Do You Know Him? 

   “I am the good shepherd.  I know my own, and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.” (John 10: 14: 15) 

   Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves.  The question is how well do we know Him?  Is He in the forefront of our life or just someone we think of on Sundays and special days like Christmas and Easter?  Does He influence our thinking and the way we live our lives, or do we just pay Him lip-service?  “But to the wicked God says:  ‘Why do you recite my commandments and profess my covenant with your mouth?  You hate discipline; you cast my words behind you.’” (Psalm 50: 16 – 17).

   Advent is a time of joy, preparing for the coming of our Savior, but it is also a time of penance for the evil we have done, the sins we’ve committed.  It is a time for a serious examination of conscience; to take a good hard look at our life and our relationship with the Lord.  There is a reason that reconciliation is offered more frequently during the Advent season; it is to give us plenty of opportunity to repent of our sins and seek His mercy and loving forgiveness.

   This Advent let's be less involved in the commercialized aspects of Christmas and take the time to come to know our Lord better.  Spend time in prayer, before Him in the Blessed Sacrament.  He’s waiting for us, reaching out to us in love.  He wants us to come to Him and know Him as the best Friend we will ever know as well as the One who will lead us to God’s heavenly kingdom.  Take His hand and walk with Him.