Episode Transcript  

One

Take Stock   

Today is the last day of the Church year. Tomorrow begins a new one with the First Sunday of Advent. On this final day of our spiritual year, Jesus urges us to take stock of where we stand, “Watch yourselves,” He says, make an honest assessment. “Watch yourselves, or your hearts will be coarsened with debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life, and that day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap. For it will come down on every living man on the face of the earth. Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:34–36

So ask yourself, are you where you want to be spiritually? What grade would you give your life with God at the end of this year? What improvements do you need to make? Entrust this to Mary. She knows exactly where you stand and precisely how to lead you forward. Pay close attention to what she places in your heart.

Two

Make a Plan

Tomorrow’s readings for the First Sunday of Advent carry the same urgent message we heard today: Wake up. St. Paul cries out, “It is the hour now for you to awake from sleep.”

Advent is not sentimental. It is a spiritual alarm clock. The “night” is the old life of sin, the “day” is Christ drawing near. We are called to throw off darkness and put on Christ. The Alleluia verse gives us the right posture, “Show us, Lord, your love.” Readiness is not something we manufacture. It is a grace we must ask for.

Jesus deepens the urgency. His coming will be sudden, like in the days of Noah, so we must remain awake, vigilant, and focused on Him. Two days in a row, the Church gives us the same warning: Do not get spiritually lazy. As the holiday season begins, Jesus cautions us not to drift into distraction or let our hearts be dulled by sin or by the cares of life. The devil never takes a vacation from trying to destroy your soul, therefore, you cannot take a vacation from God.

The best defense is a good offense. As we begin Advent, we need a real plan, not vague intentions.

Three

Remove Obstacles

Consider the first Christmas. Why was Jesus not born in the inn? Because it was full. Why was He born in the cave? Because it was empty. This is the essence of detachment. To be filled with God, we must first be emptied, emptied of disordered attachments and anything that crowds Him out.

Advent is about making room for Christ. Tomorrow begins the season when the Church invites us to clear out what keeps Him at a distance. habits, distractions, overcommitments, or sins. Think of Advent as preparing the “inner Bethlehem” of your heart. What needs to be removed so that Jesus has space to enter? Too much screen time? Constant noise? A cluttered schedule? A sin you’ve been tolerating? Advent’s purple reminds us that this is a season of pruning, simplifying, and letting go so that Christ can truly come. Once the space is cleared, Christ Himself will fill it.

Four

Prayer

As we make room for Jesus, we must welcome Him and actually spend time with Him in friendship. Prayer is not one more task, it is a relationship, companionship, and love. The Rosary is a beautiful way to spend time with Jesus and Mary. If you pray it occasionally, consider committing to it every day this Advent. Make a firm promise to Our Lady that you will not miss it.

Going to one extra daily Mass each week is another concrete way to deepen your friendship with Christ. If you already pray the Rosary daily and want to go deeper, set aside thirty minutes to read Scripture. Notice the one thing that catches your attention, that is the Holy Spirit speaking to you. Reflect on it, apply it, and choose one concrete action to live it out that day. If you’re unsure where to begin, try the daily Mass readings, or read slowly through one of the Gospels. Luke is especially fitting for Advent, as it contains the infancy narratives.

Five

Daily Examination of Conscience & the Sacrament of Reconciliation

What most prevents our deeper conversion is a lack of awareness, a failure to reflect on our lives. We do not learn by experience, we learn by reflecting on our experience. Every day, take a few minutes to do a brief examination of conscience, at night, or the next morning.

Try this: Reflect on the last twenty-four hours, your thoughts, words, and actions. Identify where you did what was wrong or failed to do what was right. Then ask, “Why did I do that?” What feelings or disordered desires drove the action? When you can identify these roots, you begin to name the real obstacles: pride, vanity, envy, sloth, anger, greed, gluttony, lust.

Finish by making a small, clear plan to act differently. You can tie this directly into the resolution from your Scripture meditation. Then allow Jesus to set you free and fill you with His life in the Sacrament of Reconciliation this Advent.

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