Pre-Novitiate and advent

At the beginning of this year, aka August 21st. Myself and three other guys started the pre-novitate in PortChester NY. Now during December we have been keep excellently busy. Not only do we have classes that we attend 4 week days, but we have about eight ministries. Starting with teaching Religious education, then going to tutoring and attendance at youth centers. Not only do we have various formative experiences, but we also have our main focus in play too. With human development we learn more ourself as persons and as men. It is a beautiful experience and focus, one that I am eternally grateful for and is an irreplaceable time.


     On another note, as we are now during the season of advent we remember not only the birth of our lord and savior, but we also prepare and anticipate the new coming of Christ. Why is it that during this season people tend to be more joyous and kindly, is it due to the season, or is it because of tradition and family? That surely may be a part of it, but there is another part less spoken of, if spoken of at all. Yes you have the birth of Christ, which is one of, if not the single greatest thing that has happened to human kind. Yes we were created, and by right that should be the greatest, but by our sin we should have wiped out that good, but God has so loved us that he has come down as a child, our child, so as to save us. What more could we ask, but that the lord and Christ would free us from our sins? More than that, he promised that he would be with us forever, to strengthen us and guide us. Once it is all said and done, he would then come again, to bring all to himself, so as long as they accept him.

Now, as we are speaking of newness and heaven, what is it like? Well, in a way we do not know, nor can we fully as we are alive. "For no eye has seen nor ear heard what God has prepared for those who love him." The church states that we do not fully know what is in store for us in heaven. Yes that may be undefined, but where is the interest in a mystery that has already been solved. How would any good author expect their material to be read if they revealed all in their first page? So no, we do not fully know what is in store for us, but what we do know is that it is God's home. The very same God who fashioned the heavens and earth out of nothing, and the very same who breathed his spirit into clay, so as to make his image. We do not know, but I say, why do we need to? God promises himself, which is beyond all things. So be hopeful and expectant this advent season, for God has prepared for you the heavens, from the foundations of the world.