On the feast of Christ the King, just prior to the beginning of Advent, we heard the great parable of the sheep and the goats being separated one from another—judged on the criteria of their charity or lack thereof. Christ will return at the end of time and we will be judged—did we love or not.
But God does not does expect us to do something that He himself has not done. In fact, recall the scripture that God is love. Deus Caritas Est. We are to love because we were made to do so. We were made in the image of the One who is love—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—a communion of life and love.
In the Isaiah reading today, we hear of God coming to the rescue of the blind, the deaf, the lame, and the mute. He restores them to life out of love. He restores creation making it safe from vicious jackals and tepid marshes out of love. He makes it a place where those he has ransomed out of love can sing in peace and joy. Isaiah foretells that God will come to the aid of his people to save us from sin and death. His motivation is love.
And so in the Gospel, we hear the Lord praising the charity, the love, of the friends of the paralyzed. Aware of their friend’s misery, these friends use their hands and feet to overcome obstacles to bring their friend to the Lord. They go to what many might think to be excessive ends—climbing to the top of a roof—in order to bring their friend close to Jesus, and they do so out of love.
Advent calls us to love—to go to excessive ends to bring relief to the blind, deaf, lame, mute, poor, and paralyzed—to the physically helpless and afflicted. But also, to the spiritually helpless and afflicted—those afflicted with atheism, doubt, discouragement, confusion, error, malaise, and even pride—to bring them close to Jesus if we can. And we do so out of love—love for them and love for God.
And when we are faithful to the call to love, we are transformed by love into love growing in likeness to the one we prepare to celebrate at Christmas, then one who will judge us at the end of our lives for our charity. Salvation and the Christian life means entering into the life of God who is love, allowing our conversations, decisions, work and leisure to be animated by love for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.
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We raise up our prayers of petitions, as we await with longing the Advent of Christ the Lord.
That Christ may fill the Pope, our Bishop, and all the clergy with spiritual gifts and graces and for an increase in charity among all the people of God, that cleansed of every vain and selfish desire we may be instruments of the love of God.
That Christ may guide the minds of those who govern us to promote the common good according to His Holy Will.
That Christ may banish disease, drive out hunger, and ward off every affliction.
For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.
Almighty ever-living God, who bring salvation to all and desire that no one should perish, hear the prayers of your people and grant that the course of our world may be directed by your peaceful rule and your Church rejoice in tranquility and devotion. Through Christ our Lord.
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