Tempus Fugit

First Reading: Jeremiah 33:14-16

The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah.

In those days, in that time, I will raise up for David a just shoot; he shall do what is right and just in the land.

In those days Judah shall be safe and Jerusalem shall dwell secure; this is what they shall call her: "The LORD our justice."

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14

Second Reading: First Thessalonians 3:12-4:2

And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you, so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. (Amen.)

Finally, brothers, we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that, as you received from us how you should conduct yourselves to please God--and as you are conducting yourselves--you do so even more. For you know what instructions  we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

Gospel: Luke 21:25-28, 34-36

"There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand."

"Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man."

Reflection

By Nats Vibiesca

If Jesus is coming in a cloud with power and great glory in December, I imagine that many of us will get caught unaware because it is the month when we are too preoccupied by partying, shopping spree, and many merry making activities to celebrate the birth of Jesus. At least some people are preparing for something big on December 12, 2012 (12/12/12), as they say that the ancient Mayan calendar's cycle will stop and then restart, and that something significant will take place.


But the Gospel gave us a clear warning: Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap!

It simply means that we should focus on doing what is really important.

Let me share some points about using time wisely from the two books that I’m reading this Advent season: “Managing Your Time, Energy, and Talents in Ministry” by John P. Flanagan and “Love Without Conditions” by Paul Ferrini.

Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen wrote a reply to Deacon Flanagan asking the Archbishop to share his secret on how he manages his time and talents so effectively in ministry: “In my book, Those Mysterious Priests, you will find a development of the idea that I have used for sixty years, in managing a busy life and allowing time for God, namely, the Holy Hour.” In his book, Sheen credits this practice of spending two hours each morning before the Blessed Sacrament as the source of his spiritual strength.

Most priests have mastered the art of managing time to spend an hour a day in the adoration chapel, but for a number of busy lay sinners like me, spending two hours or even one hour a day before the Blessed Sacrament is really a struggle. Nonetheless, in the book “Love Without Conditions”, Ferrini in the mind of Jesus, narrates: I do not ask you to meditate or pray for an hour a day, although there is nothing wrong with this. I simply ask you to remember your Divine Essence for five minutes out of each hour, or for one thought out of every ten. Let your remembrance of God be continual, so that you do not get absorbed in the soap opera of your life. For six days you could be absorbed in the drama of work and struggle, but on the seventh day you were to remember God. The seventh day was to be a day of rest, of turning inward. When you eat, God will sit at your table. When you speak with your brother, God will remind you to say something encouraging to him. And when you forget all this and yell at your wife or husband, God will reach out and touch you gently and say with good humor: “Welcome to the soap opera.” And you will learn to laugh at yourself and not take your self-initiated drama so seriously.

Material attachments are common distractions to be always in God’s presence. But God is not asking me to give up all my attachments. The Lord simply asks me to become aware of my attachments in life. It’s not easy to get rid of the many excess baggage and material attachments but the wise use of time will remove anything that make us hardhearted. We can best prepare for a happy death and meet the Lord by living as though each minute, hour, and day is the most important and most precious gift from God.

Why wait for the coming of the Lord in the end of time when God can be with us all the time?

Tempus fugit et nos fugimus in illus. (Time flies and we fly with it.) –Ovid (23-18 B.C.)

Prayer

Generous and ever loving God, You have given us the gift of time with great responsibility to use it according to the talents You have entrusted us. Thank You for helping us remember You every minute of our lives especially when we are tired of our work, burned out with problems in our family, and afraid of the things that will separate us from Your Divine Presence. Keep us always vigilant and sober to strengthen our hearts in love and faith in You. Amen.