R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Show us Lord, your love;
and grant us your salvation.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Jesus said to his disciples:
“As it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
In those days before the flood,
they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage,
up to the day that Noah entered the ark.
They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away.
So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man.
Two men will be out in the field;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Two women will be grinding at the mill;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Therefore, stay awake!
For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.
Be sure of this: if the master of the house
had known the hour of night when the thief was coming,
he would have stayed awake
and not let his house be broken into.
So too, you also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

The great Old Testament prophet is the prophet Isaiah with the Advent message of Emmanuel: God is with us, in our midst. “Oh Come, oh Come Emmanuel!” we sing as we prepare once again for the coming of Christ into the world, Jesus Savior.  

The prophet Isaiah reminds us of the truth that God is with us in Jesus, and that we must be ever awake and ever alert of His Presence when He comes again in the second coming of Christ at the end this passing world.  

Recall the story of Martin the Cobbler by Tolstoy. God told Martin that he would come to visit him the next day.  Martin was of course very excited, so he waited for God to come. At the door instead came a tired traveler who needed to rest.  So, Martin let the man rest, and he gave him the room he had prepared for Jesus. No visit from Jesus. Next there came an elderly woman, and she was hungry.  Since she had none, Martin gave her the nice dinner he had prepared for Jesus. But Jesus did not come. Then, however, came a lost boy who said he was far away from his home. So Martin agreed to take him home, hoping against hope that he would not miss Jesus in the meantime. But again, to Martin’s disappointment, no Jesus.  

At the end of the day, in his prayer to Jesus, Martin said, “I waited all day for you, and you did not come!” 

And Jesus answered Martin: “Three times I came to your friendly door. Three times My shadow was upon your floor.  You see, I was the tired traveler. I was the hungry woman. I was lost child. I was present with you.”  Emmanuel, God with us!

You see, the cry of the prophet Isaiah is that God is present in our midst, and we should be awake and alert about that!  For example, when we gather for Mass, Christ makes Himself present in our midst in four distinct ways:  1) In the people — I delight as your Pastor when I see you enjoying each other’s company, for Christ is present in a special way in His baptized people. 2) in the priest who is ordained to act in the very Person of Christ Himself — I see that when I process down the aisle, as is the old Italian custom, that people make the sign of Cross or bow because the priest is in the Person of Christ. 3) Christ is present in the Word of God proclaimed to us in the Scripture, and reflected upon in the homily by the Bishop, priest, or deacon.  4) Christ is especially present on the altar. His real presence of His Most Holy Body and Most Precious Blood in Sacrifice to the Father in Heaven, and in Whom we have Communion.  

Oh, yes! Four weeks now to prepare for Christmas — Emmanuel, God is with us.  

Be awake, alert, be very conscious! Let God be more present in your life than ever before, especially as we together offer His Mass. Emmanuel, God is with us … Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!

Monsignor Michael J. Cariglio, Jr., Pastor & Rector, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Basilica – Saint Anthony Parish

This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz,
saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In days to come,
the mountain of the LORD’s house
shall be established as the highest mountain
and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it;
many peoples shall come and say:
“Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may instruct us in his ways,
and we may walk in his paths.”
For from Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and impose terms on many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks;
one nation shall not raise the sword against another,
nor shall they train for war again.
O house of Jacob, come,
let us walk in the light of the Lord!

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the LORD.”
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
May those who love you prosper!
May peace be within your walls,
prosperity in your buildings.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Because of my brothers and friends
I will say, “Peace be within you!”
Because of the house of the LORD, our God,
I will pray for your good.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Brothers and sisters:
You know the time;
it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep.
For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed;
the night is advanced, the day is at hand.
Let us then throw off the works of darkness
and put on the armor of light;
let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day,
not in orgies and drunkenness,
not in promiscuity and lust,
not in rivalry and jealousy.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.

It has long been a Catholic understanding that when circumstances prevent one from receiving Holy Communion, it is possible to make an Act of Spiritual Communion, which is a source of grace. Spiritual Communion is an ardent desire to receive Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament and lovingly embrace him at a time or in circumstances when one cannot receive Him in sacramental Communion. The most common reason for making an Act of Spiritual Communion is when a person cannot attend Mass. Acts of Spiritual Communion increase our desire to receive sacramental Communion and help us avoid the sins that would make us unable to receive Holy Communion worthily.

Spiritual Communion Prayer

My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.

I love you above all things and I desire to receive you in my soul.

Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally,

Come at least spiritually into my heart.

I embrace you as if you were already there

And unite myself wholly to you.

Never permit me to be separated from you.

Amen.