For the first three weeks of Advent we have been asking ourselves - are we ready to meet the Lord when He comes? If our lives ended today - would we end up in heaven ? If we died today - where would we spend eternity? For three weeks we have inventoried our lives - looking to our final destination. Now in the Fourth week of Advent - our focus switches to Jesus - His birth - what it means to us that God came down from the heavens to live with the very people He created - why He came as an infant - not an adult - why He chose to go through the birthing process - the growing process from child to adult - enduring - embracing the hardships - experiencing life - just as any ordinary human does. To some these questions - very confusing. To others - no issue - for a God who exists outside of time - 30 years a drop in the bucket - for we are told (2 Peter 3:8) "with the Lord one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day", Simply stated - for God who is eternal - outside of time - it was nothing - a blip in the calendars of the world. Experiencing life just as His people - what better way to really get to know them - understand them - understand what our needs were - the temptations we would face - the accomplishments we would experience.
For with God - nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37) - what He desires for us - what He needs to do to help us - never impossible - knowing that He - Jesus is always at our side - that He fully knows our needs - we go forward as we end Advent - we go to the crib of our Lord - knowing that He is always with us. In the crib - at our side - holding our hands - together we celebrate Christmas.
Deacon Dale
Pink - Rose - Purple - on this Third Sunday of Advent the focus is not on the color of vestments worn at Holy Mass - rather - Joy - Happiness - Hope. As people of hope we pause and reflect on where we might possibly find moments of joy - cheer - happy events that bring pleasure into our lives. Advent - unlike Lent - which is a time of penance - is the season in which we reflect and review our lives and what we have accomplished - how good we are. In Advent - we should focus on how we can improve - become better Christians . All too often - others - meaning well - lead us on a path of discovery - focusing only on our failures - disappointments - wrapping the good - happy moments - in stories that overshadow any cheerful moments we could remember.
Rather than focusing on our failures - we need to unwrap everything that is hiding the cheer that is in our life. With the help of Jesus - we may see our goodness - too often hidden by guilt - anxiety - distractions - placed in front of us by the world. As Christians we live counter cultural to what the world says is important. People not things are what helps us unwrap our cheer. As we continue our Advent journey - may all of us rediscover the cheer in our lives.
Deacon Dale
On this Second Sunday of Advent we hear - "Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God" (Is 40:3) - prepare a path for Him. We have been called to go before Him - to smooth out the path - to make clear for His feet - to prepare hearts - to hear His message - to be heralds of His message. The majority or us will ask - how? How can we possibly do that? We are not theologians - priests - deacons - not trained in Holy Scripture - not comfortable sharing our faith with others - not people of influence. How may we do as He asks - as limited as we are? In faith we go into the world - to walk a path of faith.
The reality of the matter - all of us have been called - through our baptism - we have been given everything we need. We believe - therefore we can share what we know with all that we meet. We are not called to debate - only to share our faith - our belief. It is up to those who hear - to sort out our message - to digest it in their minds - hearts - to let the words we share grow within them. Like farmers - we are called to spread seeds - to let God do the watering. We share what we know freely in Advent because so many people are searching in these days for words of hope - inspiration. Whatever path we take - Jesus will always be with us.
Come Journey With Us
Deacon Dale
Happy New Year? Now? Yes! - The First Sunday of Advent marks the beginning of a new Church Liturgical Year - in this four week period we are given a fresh chance to prepare ourselves for what lies ahead. Short vision - preparing for Christmas - the Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Long vision - preparing for that time - somewhere in the future - when we will meet Our Lord Face to Face - the end of our life - the end of the world. Advent is not a penitential season - rather a time of reflection to see who we are - what we have done - where we are headed - what we need to do - to be ready for Christ's Second Coming.
Everyone is waiting for some sort of a miracle. For the majority - an end to the pandemic - for others - personal needs - new jobs - financial relief - physical and spiritual healings. Like most people - I am not the best model of quiet waiting. Since this pandemic started I have been preoccupied with so many things - primarily - avoiding people - keeping my risk to a minimum. Obviously I am not alone. Avoiding family - close friends - neighbors - wearing a mask when necessary - hiding from life. These past months have created tension - stress - concern not only for my own well being - also for my spouse - children. On top of all this - I recently had knee surgery which has placed me in a higher risk category. Adding surgical pain - physical therapy which challenges my body - lack of sleep - I am ready for a miracle.
The beginning of September - Labor Day weekend upon us - the corn starting to turn brown - signaling that harvest will soon be upon us. And in this year of 2020 - the pandemic still very present in our lives. Face masks - restrictions on gathering in groups - cancelled vacations - students returning to school - the threat of the Corona virus still with us - numbers of those infected still growing - people confused with fake - false news - where do we turn for help? The President - governors - local authorities - just as clueless as the rest of us. It is unbelievable in the midst of a pandemic - which has affected the entire world - conspiracy theories fly around us like a swarm of murder hornets - that it is all political. It does not matter which party one belongs to - lies flying out of their mouths like bees as seen in so many horror movies. Concern for others - down the toilet like so much other political waste - where does it end? The end begins with us - you and me - responsible people who act - not react - act with common sense - study the information published by reliable sources - understand what we read - what the numbers really mean - not what others tell us they mean. A recent report stated that only 6 percent of those who died recently - only died from the Corona virus. So that means that 94 percent who died in that same time period did not die from the virus - false! The majority of people who die always die from multiple causes - drunk driving - car accident - was only one factor the cause - no - two causes. I have seen plenty of people who were drunk or in car accidents who did not die from either - same with diseases that affect multiple parts of the body - a virus that affects the structure of the lungs - lungs that fail to properly absorb oxygen - it is called cause and effect. Was it lung disease - virus infection - both? Many people have multiple medical issues who contract the virus and do not die - so what gives? Different people - different levels of health - no two exactly the same. The answer - all take precautions to guard yourself - others.
When God created the world - all was good - then evil entered and sickness followed. As People of God - we have been blessed with all that we need to live productive - helpful lives. In times of trouble - we are called to be messengers of hope - healing. The healing begins inside us - spreads to others - as we share faith that we will survive - as will many others. With common sense - taking reasonable precautions - caring for each other - this pandemic will eventually end. It takes time - faith in each other - faith in God. A prayer here and there wouldn't hurt either.
Deacon Dale
