This
Sunday's Message
Home--Directions--Pastor's
Message--Mass Schedule--Clergy
and Ministry--Upcoming Events--Links
Third Sunday of Advent
December 17, 2000
Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! sing joyfully, O Israel!
Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!
The LORD has removed the judgment against you, he has turned away your
enemies;
The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst, you have no further
misfortune to fear.
On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem: Fear not, O Zion, be not
discouraged!
The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior;
He will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love,
He will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals.
Second Reading--(Philippians 4:4-7)
Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Gospel Reading--(Luke 3:10-18)
And the crowds asked John, "What then should we do?" He said to them in reply, "Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise." Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him, "Teacher, what should we do?" He answered them, "Stop collecting more than what is prescribed." Soldiers also asked him, "And what is it that we should do?" He told them, "Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages." Now the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Messiah. John answered them all, saying, "I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." Exhorting them in many other ways, he preached good news to the people.
Pastor's Message: Time
Isn't it just absolutely amazing how time changes with time?
Like, in our youth, time really drags-on, but then, in middle age,
time actually flies; however, in old age, time just plain
runs-out. Surely time heals everything -- except leaky faucets.
And have you noticed how time flies with love, and how love flies
with time? Then, too, time is actually money -- especially
time-and-a-half! Fools count time, but wise people make time
count. It is well known that time heals all wounds and wounds all
heels. But while time is the greatest of healers, time is
the poorest of beauticians. In this sense, time is surely very ungallant,
for it always tells on a woman. But we need not be rocket scientists to
actually know that the three principle kinds of time are standard,
daylight and over.
Jimmy Webb wrote a song during the 1970's called DIDN'T WE that has
attained classical status in the field of pop music: "This time,
we almost made the pieces fit / Didn't we / This time, we almost
made some sense of it / Didn't we / This time, I had the answer
right here in my hand / Then I touched it / And it had turned to sand /
This time, we almost sang a song in tune / Didn't we / This time,
we almost made it to the moon / Didn't we / This time, we almost
made our poem rhyme / And this time, we almost made that long hard
climb / Didn't we almost make it this time?"
Each Advent is a time of anticipation, a time of waiting,
a time of preparation for joyfully celebrating the tremendous truth
of Christmas; namely, that God so loves this very world of ours, that He
gave to it His Son, Jesus, so that everyone who believes on Him will never-ever
die, but live perpetually in perfect happiness forevermore. In this gospel,
on this Third Sunday of Advent, John the Baptist urges people of good will
to strive to be in right-relationship with other people. The Baptizer calls
believers to be generous, honest, truthful, kindly, and cordial. Now this
is a very challenging lifestyle for anyone to consistently maintain on
this planet. And, we can only do so by turning completely to God and then
allowing His spirit to govern our attitude and our outlook on our human
life in this world. This requires that we be really patient with ourselves
and with the Holy Spirit, Who knows our human needs and our human weaknesses,
and Who can and will supply us with the grace to be all that we can be.
Jesus came upon a midnight clear to be an actual part of our very own human
condition and to guide us along the way to eternal salvation. And always,
the road is long with many a wayward turn! And growing in wisdom, age and
grace is really a matter of time. Actually, it will take most of
us from here to eternity to truly become all that we can and we should
be. But a journey of a thousand years begins with the first step, and it
continues day-by-day, day-in and day-out, now and forever. So Advent invites
us to embark on a sojourn of faith that is about you, and about me, and
about time.
Fr. George Griffin