We Are Called To Serve

We Are Called To Serve

We are gathered here in the presence of God and one another

to reflect on the meaning of Christmas. We do this as much

by how we prepare as by our actual celebration on December 25th. Let us resolve now in the

company of God and one another to use the weeks of Advent to pray, reflect, and act as God

would have us do.

Reader One:A reading from the Gospel of Matthew:“When the son of Man comes in his splendor…all the nations will be gathered before him and he

will separate people like a shepherd separating sheep from goats. He will place the sheep on his right hand and a goat on

his left.

Reader Two“He will say to those on his

right: ‘Come, take your inheritance…for I was hungry and you gave me food. I was

thirsty and you gave me drink. I was lonely and you made me welcome. I was

naked and you clothed me. I was ill and you came and looked after me. I was in

prison and you came to see me.’

Reader Three“Then the people will say: ‘But when did we see you hungry or

thirsty or lonely or ill? When did we see you in prison?’ And he will answer: ‘I assure you,

whatever you did for the humblest of my sisters and

brothers, you did it for me.’”

Perhaps the real question is: can we truly celebrate

Christmas as followers of Christ if we are not living the

message of the one we follow?

Reader ThreeThe best preparation for Christmas

might be to resolve to “live” the gospel in our daily lives. Jesus tells us what this means in the reading

we have just heard. We will be judged on our willingness to love and serve others. This is the sole criterion he offers. And then he tells us what it will mean if we ignore the gospel message.

Reader Four“Then he will say to those on his left: ‘Get out of my presence and go into the eternal fire. When I was hungry you gave me nothing to eat. When I was thirsty you gave me nothing to drink. When I was lonely you never made me feel welcome. When I was naked you did not offer to clothe me.

When I was sick and in prison, you never cared about me.’

Reader Five“And they will ask him: ‘When did we see you hungry or thirsty or

lonely or ill? When did we see you in prison?’ And he will answer: ‘I

assure you, whatever you failed to do for the humblest of my sisters and brothers, you failed to do for

me.?’

The Word of the Lord.

As we pray and reflect in preparation for the birth of Jesus, let

us resolve to live this gospel message. Let us ask ourselves:

How can we better serve the needs of our sisters and brothers, our

students? How can we share this challenge with those we teach?

Jesus, you have already come among us. You are already our

Emmanuel. But we are weak and slow to understand.

All

Help us to discover what your Word asks of us. Open our minds and

hearts of our children and youth. Teach us how to open the minds and

hearts of our children and youth.

We need your help, Jesus. We believe that you are with us, but we need your guidance to prepare for and celebrate your birth according to your Word. We ask this in the

name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

AllAmen.

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