"ADVENTures" - Reflection Series of Rev. Fr. Bobby R. Titco for the Season of Advent (Reflection # 4 and # 5)

ADVENTures 4

He who was born for us, given to us, is Jesus. Jesus is the Eternal Word of the Father. Christmas is the Word-of-God Incarnate being born in our midst, becoming a part of humanity in all things but sin. Advent, therefore, is the gradual incarnation of the Word of God. Even before Christmas day, this Most Holy Word was already made flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Apostle Paul wrote, "In the fullness of time, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law..." (Gal 4:4). Then we no longer read the Word only but began hearing Him ourselves. And the first sound of the Word-Made-Flesh that we heard was the cry of a feeble, helpless baby.

DO WE STILL HEAR THE WORD-MADE-FLESH? ARE WE STILL EAGER TO HEAR HIM? IN WHOM AND IN WHAT DO WE HEAR HIM? ARE WE LISTENING?

Hearing is with the ears, but listening is with the heart. Advent teaches us to be more silent and sober so that we may hear and listen to The WORD. And many times, He remains crying! If you don't hear Him, maybe you are not silent. If you don't listen in silence, how can you welcome and love Him?



ADVENTures 5

Advent is should be a heightened period for our prayerful, vigilant, and creative waiting for the Lord. It is not an empty and prolonged moment of passive waiting. One of the manifestations of our prayerful, vigilant, and creative waiting during this season is genuine reflection on the question "ON WHOM DO I CONSCIOUSLY AND WILLFULLY BASE MY LIFE?" We have but a limited number of years in this world before we pass on to eternity, and the immensity of this Advent question is underscored by the fact that our honest answer to it determines how life will be for us forever.

Advent refocuses us on the TRUE FOUNDATION of our life, without whom everything in our life means nothing and life itself is just an inescapable, undeserved, and overly extended drudgery.

REALLY, IS IT STILL JESUS? Is it still Him whom we wait for? Honestly, is it Him?

REFOCUS YOUR LIFE ON JESUS. HE IS ALL THAT MATTERS NO MATTER WHAT PEOPLE SAY. AND HE MATTERS NOT ONLY ON CHRISTMAS. HE MATTERS EACH AND EVERY SIGH WE MAKE.