A warning from Our Lord Jesus: Be watchful!

Today is the first Sunday of Advent, which comes from the Latin word “adventus,” a time of expectant waiting … in preparation for the coming of the Messiah. In the Catholic calendar, it is also the beginning of the Liturgical Year, which starts on the 4th Sunday before Christmas Day, and that is today. Strangely, the Latin word “adventus” in Greek is “parousia,” which is used to refer to the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So Advent has two uses: One to prepare us for the coming celebration of the Birth of Christ and it can also mean to prepare us for the Second Coming of Christ. That’s exactly is today’s Sunday Gospel, which is a very stern warning from our Lord Jesus Christ for all of us to stay alert and be watchful. You can read it in your Bible in Mark 13:33-37.

“[Jesus said to his disciples] Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come. 34 It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch. 35 Watch, therefore; you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning. 36 May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to all; Watch!”

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You may say that the words of our Lord Jesus Christ is a warning, not only to his disciples who listened to Him in person, but this is the same message He is sending to humankind that is still applicable 2,000 years later. If you read this passage in the Bible, the verse before Mark.33 is verse 32, wherein our Lord tells His disciples “But on that day or hour, no one knows neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

This passage clearly tells all of us that the end of times will surely come, but as to when this would happen, even our own guardian Angels, not even our Lord Jesus Christ Himself know this for this decision only comes from the Father. But certainly we are seeing many prophecies come true that can give us a hint that the end of times is coming. As what Matt. 24:38 wrote, “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving into marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark.”

Today, our Lord Jesus Christ continues to warn us of what would happen to the world if we disobey or displease God, like helping Christians promote the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill, which is not good for our people and our country. But God doesn’t only warn us in many passages in the Bible. God has also sent our Blessed Virgin Mary through the numerous apparitions that have been recorded through the centuries and continues even to the 21st Century.

The most famous of these apparitions are Lourdes, Fatima, La Sallette and in Rue du Bac. Hence, it is not a coincidence that exactly today is the 181st anniversary of the second apparition in Rue du Bac a small street in Paris where the Sisters of Charity has a small Chapel. Just a month ago, I was blessed to be able to visit the chapel of this apparition site of the Miraculous Medal, which is the Asilo dela Milagrosa here in Cebu City.

The first apparition appeared before St. Catherine Labouré, a 24-year-old 6-month novice in the Sisters of Charity, on July 18, 1830 when she was told of her mission. This is the only apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary who sat down in the Spiritual Directors chair and beckoned St. Catherine to approach her where she knelt and put her head on her lap. St. Catherine later reported that she was very human.

On Nov.27th the Blessed Virgin Mary once again appeared in the Chapel but she was standing on top of a globe holding a golden ball, with rings on her fingers flashing with light. The ball apparently represented the world and the rays from her fingers represented graces for those who seek her graces. Then the golden ball vanished and the apparition changed to a Medal with the lettering, “O Mary, conceive without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”

The mission given to St. Catherine was to have this medal struck and be worn around the neck of those who love our Lord Jesus Christ. At the back of the medal was a huge “M” surrounded by a bar and cross, with two hearts. One with the crown of thorns was the heart of Jesus; while a sword pierced the other heart was the heart of our Immaculate Mother.

The apparition in Rue du Bac started the move in the Vatican to proclaim the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, which happened in the Year 1854 as ordained by Pope Pius IX. Four years later, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared before a young girl named Bernadette Soubirous who told her in one of the 18 apparitions, “I am the Immaculate Conception” and she came to the world to warn us to prepare ourselves for the end of times.

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