Saturday after Populus Sion, The Second Sunday in Advent
Posted on December 11, 2021 by under
Scripture: St. Mark 13:5-13 (NKJV)
13:5 And Jesus, answering them, began to say: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 6 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many. 7 But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.
9 “But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them. 10 And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations. 11 But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12 Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 13 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
Devotion
Some people look at the wars, famines, earthquakes, and other troubles of this world and try to determine when the end of the world will come. And yet Jesus himself said that only the Father knows the day and hour of the end of the world. It is not for us to know exactly when the world is going to end.
It is our part to be ready for the end of the world–for we may be called upon to testify to our faith before the kings and rulers of this world. Even families will be divided, with parents and children turning upon each other, knowing that it may lead to capital punishment. If such things befall us, will our God abandon us? Will He leave us to our own devices as we speak before the world? No! He has promised us the Holy Spirit, who will help us to speak before the world. The Holy Spirit helps us in so many ways already. He helps us to pray (Rom. 8:26); He is the Comforter that Jesus promised He would send after He ascended to the right hand of the Father (John 16:7). If we are called to testify of our faith in public, Jesus promises the help of the Holy Spirit to testify of our faith, as He did for Stephen and all the holy martyrs of our faith.
Prayer: Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the way of Thine only-begotten Son, so that by His coming we may be enabled to serve Thee with pure minds; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Collect for Advent: Stir up, we beseech Thee, Thy power, O Lord, and come, that by Thy protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins, and saved by Thy mighty deliverance; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever, one God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
