“Stand erect and raise your heads”

Listening to the Spirit

Come, Holy Spirit,
fill the hearts of your faithful.
And kindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit
and they shall be created.
And you will renew the face of the earth.

Lord,
by the light of the Holy Spirit
you have taught the hearts of your faithful.
In the same Spirit
help us to relish what is right
and always rejoice in your consolation.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. 
Amen.

Listening to the Word

Lk 21:25–28, 34–36

Jesus said to his disciples: “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

Dear brothers and sisters, we are tempted to look only at the immediate things, perhaps so as not to stumble into the stones that clutter the ground, our not easy journey, but if we do not raise our heads, we will never see rainbows born. “Stand erect and raise your heads” (Lk 21, 28)

There is a strange message from Jesus in today's gospel. He is telling us that in the middle of difficulties, trials, sufferings, and hardships, Christians are able to see something different. They can see God at work and realize His plan of Salvation for me and for all the people. What is His plan of salvation. To gather together all the people as one family, where they treat each other as sisters and brothers.

Honestly, despite the gift of faith that I received from my family, I find it difficult to “stand erect and raise the head, because there are times in which the reality seems to go in another direction, toward greater chaos. But today Jesus is telling us, that in this situation we can be able to see that something different and new is being born.

What do we need to be able to see the novelty that Jesus is announcing to us?

First of all a strong faith to stand in the midst of all these things. And then, Luke is offering us some other good advice.

“Beware of your hearts”. We are called wise about our hearts. It is the most precious thing we have, but at the same time, it can become very capricious and drowsy. Therefore Luke is telling us to care for ourselves from dangerous circumstances: carousing and drunkenness and from the anxieties of daily life. Here we can imagine several situations: regular drinking sessions, excess of food and alcohol. But we can also include an excess of Internet, Social Media, FB, Tik-Tok, and videogames. The simple need to have a disciplined life, helping us to avoid addiction to one or another thing.

The other suggestion is to pray constantly and allow God to talk to our hearts and to transform our lives, our minds, and hearts according to His will.

I would like to conclude by inviting each one of you to take a small commitment with yourself for this Advent Season 2021. I believe very much that to remind us of this favorable time through a prayer, in a fixed time of the day or a sign that I intend to fulfill, can allow me really to be awake and be ready to welcome the coming of the newborn child Jesus.

Have a good advent time.