NOTE: Christ in Our Neighborhood is a parish-based program consisting of small groups that gather in the home weekly to discuss and pray through the upcoming Sunday Mass readings. Find out more at Christ in Our Neighborhood – The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix (dphx.org)
This coming Sunday, we celebrate the First Sunday of Advent. The question the Christ in Our Neighborhood reflection asks us is: In what way do you remain vigilant for the coming of the Lord?
Our readings during this First Sunday of Advent continue to remind us that this world as we know it is passing away. And while the Second Coming of Christ may not come in our lifetime, it is closer today than it was yesterday.
Not only that, but each of us will one day have to stand before the Lord to make an accounting of our life. How have we loved Him and served Him? How have we loved and served our neighbors? How well have we kept the commandments?
One way to stay vigilant is to root ourselves in the Gospel each day. If we begin the day with at least a few moments pondering the Gospel (you can subscribe to the daily Mass readings here) asking ourselves what God is trying to communicate to us and how it is we should respond, it will help us to remain vigilant.
Regular sacramental confession is another great way to stay prepared. If you’ve been away from the sacrament of confession for a while, don’t despair! Jesus is waiting for you and wants to forgive you. Find out when your parish or a neighboring one offers it and head on over. You can find a good examination of conscience to help you prepare here. And, if you don’t quite remember what to do, there’s a nice guide here.
Watch the video of the weekly podcast segment featuring Christ in Our Neighborhood with Bishop Dolan by clicking here.
To sign up for our weekly Christ in Our Neighborhood newsletter that has everything you need for your next meeting, visit: https://phoenixdiocese.flocknote.com/CION
