Our Lady Of Good Counsel

​​​​​​​

Maranatha - Come, Lord Jesus, come.

       This Sunday (11/27/22) marks the beginning of our liturgical year as people of God under the new covenant of Jesus, our Lord, and Savior. We enter this Advent season with zeal and enthusiasm to prepare ourselves for the Lord. Maranatha - Come, Lord Jesus, is our slogan for this season and all the days of our lives. We await the Lord’s coming in excitement and trust because we want to experience salvation.

       We are reminded through the readings, particularly the Gospel, to be prepared for His coming. “Be sure of this; if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come”. – Matthew 24: 43-44

       I invite everyone to make these four weeks of Advent very real in our lives. Do not let it pass by in the festivities, decorations, sending cards, gift-giving, and parties, but rather an inner journey of solace and peace in preparation for the Lord’s coming. Choose to read the Bible and pray the Rosary. Let Mother Mary be our companion and friend. Prepare our hearts and souls through proper examination of conscience, and make an effort and decision to make a true confession, with sorrow for sins. Thus, prepare the Crib in our hearts. Make a “garage sale” of our hurts by digging deep into our hearts and minds and taking out all the pains, ill feelings, misunderstandings, frictions, and hatreds. Fill our hearts, as it is the Crib, with the four graces that the Advent candles represent; hope, peace, joy, and love. Thus, we will have the true Christmas because Baby Jesus will be born in the nicely prepared hearts of everyone. When He is welcomed this way into our hearts, we will experience His peace, joy, and love.

May you all have a great Advent season leading
to a great Christmas season.
God bless you all.