From today's Gospel LK 21:34-36

"Jesus said to his disciples: “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man".

Brethren, Imagine those Christians caught by ISIS in Iraq;reading this scripture, at this time three (3) years ago. Things were "normal" at that time, like it is around us today. Some of them may have been : getting tired of "dying daily" in their flesh, getting bored by the constant struggle against the allures of the world, having a feeling of entitlement to indulge themselves- to live life by the dictates of modernism...Yet today, how many of such numbers have shed their blood in the most horrific of ways, butchered, burnt or buried alive, crucified, stoned, shot etc. How many still alive are living in the most wretched of ways, maimed, raped, enslaved, and forced to "convert" to Islam. If it could happen to the Iraqi Christians, why do we think it's impossible to us, why do we abandon our duty post for the world? Take note that when Peter got "bored of his duty post" and returned to fishing, it paid him nothing until Jesus came. Jn 21:3-6. Today Jesus rings the morning bell, He blows the rising beagle, He seems to say "Wake up o sleeper, stand erect you who are slouched, hold the forth you warrior...Pray that you might have grace, aye, grace in abundance, for my grace, only my grace, is sufficient for you".

Good morning brethren, a splendid day ahead to all.

may God bless the church

Fr Francis' reflection will do us some good today:

Reflection on 1st sunday of Advent Year C

Today is the First Sunday of ADVENT and with this we WELCOME a new Liturgical year with a new cycle of prayers and Scripture readings – Cycle C of St. Luke. Literally speaking, the term 'advent' comes from a Latin word meaning 'coming' or 'arrival' of someone, but in the Christian liturgical sense it specifically refers to 'the coming of Christ.' So, “Advent” is a Holy Season when we spiritually prepare ourselves for “the Coming of Christ.”

Now, speaking of 'the coming of Christ', we find that it is a mystery, for there is not one, but three comings of Christ: (1) Christ has already come in the past about 2000 years ago, (2) Christ will come in future at the end of the world and (3) Christ still comes today in the sacraments – very specifically through the Eucharist. Thus in a general sense, the period of Advent encompasses all time viz. Past, Future & Present. So, a Christian in this sense is always a citizen of Advent. Therefore, it is not surprising that we begin the new Liturgical Year this Sunday, with the same theme of 'the coming of Christ', where we actually ended the old Liturgical Year last Sunday.

Generally speaking, we have about four weeks of Advent and the four Sundays of Advent are supposed to immediately prepare us for the celebration of Christmas, but they have an even more important preparation in mind viz; the readiness of each one of us for the second and final coming of Christ at the end of the world; and this we do by means of our constant and active involvement through properly welcoming Christ, and receiving him in our hearts who comes to us today in sacraments.

We have the First Reading of today taken from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah. Now, Jeremiah has something of a reputation for being a 'prophet of doom' and one may even refer to others who seem constantly to be miserable or pessimistic as a 'real Jeremiah.' But today’s First Reading shows that we may not always have the whole truth about Jeremiah, for it is a reading of promise that all shall be well. Jeremiah actually wrote this when the nation of Israel was in chaos. The great kingdom of David had now been split into the Houses of Israel and Judah and the forces of Babylon were over-running the Southern Kingdom of Judah. People were being exiled to Babylon, great estates were being confiscated and the people were beginning to feel that God had finally forsaken His people. But for Jeremiah, the cause of this catastrophe was quite simple: the infidelity of the Hebrews to their covenantal promises. And he proclaims that God is always faithful to His promises, and so, he speaks about hope. The God who raised David and made him a great king will raise up a new king from his line. The 'tree', that is, the House of David may have been cut down, but from its roots a new shoot will appear. This new shoot will grow strong and in his day integrity and truth shall flourish - “I will make a virtuous Branch grow for David who shall practice honesty and integrity in the land.” This passage refers prophetically to the coming of Jesus, our King and Savior - That is the coming of the Child Jesus in Bethlehem, which we anticipate and prepare for in these four weeks of Advent. That is what we may call the First Coming.

