From the Pastor - Third Sunday of Advent
From the Pastor – Third Sunday of Advent
A key facet of stewardship has always been personal witness. Today’s readings deal in large part with the witness of John the Baptist. St. John the Baptist, according to historians, was a few months older than Jesus. It is also generally accepted that he began preaching about six months before Jesus came to him to be baptized and to begin His ministry.
St. John the Baptist pointed to Jesus as the Messiah. John the Baptist, through personal witness, raised a great sense of expectancy and excitement, the kind of expectancy and excitement that we associate with this season of Advent. John tries to awaken in people a consciousness of sin, the importance of conversion and change, and the need to become more holy in God’s eyes.
Those are the same goals we should have during this Advent season. The matter of witness is a serious and important thing. It establishes truth and a solid foundation for faith. When we personally witness, it means we make a commitment. We cannot be neutral when it comes to our faith. We are called to be disciples, witnesses of and for Christ. We best accomplish that by the ways we live our own lives and how we relate to and treat others.
Jesus can meet our every need. Now is the time for us to accept that and to place our total trust in Him. We can do that best by making our own commitment to be His disciple, a witness to Who He is and what He means to us and all people.
Pastoral Pondering
While the approach of Christmas can be an exciting time for us, there are some who find the holidays to be a time of sadness. Oftentimes this sentiment comes from the memory of loved ones who are no longer with us or even a sense of abandonment for the elderly whose families are no longer around. Hence, a good apostolic activity for all of us is to take some time to visit those who are sick and shut in and to be especially aware of those who might be having a “Blue” Christmas.
Advent is about watching and waiting. It is about joyful expectation and of celebrating the Greatest Gift that the world has ever been given – the gift of the Word Made Flesh. If we, in following the Father’s example, can be giving this season to someone who feels alone or abandoned, then a bit more of the light can dispel the darkness.
I would also say that if you find yourself feeling especially overwhelmed at this time of year, don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help. The Parish clergy and staff care about you and want to help you experience the true joy of Advent and Christmas.