My dear parishioners and visitors,
We pray together to our almighty and merciful God in the opening of this 2nd Sunday of Advent that “may no earthy undertaking hinder those who set out in haste to meet your Son, but may our learning of heavenly wisdom gain us admittance to his company”.
It is a beautiful prayer as we enter into the 2nd week of Advent. So I would like to ask all of us taking times this week to look at our lives and to see where we are now spiritually at this moment and what is or are in our lives that hindering us to grow stronger in our faith, hope and love for God and for His Church and what we can do to make us to be a better person and more important to be a better Catholic.
Let us take this prayer and make it as our own personal prayer for one another during this week so that nothing may hinder us and everyone in this community of Quesnel to celebrate the birth of Jesus with joy and grace.
Through the three readings for this Sunday Isaiah, Paul and John the Baptist, in the gospel reading, give us “a heavenly wisdom” by calling us to prepare the way of the Lord, to make his paths straight, to light up every valley, to make low every mountain, to level the uneven grounds. Then “the glory of the Lord will be revealed”, Isaiah told us. “May our learning of heavenly wisdom gain us admittance to his company” (the opening prayer)
A way, a road, a mountain, a valley, an uneven ground need to be corrected, rebuild and made straight could be our unhealthy and sinful lifestyles, our uncharitable ways of thinking, bad attitudes and unforgiving thoughts about one another, or our crooked dealings with others.
Each of us may have our own personal “unholy mountain, uneven ground, dark valley of sinful habits” called “the Capital Sins: pride, lust, greed or avarice, envy, anger, gluttony and sloth”.
Advent is great times for repentance and confession of sins. Open our hearts and minds to “the heavenly wisdom” of Isaiah, Paul and John the Baptist by having a good examination of conscience this week and then come to receive the sacrament of reconciliation on December 17th at 7.00p.m.
Have a good week and a blessed Advent Season.
Fr. Peter Hoan Nguyen, your pastor