Bulletins on Sunday Bulletins (Page 7)

This year, the last Sunday of Advent is also the last day of the season that helps us prepare for Christmas. Our reading from the Gospel of Luke begins with these words: “The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary.” So begins the story of the mystery of our salvation in Christ. What seemed impossible is not only real, but becomes foundation of that salvation. Mary’s question, “How can this happen?” is answered by the angel: “Nothing will be impossible for God.” We do not have long to reflect upon this gospel account, for in a few short hours, we will celebrate the Birth that we believe changed the trajectory of the universe. And this, in the most unexpected ways: born of the Virgin, lying in a manger. God continues to do the impossible, even today and in our lives and our world. God’s work is veiled in mystery; we cannot immediately perceive the Lord’s presence or His ability to change hearts. Every time a person chooses reconciliation over confrontation, peace instead of war, dialogue in place of shouting, God is present. As we prepare to enter into our Christmas celebrations, may we be open to the mysteries that God is working in each of our lives.

The Third Sunday of Advent has traditionally been given the name, “Gaudete,” Latin for “Rejoice.” It is the Sunday of the rose/pink candle of our Advent Wreath. On this day, the Church gives us these words of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians as our second reading: Brothers and sisters: Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophetic utterances. Test everything; retain what is good. Refrain from every kind of evil. May the God of peace make you perfectly holy and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will also accomplish it (1 Thess. 5:16-24). The First Letter to the Thessalonians is nearly as old as Christianity, as it is the first book of the New Testament to be written. In spite of persecution, Saint Paul encouraged the Church of Thessalonica to rejoice. This should not be lost on us, even as we wade through the challenges of 2023. May this Sunday find us rejoicing in the Lord who is ever near to us and rejoicing in the nearness of those we love.

In the biblical television series, The Chosen, the Apostles refer to John the Baptist as “creepy John.” I do not think this is done to disrespect John, but to illustrate for the viewers how truly radical was John – in his lifestyle and in his mission. He proclaimed repentance and pointed to Jesus, the Lamb of God. He called his hearers to change their lives. He knew that his was the “voice that cries in the wilderness.” As I mentioned in my homily last weekend, Advent (and, in fact, the whole of Christian faith) is counter-cultural. We are not called to dance to the drummers of society, but to hear the words of Saint John the Baptist and the prophet Isaiah. Both called their hearers to repentance, to “ready the way of the Lord.” We cannot do this without taking an honest look at our lives. While it is easy to get wrapped up in all the ways we prepare our homes for Christmas, do we take the time to prepare ourselves for the many times that the Lord breaks into our lives each and every day? Advent is a graced time because it offer us just such an opportunity. Let us make the most of this short season!

Advent begins, not looking back to the Birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, but to the Lord’s coming at the end of time, with the warning, “Be watchful! Be alert!” This season’s focus it threefold: The coming of the Lord at the end of our lives and the end of time; the historic coming of Jesus, born of Mary, loved and cared for by Joseph; and the daily breaking-in of the Lord into our lives and the life of the world. It is easy for us to look to the events at Bethlehem to the exclusion of the others, but to do so is to miss the lessons that Advent teaches us. Advent this year is the shortest it can possibly be, since the Fourth Sunday falls on Christmas Eve. Let us use these few weeks wisely, so that when Christmas comes, we may again recognize in Emmanuel, God who is always with us!

In the Christian tradition, any reference to “Matthew 25” evokes the images of the gospel passage for this Solemnity of Christ the King of the Universe: “When I was hungry. . .thirsty. . a stranger. . .ill. . .in prison.” The good that we do is humanitari- an, but much more; it is the Lord Himself whom we meet in those most in need. It is Jesus who is crucified in the great suffering of all people. It is Jesus, the King, Who will bestow a place in the heavenly realm on those who met Him in others and cared for their needs. As wars continue to rage in the Middle East and in Ukraine, just to name two of the most volatile of ongoing conflicts, we see the Lord Jesus in the wounded and in those who have lost their lives or the lives of those they love. As these wars continue, our prayer for peace, the peace of the Reign of God, be- comes more urgent. There are no winners in war; everyone loses. On this Feast, we look to the words of the Preface of the Eucharistic Prayer today, to describe what it is that we long for. It is “an eternal and universal kingdom, a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love and peace.” As we pray so often, may this Kingdom come into our world and into our lives.

Like last week’s gospel reading, today’s passage encourages in us faithfulness in the way we live. In the “Parable of the Talents,” each of the three servants was entrusted with something of value, “according to his ability.” The size of the gift did not matter; what the servants did with the money did. The question for each of us is whether we invest our gifts or hide them – burying them in a hole, putting them under the proverbial mattress, where they are of no use to anyone. In the second reading from Saint Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, we hear that we are children of the light and day, not of the night or darkness. As such, we do not fear the Lord’s coming, for we have been faithful servants, using the gifts entrusted to us for the good of others. As we approach the end of this liturgical year, we look forward to the Lord’s coming at the end of time and the end of our lives, even as we will continue to do so in the Season of Advent. We rejoice in the assurance that Christ who has died and is risen will also come again. As children of the light, we have nothing to fear.

We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, about those who have fallen asleep, so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14). This Sunday’s second reading from the First Letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalo- nians is suited for our November liturgy. As you know, November is a special time for us to remember and pray for those who have died, especially members of our families and other loved ones. Paul is not advising that we not grieve for those we have lost, but that we not have the kind of grief of those “who have no hope.” By nature, Christians are called to be a people of hope, people of the Resurrection. There is an old expression that “We are Easter people and “Alleluia” is our song.” While a bit trite, these words do express the reality of Christian faith. When we pray for the dead, it cannot be with the bitterness of the hopeless; our lives are charged with the faith that Saint Paul preached, and it makes all the difference. Even the Book of Wisdom teaches that “The souls of the just are in the hands of God” (Wisdom 3:1). If we believe this, or mourning can give way to rejoicing that our beloved dead live in God’s peace forever.

In describing His own ministry, Jesus stated that “The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for the many” (Matthew 20:8). It must be the same for the Lord’s followers: “The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts oneself will be humbled, and whoever humbles oneself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:11-12). For many, this is a difficult lesson. Those who know success, achievement, and greatness usually expect their lofty status to accord them great privilege. For the Christian, the privilege is to serve others as did Jesus, the Master Who washed the disciples’ feet. We do not need to look far to find these opportunities. Whether husbands or wives, children, sisters or brothers, each of us has the choice. . .to expect others to do whatever we want them to, or to be the ones who reach out to them. What Jesus did not say, but is implied in the example He gave, was that our service needs to be done in love, not grudgingly or under coercion. That is the real test of discipleship.