Don’t Forget Christ!

I rejoiced when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord”. 

Psalm 122:1

Today is the second day of Advent. The word comes from the Latin word adventus, which means "arrival" or "coming". For Catholics and many Christians around the world, Advent is the first season of the liturgical year or the church year. This is a special holy season during which each of us has the opportunity to share in the ancient longing for the coming of the Messiah, to be watchful for His Second Coming.

During our community celebration yesterday, Kuya Vic Gutierrez gave a talk and shared a cute story about his granddaughter Angela who lives in the US. She calls him her ‘best friend’. She adores him so much, she misses him when he is here in the Philippines. One time she asked her mom to make a video of her to send to her grandfather. In it she is crying, and pleading with him to come for a visit. “Please, lolo, you are old already. Please come!” 

Kuya Vic concluded that we should be like that and more with Jesus. We should long for Him. We should yearn to see His face. We should hunger and thirst for more of Him. Instead of the substantial food of God’s Word and His presence, we can be satiated with the sugar and sweets of the froth of Christmas, the sights and sounds, the tinsel on the tree, the icing on the pastries. Where is Jesus in our festivities? 

In the homily during mass yesterday, the priest told a funny story of a family preparing for the baptism of their baby. They were so busy preparing for the celebration, the lechon (suckling pig), the salad, the decor, their party clothes, but when they got to the Church, they forgot the baby! Never let it be said of us that during Christmas, we forgot the birthday celebrant!!!!

During this season of preparation, let us take some special time to ready our hearts to receive Him. Is there room for Christ in the inn of our hearts?