Sunday, December 4, 2022
Matthew 3:1 - 12
Repent!
Before we host a party, we plan time to clean. It’s almost second nature, and sometimes it’s an excellent opportunity to purge and reorganize.
Advent is a spiritual time of preparation, and one of the ways we can prepare for the gift of Jesus at Christmas is through Confession. “Repent!” John the Baptist proclaims to us. It’s a task we all too easily ignore, forget, and let slip. Confession is the sacrament we mostly love to hate.
And yet, what better way to be ready for Jesus than to have a clean soul? What better gift to give Him than your sin-free self? What better pause than the one you spend with Him in this sacrament?
Among the many things, you have to do already, carve out the time to go to Confession. Check if there’s a penance service happening nearby. Perhaps you have access to a priest’s calendar and can schedule it. Or maybe you can show up and hope for the best.
Think of your joy, both now and on Christmas Day!
Daily Prayer
God, I want to repent, and I need your help to make that happen. Be my guide and be my inspiration as I struggle to fit one more thing into my schedule. Let my time be yours and let Confession be something that happens this Advent.
SOURCE: Creighton University Online Ministries
Advent Wreath
As part of the celebration leading up to Christmas we have included a prayer for the weekly Advent wreath candle lighting. Make this part of your family Advent practices. Light the second candle of the wreath after saying the prayer below.
Prayers for Lighting the Advent Wreath Candles
O Lord, stir up our hearts that we may prepare for Thy only begotten Son, that through His coming we may be made worthy to serve Thee with pure minds. Through Christ our Lord. Amen
