YEAR OF PRAYER First Sunday of Advent

First Sunday of Advent  As we begin this Year of Prayer we are immediately drawn into the Gospel of St Luke.  At Christmas we will hear of the birth of Christ but this Sunday we listen to some of the final words of the Gospel when Jesus speaks of the end of the world ‘on earth nations in agony…..when the powers of the heaven will be shaken’.  It reminds us of the twofold nature of Advent. We are called to prepare for the celebration of Jesus’ nativity but also to make way for the second coming of Christ at the end of time.   The two comings of Christ go together and if we have accepted the first we have nothing to fear from the second.  The word of Jesus is to trust in him.  ‘When these things begin to take place, stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand.’