GOING TO GOD’S HOUSE REJOICING

The prophet Isaiah tells us that, ‘…many peoples shall come and say: Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths…O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord’ (cf Is 2:1-5). The Psalmist enjoins on us saying, ‘Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord’. He further says, ‘I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord…May they prosper, those who love you. May peace abide in your walls and security be in your towers…’ (cf Ps 122(121). St Paul writing to the Romans and therefore to us says, ‘Brothers and sisters: You know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand…’ (cf Rm 13:11-14a). In the gospel, the Lord tells us, ‘…stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming…you must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect’ (cf Mt 24:37-44).

Beloved people of God, this Advent, we wait for the Lord’s coming by making a positive act of the will to stay awake because the Lord is coming at an hour we do not know. We also prepare for it by actively rising to go to his house. It is very important to point out that our attitude and disposition while going to God’s house matter a lot. We need to go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

We pray for the grace to be an integral part of the ‘us’ that will go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, rejoicing. Let us resolve to run forth to meet Christ with righteous deeds at his coming.

     Fr. Ted