In the year of Our Lord 2010, Advent comes tomorrow to prepare us for the first coming but also the second coming of Christ once again. This reflection, I hope, will not be like all the other reflections; but something that touches you and your soul.
The promise of One who is to come starts after the fall of the human race; when Adam and Eve sinned against God. That is when we know Jesus will come; but it starts way before this; at the moment when God wanted to create the Heavens and the earth and all the planets and every living thing.
Blessed Don Scotus, was with a group of people who started to do the, "what if" idea and question. "What if Adam and Eve never sinned, would redemption ever happen?" Blessed Don Scotus said, "yes, it would happen, because, Man can not save himself and so God would of had to send Himself from Heaven and become Man and redeem Man."
While we wait and prepare for the birth of Jesus Christ; we also must prepare for the return of Jesus Christ to judge the living and the dead.
To prepare for His coming once but also the second time; it should be full of penance and sacrifice; making our soul ready to enter Heaven and stand face to face with God. When He comes back for the final time, there will be no more cleaners for the soul; Purgatory; just Heaven and Hell. Your either in or you are not; at the end of time; which is what the start of Advent prepares us for. When it comes closer to Christmas; then things become more in line with the first coming; the birth of Jesus Christ.
In the books by St. Ambrose bishop of Milan Italy; they are on On The Duties of the Clergy
They are for everyone I think; I've only read two chapters and the 8th paragraph speaks true on how we will be judged at the end on every little detail; even how we speak. In the first two chapters have been on silence and hearing or listening to God speak; rather than we speak and God listen all the time.
It does seem like everyone does not know how to reflect in silence. Holy Silence is a gift given by God; to those who are more silent than others; who are more talkative. He; St. bishop Ambrose; one who is the silent type; can contemplate and reflect better than those who are not silent; when you are silent; you can reflect on the questions being asked and be able to break them apart and answer them more completely. When you are a silent person, you know when to speak and when not to speak; and when you do speak; it will be of the greatest words ever; because you are listening to God and speaking what He tells you to speak.
St. Ambrose once again says in his first book, "Now we ought to learn before everything else, but to be silent, that we may be able to speak?" "lest my voice should condemn me, before that another aquit me; for it is: "By thy words thou shalt be condemned."
"What need is there, then, that thou shouldest hasten to undergo the danger of condemnation by speaking, when thou cans, be safe by keeping silent? How many have I seen to fall into sin by speaking, but scarcely one by keeping silent; and so it is more difficult to know how keep silent than how to speak."
"One speaks because they do not know how to keep silent. It is seldom that one is silent even when speaking profits him nothing. He is wise, then, who knows how to keep silent. Lastly, Wisdom of God said, "The Lord hath given me the tongue of learning, that I should know when it is good to speak." "Justly, then, is he wise who has received of the Lord to know when he ought to speak. Wherefore the Scripture says well: "A wise man will keep silence until there is opportunity."
Final from St. Ambrose, "Therefore the saints of the Lord loved to keep silence, because they knew that a man's voice is often the utterance of sin, and a man's speech is the beginning of human error."
So, how many loves the silence and how many spend time in the silence? We don't tell ourself what to do; but God does and God also tells us what to tell others who work with us or hanging out with us; if we pay attention to the voice of God.
When we speak; most of the time we utter sinful speech. If we do not know what it is we are saying or if it will be hurtful; means we aren't reflecting or thinking before we speak. What happens when we speak; we do not know what we speak; but if we spend time in reflection and asking God to give us the words to speak; then we may speak; because it will not be of our own words but the words of God; giving a testatment to Him and teaching, also enlightening those around us in the things of God.
When Eve spoke; that was too late because she did not listen to God tell her or Adam; not to accept the fruit from that one tree which was forbidden to touch or to eat of. When Eve accepted the fruit and ate of it and then told Adam to eat and he accepted; the first time Man spoke but brought about human error. When Man speaks as Man; he will speak error; but if Man speaks of God; with the Words of God; then the man will speak correctly.
We must be careful how we speak, every time I type; I take a few moments to reflect on what to say; because if we speak as man; we utter sin but if we speak as Peter did when he proclaimed Jesus the Son of God; speaking with the Words given by Our Heavenly Father; then we may speak.
People today speak too much and too often; not enough time in reflection and listening to God speaking to us. If we want to become a saint, we must be lovers of true silence in the Presence of God and listen to Him speak to us and speak what He tells us to speak. Because if we do not; every word could and will condemn us or condemn each other; as St. Ambrose says in the latter words I have shared from him in this reflection.
Our world is too noisy; never being in reflection but always speaking; because they do not know how to be silent. Or, afraid of being silent; because of what they may hear; they may learn about their soul; which will scare each one. It may be the bad scare or a good scare; a good scare is where the Fear of God is put into their life and soul.
To be a reflection of the Crucified and Risen God; we must spend time in silence in Eucharistic Adoration; which is being in His True Presence; God in our midst.
More people would be in fear and trembling; when they entered their local parish church; if each time the Eucharistic specie of looking like bread wasn't there; and they would fall to their knees weeping and asking for mercy; which He would give. What a beautiful sight that will be and is; if you do the Ignatian Spirituality; using your imagination to imagine when you see the Eucharist exposed; you don't see bread but you see the glorified Jesus Christ or even the bloodied Jesus Christ on the cross.
We do need to be very careful when we speak; because you never know when it may return to condemn you at your judgment.
God bless
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