{"id":42656,"date":"2013-12-03T19:11:35","date_gmt":"2013-12-04T01:11:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.austincnm.com\/?p=42656"},"modified":"2013-12-04T12:37:21","modified_gmt":"2013-12-04T18:37:21","slug":"need-advent-sinner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2013\/12\/need-advent-sinner\/","title":{"rendered":"I Need Advent Because I am a Sinner"},"content":{"rendered":"

On the outside, sometimes it can look like I have it all together. The truth is that my life would fall apart if it wasn\u2019t for Jesus. Even if all the external and material things were the same, I would be missing part of the only part of my life that really gives me peace.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to fool ourselves that if we pull ourselves together and work hard enough, we could fix all of own problems. After all, we are the ones that create our own mess, so it can make sense on the surface. I know I\u2019ve fallen for this many times and let my pride hold me back in receiving help because I refused to look past myself.<\/p>\n

I am a sinner, and this is why I am a Christian. None of us are capable of saving ourselves from our fallen nature, and this is why we all need Jesus. To truly follow Jesus means that we have to be convicted to take action and make the conscience decisions to let Jesus be Lord of our lives.<\/p>\n

The season of Advent is more about Jesus\u2019 second coming than it is His first, but it\u2019s admittedly easier to thinking about little baby Jesus in the manger than it is to think about the end of the world. Baby Jesus represents the great hope of our salvation and the love our Father has for us. The end of the world reminds us that \u201cHe will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"159018942\"<\/p>\n

Our personal judgement reminds us that we will be accountable for every choice we made.<\/p>\n

Being honest, no matter when Jesus finally comes again or which day I meet my end, I\u2019m not sure I\u2019ll ever feel ready. No matter how ready or not I feel, that day will come. The season of Advent brings out all the great readings and reminders that Christ is the hope of our salvation, and puts it in perspective pointing out that this should lead us to expectant joy of the lover of our souls.<\/p>\n

My many bad, conscience decisions to reject God and His infinite love require reparations, not because His death upon the cross wasn\u2019t enough, but because those things I have done and have failed to due deliberately separate me from what He offers us. Once we\u2019ve chosen to go against God\u2019s love, God is more than ready to forgive, but it requires that we do our part to ask for that forgiveness.<\/p>\n

In a recent general audience<\/a>, Pope Francis shared some wisdom on the graces of the sacraments. \u00a0He said, \u201cI can\u2019t be baptised two or three or four times, but I can go to confession, and when I go to confession, I renew that grace of baptism.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Advent\"Advent Challenge<\/strong><\/p>\n

Advent may not be an official season of penance like Lent, but this time offers us opportunities to encounter God\u2019s loving mercy as we prepare for His second coming. There is no better way to embrace His return than by letting go of all that holds us back. Make a plan on when you will go to confession this Advent. There are plenty of penance services this season, but you can also find it in the regularly scheduled times or by making an appointment with a priest.<\/p>\n

My sin affects you, and your sin affects me because together we are one in the mystical body of Christ. Jesus will come again, and He wants us to be ready.<\/p>\n

Recommended Listening<\/strong>
\nBeauty of Truth Podcast – What is Sin?<\/a><\/p>\n

Beauty of Truth Podcast – Why go to Confession?<\/a><\/p>\n

Beauty of Truth Podcast – What is the purpose of Penance?<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On the outside, sometimes it can look like I have it all together. The truth is that my life would fall apart if it wasn\u2019t for Jesus. Even if all the external and material things were the same, I would be missing part of the only part of my life that really gives me peace…. [Read More]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[90],"tags":[384,383,476,2102,626],"class_list":{"0":"post-42656","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-faith-blog","7":"tag-advent","8":"tag-christmas","9":"tag-confession","10":"tag-december","11":"tag-penance","12":"entry"},"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":181577,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/12\/getting-back-up-what-to-do-after-you-fall-in-sin\/","url_meta":{"origin":42656,"position":0},"title":"“Getting Back Up”: What To Do After You Fall In Sin","author":"Matthew Hartwick","date":"December 3, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 A wise man once said to me, \u201cThe difference between a damned soul in Hell and a saint in Heaven is that the saint was a sinner who got back up ONE more time.\u201d As humans, we unfortunately have a\u00a0fallen nature from original sin, inherited by our first parents.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faith"","block_context":{"text":"Faith","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/faith-blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Death_to_stock_photography_farm_10","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Death_to_stock_photography_farm_10-550x367.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Death_to_stock_photography_farm_10-550x367.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Death_to_stock_photography_farm_10-550x367.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":327920,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2016\/11\/objectivity-healthy-self-love-advent-reflection-catholic-guilt\/","url_meta":{"origin":42656,"position":1},"title":"Objectivity & Healthy Self-love: An Advent reflection on “Catholic Guilt”","author":"Rachel","date":"November 28, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"\"Catholic guilt\" came up recently in a conversation about psychology and religion. It also came up sometimes back in my grad school counseling classes. In\u00a0these conversations, I often hear the question, \"Isn't \"Catholic guilt\" psychologically unhealthy?\" I think it's a great question. Can there be something unhealthy about guilt?\u00a0I think\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"\"Child Praying at Mother's Knee\" By Edouard Fr\u00e8re (1819\u20131886) , used from the WikiCommons","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/520px-Pierre-E%CC%81douard_Fre%CC%80re_-_Child_Praying_at_Mothers_Knee_-_Walters_371330.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":181991,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/11\/sunday-says-november-29-2015-mass-readings-and-reflection\/","url_meta":{"origin":42656,"position":2},"title":"Sunday Says – November 29, 2015 Mass Readings and Reflection","author":"Crist\u00f3bal Almanza Herrera","date":"November 28, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Sunday, November 29, 2015 First Sunday of Advent Lectionary: 3 (NAB Translation) \u00a0 This is the first week of the season of Advent when the liturgical color is purple and we anticipate the season of Christmas that begins on December 25th. We also officially begin a new liturgical year. Reading\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sunday Says"","block_context":{"text":"Sunday Says","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/podcast\/sundaysays\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":188350,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/12\/5-ways-to-celebrate-a-christmas-of-mercy\/","url_meta":{"origin":42656,"position":3},"title":"5 Ways to Celebrate a Christmas of Mercy","author":"Crist\u00f3bal Almanza Herrera","date":"December 18, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I\u2019m always amazed at the way most people in society are able to recognize the beauty of the celebration of Christmas, regardless of their religious perspectives. People are more open to discussions of morality and even of God. It seems appropriate for the season. 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