1ST WEEK OF ADVENT

Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the Kingdom of heaven.

We all know that talk is cheap. If our actions don’t back up our words, our words don’t mean much. So when we say, “Jesus is Lord,” we have to back it up by the way we live. Yet we all struggle with living out this truth every moment of every day. So what hope do we have of entering Jesus’ kingdom if our words are not enough?

We can place our hope in Jesus! He has given us the gifts we need to build our spiritual house on a solid foundation. These are the gifts that enable us to live out the words we say every time we call Jesus our Lord and Savior.

First and foremost, he has given us the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, which cleanse us of original sin and empower us through the Holy Spirit. Second, he has given us the Scriptures and the teachings of the Church, which are the “blueprints” for our spiritual house. We also have the gift of the Eucharist, Jesus’ own Body and Blood, to fill us with his life and strengthen our hearts for the calling God has for us.

With all these gifts, you would think that building our house on the solid rock of Jesus’ word would be easy. But we know that’s not always true. Temptation is never far away, and we sometimes give in. When this happens, our spiritual house can become weakened or fall into disrepair. If it happens too often, we risk seeing our house collapse altogether.

What a good thing, then, that Jesus has also given us the Sacrament of Reconciliation, which can help repair our spiritual foundation. Confession can be a wonderfully freeing experience! As you lay your sins at the foot of the cross, you can find yourself refreshed and renewed. As you listen to the words of forgiveness and consolation from the priest, you can find the strength and encouragement to get back to building your life on the most reliable and trustworthy foundation ever: Jesus himself. So try to get to Confession before Christmas, and see what God does in your heart as a result.

“Jesus, give me the courage to make a good confession this Advent.”

Isaiah 26:1-6
Psalm 118:1, 8-9, 19-21, 25-27
Matthew 7:21, 24-27