Giving as Sacrifice, not out of Excess

Author: Chrisma C. Bangaoil
As we wait, let us do so with hope, vigilance, and readiness. Align your heart with holiness, stay prayerful, and eagerly anticipate the redemption that is at hand.
Reflection Date: December 1, 2024 First Sunday of Advent
Daily Readings: Jeremiah 33:14-16; 1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2; Luke 21:25-28, 34-36

We all wait for something or someone. Depending on what or who we are waiting for, we can either feel excited or anxious.

How do we wait? Better yet, how should we wait? Let us count the ways according to the Gospel today.

First, the Gospel says, “Stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.” This tells us to wait with hope, which translates to excitement and eagerness, not stress and anxiety. But this is only possible if we truly believe and have aligned our lives with what we are waiting for. Why are many of us afraid of what is to come instead of rejoicing? It is because we are not ready. It is because we know that we have wasted our lives on something else.

This leads to the second point. The Gospel tells us to beware that our hearts do not become drowsy from carousing, drunkenness, and the anxieties of daily life. Are our hearts attuned to the call for holiness, or are they too attached to the world?

Third, we should be vigilant at all times. I call this Christian readiness, which we can nurture by regularly receiving the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Fourth, we are exhorted to pray that we may have the strength to escape the tribulations that obstruct our way to holiness.

As Christians, we wait with hope and joy. We wait with grateful anticipation. May we always exclaim, “To You, O Lord, I lift my soul,” to strengthen our hearts and be blameless in holiness before God.

A Call to Action for Catholic Living: Wait with hope and joy, aligning your life with God’s will. Stay vigilant, nourish your faith through the Eucharist and Reconciliation, and pray for strength to overcome life's trials. Let your heart be attuned to holiness as you await the coming of the Lord.