Thursday of the 1st Week of Advent
Isa 26:1-6
Mt 7:21,24-27
“…and what a fall it had!”
I once played with my friends the game called Jenga. Removing the blocks one by one and watching the edifice topple due to the lack of support often brought peals of laughter. The loser of the game is the person who pulls out the block which causes the entire edifice to topple. In some ways, I feel that self-examination of our lives will allow us to pull back the scales of our eyes to see the items which have caused us to sin, and for us to cause the superficial structure of the exterior of our lives to collapse.
We present to the world a different face of our lives. Sometimes, it is one of total confidence in what we do; sometimes it is also an expression of the hurts which we went through our past. We can only discover these through the lens of self-reflection and this is very important in the season of Advent, as we prepare our souls for the arrival of the Jesus Christ in our lives. The entrance of Jesus into our lives does make us question the ‘edifice’ of our material achievements which we project onto others. These achievements may not only be of the material form, but could be of the prestige, fame and recognition which tempts us away from the path of Christ. Very often, the edifice may appear grandiose on the exterior but, like a Jenga block, it is filled with holes and gaps which reflect the emptiness which these items bring into the lives of others.
As we begin this season of Advent, I pray that each one of us allows Jesus to enter into our lives to discover what it means to be one with Him. Let us ask Jesus to radiate within us the rays of self-reflection into our selves and break through all the masks we wear, and replace it with the Christ-child who is one of love and care.
May we also have the courage to break through the fear of giving up the habits which prevent us from becoming closer to God and instead, accept the role of Jesus in shaping and guiding our attitudes in life.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Nicholas Chia)
Prayer: Jesus, I pray for the strength to trust in the plan you have for me.
Thanksgiving: We give thanks for all who show us the weaknesses of our lives.
OXYGEN 
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