The Sign Advent Series–Fr Chris Sarkis–Prepare A Way for The Lord (Fr Chris Sarkis says that John the Baptist, echoing Isaiah, reminds the people that the Messiah will liberate them from their slavery to sin to the freedom of the children of God. The Church echoes John in today’s second reading, reminding the new People of God, as St Peter did, “[To live] holy and saintly lives as you wait for the Day of God to come” (2 Pt 3:11–12) in hope. But how can we do this in today’s post-Christian society that largely has not only become spiritually deaf to the voice of the Church, but often actively opposes and works against it and the Christian message of the Gospel? Only prayer, sacrifice, and graced personal holiness of life can straighten what has become twisted and buried in the moral and human turmoil of the lives of so many today. This will only happen when Christ is born again in the hearts of individual believers and families, who like leaven, can transform the world once more in the image and likeness of God, as happened when Christ was first born.)

On The Journey This Week: Fr Chris Sarkis says only prayer, sacrifice, and graced personal holiness of life can straighten what has become twisted and buried in the moral and human turmoil. Mother Hilda says God is like the freezer repair man, checking the gas of grace that keeps us ticking over. Plus, Fr Tony Percy says Mark’s Gospel prologue sets the scene for the remainder of his Gospel, Fr John Nguyen OFM Cap says on the eight hundredth anniversary of the creation of the nativity scene, choose to see the living Babe of Christmas, like Saint Francis did 800 years ago, and Br Lewis Harwood says the scripture readings this coming week contain a simple message: move out of the wilderness and return to the land of hope.

Gospel Reflection– Fr John Nguyen OFM Cap– Choose to See the Living Babe of Christmas (Fr John Nguyen says that the first nativity scene created by St Francis of Assisi 800 years ago created a tradition that continues to recreate a remembering of the incarnation, Christ dwelling among us today. The message of Saint John the Baptist of repentance in today's gospel is for all of us to take, this time of Advent, to prepare for Christmas. It involves a deep preparation of our lives and souls for Christ. This will require us to get rid of all the worldly noise in our life, to make a straight path for the Lord. This year, choose to see the living Babe of Christmas, like Saint Francis did 800 years ago.)

Wisdom from the Abbey–Mother Hilda–The Freezer Man (Mother Hilda’s story of their walk-in freezer being on the blink and freezer man coming to fix it. After checking the temperature and fan, he ambled outside to work away at a piece of machinery, a fair distance from the freezer. After some considerable time, as he was getting ready to leave, he said, keep your eye on it, I'll be back in a month's time. I can hear the parts that need replacing, but if anything happens, get right on to me. And away he went, leaving me totally reassured. Sometimes you and I ask God to fix things. We present our dodgy freezers of heart and mind, our broken-down dreams, our matters of dire necessity, and he doesn't seem to be on the job at all. We can't feel him. There are no signs that anything is getting better. Yet all the while, he is listening to the bits that need replacing. Tenderly feeling the parts that are plain worn out. He's checking the gas of grace that keeps us ticking over and alert for whatever the leakage is that stops us from living at full stream. He gives us instructions in his word; ask and you shall receive, trust in me. You can be very sure he is indeed on the job, even though he looks as though he hasn't come anywhere near you. And don't worry if whatever is concerning you breaks down again, He'll be back.)

The Sign Advent Series–Sr Mary Helen Hill OP–Interior Housing Crisis (Travelling through the quickly developing new suburbs brings the reality of the housing crisis into view. So many people are seeking a place to call home, dreams of safety, stability, and opportunities for children to thrive slowly appear to take shape. A wise person once articulated a truth that has been a great help in my life: no person, no achievement, no institution can support the full weight of our hopes. Our desires are infinite, and we are finite. We desire truth, goodness, and love, and the readings of the Advent season ring with this liberating truth—God is the everlasting Rock! The Lord indeed is our Saviour. He is the answer to our interior housing crisis. He is the one who provides eternal refuge. We have only to do his will in order to live in perfect peace, trusting completely in him.)

Wisdom from the Abbey–Mother Hilda–The Pastor (Mother Hilda’s story of a particular pastor, a man who knew the seasons of failure and the seasons of success, the weariness of all mankind. One Sunday, there he was again, giving the good news to his flock, and suddenly he found himself overcome with a great sense of unworthiness and the Lord appeared to him and began to place the crown on his head. He noticed that that crown was not exactly clean. It had thumbprints all over it and as the Lord placed the crown on his head, those thumbprints turned into jewels. You and I have got thumbprints all over us, haven't we? Close your eyes and see the Lord standing in front of you. He has a crown, the crown of your life in his hands. Can you recognise what the thumbprints are? Tell him about them and then whisper to him, I accept from your hands the life I have lived. I claim it with all my mistakes. The Lord now places the crown on your head. Bow your head in gratitude. And you know what? He's just bowed his head in gratitude to you.)

Gospel Reflection– Fr Joshua Whitehead– Preparation and Discipline (Fr Joshua says that Advent is also a time of preparation and discipline, not to dodge or avoid the one who shows us the way, the one who instructs, but to encounter him, Jesus, and deeply intimate and personal ways. Staying awake or staying alert in a spiritual sense draws us in closer, deeper to Jesus and it actually makes us ready to recognise moments of pure gifts that are given by God to us. We're invited during this season of Advent to cooperate, to make sense of what God gives us. Our response is fourfold, first with every effort of our intellect. Second with a sound and focuses will that goes straight towards Christ. Third, with an upright heart, and finally, through the witness of those who teach us to seek Christ.)

The Word–Fr Tony Percy– "Eutheós" Immediately (This week it's the very beautiful period of Advent and the Gospel of Mark which is the shortest of them all and perhaps we should also say the most dramatic. There's a sense of urgency in Mark’s Gospel and you'll find that in the Gospel this week. Even as the Gospel opens, he loves to use this phrase or this particular word in Greek, which we translate in English as immediately, "eutheós" [English: immediately]. It's used in his Gospel, believe this or not, 42 times and in the first chapter of Mark's Gospel, it's used 11 times. So, Jesus is baptized by John, and he immediately comes up out of the water. No sooner than that happens, then Jesus is immediately thrown into the desert by the Holy Spirit. A particular word is a throw, so you can get a sense of the dramatic style of Mark. And then when the apostles are called, the first disciples have called, they immediately leave their nets behind, and that's the first two. The second two, Jesus comes across them, and he immediately calls them. This is just in the first few verses of chapter one. So you get a sense of the urgency and the sort of action -packed Gospel that Mark is.)

The Sign Advent Series–Fr John Corrigan–Waiting (Fr John Corrigan says that Advent gets us into the habit of looking forward, looking into the future, where the view is different. Amid our Christmas preparations, the Church invites us to heed two more “advents” of God which are just around the corner—first when we die, and then again when Jesus returns. So, for the next four weeks, we imagine ourselves travelling, preparing to meet Jesus and greet him with joy and affection, not begging for more time. When Christmas arrives, the Lord should find us ready to receive him, and equally prepared for the other two Advents in our future.)

On The Journey This Week: Joshua Whitehead says that we're invited to have a four-fold response this Advent to cooperate, to make sense of what God gives us. Mother Hilda on why we’ll love Jesus to mount a crown with our thumbprints on it on our head. Fr Tony Percy says that there's a sense of urgency in Mark’s Gospel, He uses the Greek word "eutheós" (English: immediately) 42 times in his Gospel, and 11 times in the first chapter. Plus, Advent reflections from Fr John Corrigan and Sr Mary Helen Hill OP.