sick, and to feed all with the bread of the Word and the Eucharist. Vigilance on the part of parents for their children means to lead them in the way of the Gospel, and to give them a solid Christian formation. Vigilance on the part of teachers for their students is to show them the path of truth and goodness, to enlighten them in times of darkness, and to support them during trials and difficulties. Belief in the Second Coming of Christ posits a Christian ethic committed to the education of man and the establishment of a society that is ever more noble and welcoming. 

                                                                                                           Fr. Terry