The Gospel Reading of today according to St. Luke speaks in ominous terms of the end of the world and what we refer to as the Second Coming of Jesus at the end of time: “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves... And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”

Here Jesus speaks dramatically and graphically about an apocalypse, a cosmic upheaval - skies darkening, waters raging, and winds roaring – “signs” that will signal “the coming of Christ with power and glory.” We need to emphasize that the description of events is not to be understood literally as a prophecy of what is actually going to happen. Rather we are to look at the inner meaning of these happenings. The cosmic disturbances about the sun, moon and stars are traditional ways of describing manifestations of God's judgment of Israel. In ancient Israelite times, people believed that the sun, moon and stars represented deities who controlled world affairs. Israel believed that when God acted, these celestial bodies would be disturbed. So, what is being said here is that these celestial bodies which other nations believed controlled history would be shown to be helpless under the power of God.
However, there is still a third coming which forms an important and indispensable link between the First and Second Comings. That is what is spoken about in the Second Reading of today from the 1st Letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians. It is the welcoming of Jesus into our lives in the here and now. This is something which takes place every day. By it we both acknowledge the First Coming of Jesus in Bethlehem and prepare for the Second Coming at an unknown future date. Actually, the early Christians believed that Christ's Second coming would take place in the quite near future – and so, they very eagerly waited for it, neglecting their current duties. So, Paul strongly urges them not to so anticipate the 'world to come' that they forget how to live and behave here and now in 'this world.' Yes, Paul says, care for one another, pray earnestly, please God in your everyday behavior, and be ready when the 'Day of the Lord' comes to you and me in the mystery of death. Paul might as well ask us: 'What would we do differently today if we knew that this was indeed our last day?'

Lord, draw us closer to you this advent.
Amen
Happy Sunday Brethren.

^^^Happy Sunday Jennydoris. Thanks for sharing.

Happy Catholic new year. May the celebrations this Advent bring us joy

A new liturgical year begins.

The Pope's visit was inspiring. Sharing some pictures.

Picture One - Pope Francis arriving the grounds of University of Nairobi.

Picture Two - Pope Francis and Sister Ida (she sew the Pope's vestments for Masses in Kenya)...am still a toddler beside these two!

Picture Three- Some of the Priests. On Kenya's social media, many were joking that this is one of the reasons there is scarcity of husbands!

Picture Four. During the Mass celebration at the University of Nairobi grounds.

More.

Last Picture - Kenyan President and his wife, a Catholic couple.

babestell:
Happy Catholic new year. May the celebrations this Advent bring us joy

Hmm...Welcome.

Have you thought of where to spend the eternity after spending 120 years or more on earth, depending on how long you want to live on planet earth. The truth is that after spending couple of years on earth, one must cross over. It is either through rapture or death. Eternity consists of hell and heaven. As for me and my entire household, we are heaven conscious because earth is temporal while eternity is permanent. Make Your choice. John 15
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
John 15
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
2 Corinthians 5
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
If you have not given your life to CHRIST, say this prayer:
LORD JESUS, i come to you as a sinner, i believe that you died and resurrected for me, forgive my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I accept you as my personal LORD and Saviour. Thank you LORD in JESUS Name! Amen!
If you prayed this prayer drop a comment. If you want to ask questions, kindly drop it here. GOD bless you

pillarmaria:
may God bless the church

Amen
Welcome to the house sis

Jennydoris:
Fr Francis' reflection will do us some good today:

Reflection on 1st sunday of Advent Year C

Today is the First Sunday of ADVENT and with this we WELCOME a new Liturgical year with a new cycle of prayers and Scripture readings – Cycle C of St. Luke. Literally speaking, the term 'advent' comes from a Latin word meaning 'coming' or 'arrival' of someone, but in the Christian liturgical sense it specifically refers to 'the coming of Christ.' So, “Advent” is a Holy Season when we spiritually prepare ourselves for “the Coming of Christ.”

Now, speaking of 'the coming of Christ', we find that it is a mystery, for there is not one, but three comings of Christ: (1) Christ has already come in the past about 2000 years ago, (2) Christ will come in future at the end of the world and (3) Christ still comes today in the sacraments – very specifically through the Eucharist. Thus in a general sense, the period of Advent encompasses all time viz. Past, Future & Present. So, a Christian in this sense is always a citizen of Advent. Therefore, it is not surprising that we begin the new Liturgical Year this Sunday, with the same theme of 'the coming of Christ', where we actually ended the old Liturgical Year last Sunday.

Generally speaking, we have about four weeks of Advent and the four Sundays of Advent are supposed to immediately prepare us for the celebration of Christmas, but they have an even more important preparation in mind viz; the readiness of each one of us for the second and final coming of Christ at the end of the world; and this we do by means of our constant and active involvement through properly welcoming Christ, and receiving him in our hearts who comes to us today in sacraments.

