Prepare for the Lord by weaning ourselves from the world
This is the first week of the Church’s year and we await the Lord’s coming. Jesus came to show us what love looks like – by the sign of the cross. Fr. Steve reads the collect and the prayer after communion from today, which speak of the beauty of loving the things of heaven, even now as we pass through this world. If we have done righteous deeds we will go to meet him when he returns – and who knows when he will come? Next year? Tomorrow? Today?
Fr. Steve encourages us to restrict our screen time, to wean ourselves from the things of this world and he gives examples from his own life as he was growing up. When we pull back from TV, computers, and cell phones we give ourselves time that we can use profitably for the kingdom of God, instead of wasting our time with what fails to satisfy or serve. We should pursue engagement with others, discussion of the things of the Lord, and prayer.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus predicts the signs of the end arriving and how we should prepare ourselves for it. If we make some effort towards paying attention to the things the Lord, he will meet us there. This Advent, let us pare out of our lives the things that are distracting us and instead carve out more time to listen to the Lord, to pray and to, hopefully, one day be received into heaven.
