Source: http://anglatak.blogspot.com/2016/12/acceptance-repentance-endurance-2nd.html

COLLECT

Almighty and merciful God,
may no earthly undertaking hinder those
who set out in haste to meet your Son,
but may our learning of heavenly wisdom
gain us admittance to his company.
Who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Reflection

This collect can be found in the Gelasian Sacramentary in the advent season. Advent is a season of joyful expectation. The collect reminds us that no earthly things can stop us in meeting Jesus. Meeting with Him is grace and blessing. Our eagerness to meet Christ is unstoppable. However, our eagerness must be accompanied by learning heavenly things. Encountering Jesus means learning His ways and about God’s wisdom. Our joyful expectation means acceptance to Jesus in our life. In our readings for this Sunday, Isaiah talks about the coming of the great leader into the world in which he will put everything into order that came from the root of Jesse. In the second reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans urges them to live in hope and encouragement in harmony by welcoming one another. In the Gospel, Matthew highlights the role and words of John the Baptist to prepare ourselves for the coming of the greatest of all.

In our life we called ourselves Christians. We bear into our identity the name of Christ.  We were baptized because of our faith in God, as His children. We are in this world and we can be influenced the life in our society. In spite of the difficulties and trials in living like Christ, He never abandons us that is why he is our Emmanuel – God-Is-With-Us. If we really accept Him we can prepare ourselves for him. But what kind of preparation can we do? Our readings give us points in preparing ourselves for the coming of Jesus. First, we must accept the Lord in our life by believing his promise. Second, we must live in harmony with the same hope and goal in life by being welcoming one another with love of God. Third, is being sorry for our sins daily or being humble. We know it is hard to live it out but if we open our hearts to God and allow the Holy Spirit in us we can do everything for the glory of God. Our sinfulness will turn into holiness as we put into God in Jesus Christ in the center our life.

Therefore, in our collect and in our readings reminds us that we are called by God to renew our life everyday with eagerness to say “Yes” to His will by means of acceptance – repentance – endurance. So that, we can live in unity and in harmony with one voice: “Justice shall flourish in God’s time and fullness of peace forever.” (Psalm 72)