A Reading from the Gospel according to Mark
Jesus said to his disciples:
"In those days after that tribulation
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
and the stars will be falling from the sky,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
"And then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in the clouds'
with great power and glory,
and then he will send out the angels
and gather his elect from the four winds,
from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.
"Learn a lesson from the fig tree.
When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves,
you know that summer is near.
In the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that he is near, at the gates.
Amen, I say to you,
this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away.
"But of that day or hour, no one knows,
neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
As we approach the holiday season and the season of Advent within the Church, we begin to see neighbors set up decorations and we might even hear the same Christmas songs begin to play over and over on the radio. Often, I have wondered whether or not I am truly preparing myself for this incredible season that we are rapidly approaching.
In this week’s Gospel, Jesus speaks about the need to be prepared. In the Gospel verses, Jesus tells His followers to be prepared and to keep watch for signs and for when the Son of Man comes again. At first glance, it appears Jesus is speaking about the end times, and He most certainly is, but on a deeper level how can we apply this message to our lives today? Many people go all out preparing their houses inside and out for the Christmas season in a way similar to that depicted in the movie “Battle of the Bulbs” (throwing giant Christmas lights all over), but how can we prepare ourselves spiritually?
Well, while we can’t actually throw up Christmas decorations physically in our heart and in our soul, there are other ways to prepare ourselves to welcome baby Jesus that don’t involve playing “Little Drummer Boy” on repeat.
Oftentimes when approaching major events, I like to fall back to the basics to help prepare myself to receive Jesus. Adoration is a wonderful place to begin to prepare ourselves for the coming of the Son of Man. In adoration we are gazing right at the Son of Man, Jesus Himself, truly present in the Blessed Sacrament, so what better place to go to prepare. Another wonderful gift to better prepare ourselves for the coming of the Son of Man is to consider going to confession. Like when you are preparing your house to receive family members and guest during the holiday seasons, your soul, like your house, could possibly use a little tidying up if it has been some time. Another possible thing to consider is taking up a penance like less social media so that we can spend more time preparing ourselves for the coming of Baby Jesus. A final idea to consider is simply to sit and read Sacred Scripture and pray and reflect on Mary’s preparation for the birth of her Son. This is a great way to prepare ourselves to receive Jesus and can help challenge our reflections.
All of these ideas have helped me to keep watch in the past. I hope and pray everyone has a wonderful and fruitful Advent season. I end with a request, be prepared and keep watch!
This week, I want to encourage you all to pray with these questions to begin to prepare yourself for Advent: How can we better prepare yourselves and our families to receive Christ this Advent and Christmas season? What is one spiritual goal you might possibly want to accomplish this Advent? How could you “keep watch?”
About the Author: Matt is from Baton Rouge and currently attends Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University (FranU), where he has had the chance to take part in various service opportunities such as The Franciscan Experience.. Matt is also an altar server at Saint Agnes Catholic Church.
The Well is a weekly reflection series from Red Stick Catholics that was created to allow young adults from the Diocese of Baton Rouge to reveal how God is speaking to them through prayer and Scripture. Each reflection contains the upcoming Sunday’s Gospel, a reflection written by a young adult from the Diocese of Baton Rouge and prompts for how to pray with the Gospel and reflection during the week.