We have the First Reading of today taken from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah. Now, Jeremiah has something of a reputation for being a 'prophet of doom' and one may even refer to others who seem constantly to be miserable or pessimistic as a 'real Jeremiah.' But today’s First Reading shows that we may not always have the whole truth about Jeremiah, for it is a reading of promise that all shall be well. Jeremiah actually wrote this when the nation of Israel was in chaos. The great kingdom of David had now been split into the Houses of Israel and Judah and the forces of Babylon were over-running the Southern Kingdom of Judah. People were being exiled to Babylon, great estates were being confiscated and the people were beginning to feel that God had finally forsaken His people. But for Jeremiah, the cause of this catastrophe was quite simple: the infidelity of the Hebrews to their covenantal promises. And he proclaims that God is always faithful to His promises, and so, he speaks about hope. The God who raised David and made him a great king will raise up a new king from his line. The 'tree', that is, the House of David may have been cut down, but from its roots a new shoot will appear. This new shoot will grow strong and in his day integrity and truth shall flourish - “I will make a virtuous Branch grow for David who shall practice honesty and integrity in the land.” This passage refers prophetically to the coming of Jesus, our King and Savior - That is the coming of the Child Jesus in Bethlehem, which we anticipate and prepare for in these four weeks of Advent. That is what we may call the First Coming.

The Gospel Reading of today according to St. Luke speaks in ominous terms of the end of the world and what we refer to as the Second Coming of Jesus at the end of time: “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves... And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”

Here Jesus speaks dramatically and graphically about an apocalypse, a cosmic upheaval - skies darkening, waters raging, and winds roaring – “signs” that will signal “the coming of Christ with power and glory.” We need to emphasize that the description of events is not to be understood literally as a prophecy of what is actually going to happen. Rather we are to look at the inner meaning of these happenings. The cosmic disturbances about the sun, moon and stars are traditional ways of describing manifestations of God's judgment of Israel. In ancient Israelite times, people believed that the sun, moon and stars represented deities who controlled world affairs. Israel believed that when God acted, these celestial bodies would be disturbed. So, what is being said here is that these celestial bodies which other nations believed controlled history would be shown to be helpless under the power of God.
However, there is still a third coming which forms an important and indispensable link between the First and Second Comings. That is what is spoken about in the Second Reading of today from the 1st Letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians. It is the welcoming of Jesus into our lives in the here and now. This is something which takes place every day. By it we both acknowledge the First Coming of Jesus in Bethlehem and prepare for the Second Coming at an unknown future date. Actually, the early Christians believed that Christ's Second coming would take place in the quite near future – and so, they very eagerly waited for it, neglecting their current duties. So, Paul strongly urges them not to so anticipate the 'world to come' that they forget how to live and behave here and now in 'this world.' Yes, Paul says, care for one another, pray earnestly, please God in your everyday behavior, and be ready when the 'Day of the Lord' comes to you and me in the mystery of death. Paul might as well ask us: 'What would we do differently today if we knew that this was indeed our last day?'

Lord, draw us closer to you this advent.
Amen
Happy Sunday Brethren.

Amen Amen
Nice one. Thanks for sharing

Kamsified:

Amen Amen
Nice one. Thanks for sharing

You're welcome.

Good evening and happy new month.

Syncan:
^^^Happy Sunday Jennydoris. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks.
It's a new month.. May you be favoured. Amen.

Happy new month of joy dear brethren may the season of advent bring us untold fulfilment and joy.

Welcome pillamaria.

Thanks to those who uplifted our souls through their posts.

SalC:
Happy new month of joy dear brethren may the season of advent bring us untold fulfilment and joy.

Welcome pillamaria.

Thanks to those who uplifted our souls through their posts.

I greet you my queen
happy new month to you too

Looking for Rich4god and Jnrbayano

bluerange:
.

Were you at Kasarani Stadium...?

Kamsified:
Looking for Rich4god and Jnrbayano

My zing... Am pretty much available, just that am finding it difficult to make comment through my phone... And ryt now, am not with my lappy...

Kamsified:

I greet you my queen
happy new month to you too

Mi lady

‘Go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And as you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand......... You received without charge, give without charge.’

Rich4god:
My zing... Am pretty much available, just that am finding it difficult to make comment through my phone... And ryt now, am not with my lappy...

Happy Sunday to you darling. Hope your day went fine

I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.....

Kamsified:

Happy Sunday to you darling. Hope your day went fine

Sure... Thanks alot... Hope you are doing great... Been long I saw you at the Caribbean...

bible truths about Catholics:,fellow Catholics visit this wonderful blog www.bibletruthsaboutcatholics.,to know more about how to use the bible to defend ,explain and propagate your faith. it will also build you up in the word of God as the blog exposes things Catholics do using the bible.tell friends about it and post it on facebook pages etc

I AM BACK.....

Kamsified:
Looking for Rich4god and Jnrbayano

Right here dear.

How are you doing?

Sing a new song to the Lord for he has worked wonders

good morning.

Let us live justly and devoutly in this age, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of the glory of our great God.

Happy sunday everyone... May Mother Mary continue to intercede for us all...

*PACEM*