Today’s readings remind us that our lives are rather like a waiting-room, where we are confronted with both the preciousness and the fragility of our own lives, writes Christian Brother Julian McDonald.. We all know that our lives are also an experience of anticipating, expecting and hoping. Advent invites us to reflect on the importance of making the most of the present. - to be conscious of the importance of expressing our love and care and compassion and encouragement now.

The clear message of today’s gospel-reading is that our being taken up into God will be assessed on our history of shepherding those who have been neglected or overlooked by their officially appointed shepherds, writes Christian Brother Julian McDonald.

Every single one of us - child or adult, teacher or student. - has been entrusted by God with skills, talents and imaginations to direct towards bettering the world to which we belong. The challenge, of course, is to find the openness to risk embracing the vulnerability needed to involve ourselves with other people, thereby risking failure, criticism and, even, ridicule, writes Christian Brother Julian McDonald.

The events of each day during this time of uncertainty as Covid 19 frustrates and threatens us, remind us that our lives are limited and so, too, are opportunities for us to practice the Gospel call to live with mercy, forgiveness, reconciliation, acceptance and hospitality to everyone we encounter, writes Christian Brother Julian McDonald.

The celebration of All Saints is an invitation to stop to remind ourselves of all those people, all those saints, who, in their efforts to live in the spirit of the Beatitudes, have had an impact for good on us, writes Christian Brother Julian McDonald.