Introduction to Mass:
Today is the Third Sunday of Advent or Gaudete Sunday. We are half way through Advent; and so, the Church calls us to rejoice in the fact that we are two weeks away from Christmas.
Homily:
As we know, Advent is a season of waiting and preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ. In this special time in our liturgies we see different people who were preparing for Messiah’s coming. The Church shows us them as examples and we are invited to follow them. However I think that the most important figure in the first part of Advent is John the Baptist. We have listed about him since the beginning of Advent and his example shows us three important stages of the advent journey. The stages which when are present in our spiritual …show more content…
I like very much this passage from the Bible when st. Paul says “when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law”. What does it mean “when the fulness of the time was come”? When it would be? I found this interpretation which says that “fulness of the time” indicates this moment in the history when at least one person on the earth desired meet God very much. For John the Baptist waiting for the Lord’s coming was his entire life. Moreover, Scripture says that when Mary visited Elizabeth, the mother of John and when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. We can say that John was waiting since his conception. So only when we are waiting for God, we really desire him and this is the second stage of the Advent. We are on the path of Advent when we think frequently about the Messiah and when we are really wanting for …show more content…
People of all sorts approach John the Baptist for advice. He responds to them all. They hunger for meaning. They want to repent. This is the reason why they are asking “What should we do?”. John replies and calls the people to share what they have with others. He tells the tax collectors to be fair. The soldiers were not to extort money by false accusations. The same question we are invited to keep asking in this time. What should I do? I think that this question we can considered as an invitation to look at our attitude towards others: towards our children, parents, or employees, friends, neighbours. When we look through John’s eyes at them, we will realize that everyday Jesus is been bearing in those people. This is the third stage of Advent. In a special way this third aspect is really important now when we have just began the Jubilee of Mercy; the time when we want to put mercy in an practical action. I believe that when we realize the importance of those three aspects of Advent we will experience the peace of God and real joy. So today in this Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, when the Church calls us to rejoice in the fact that we are two weeks away from Christmas, I invite you to spend time rejoicing with your family and friends. But also take time to be quiet and consider those three aspects of Advent how you experience them in your spiritual life and consider the ways in which God has blessed
Today is the Third Sunday of Advent or Gaudete Sunday. We are half way through Advent; and so, the Church calls us to rejoice in the fact that we are two weeks away from Christmas.
Homily:
As we know, Advent is a season of waiting and preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ. In this special time in our liturgies we see different people who were preparing for Messiah’s coming. The Church shows us them as examples and we are invited to follow them. However I think that the most important figure in the first part of Advent is John the Baptist. We have listed about him since the beginning of Advent and his example shows us three important stages of the advent journey. The stages which when are present in our spiritual …show more content…
I like very much this passage from the Bible when st. Paul says “when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law”. What does it mean “when the fulness of the time was come”? When it would be? I found this interpretation which says that “fulness of the time” indicates this moment in the history when at least one person on the earth desired meet God very much. For John the Baptist waiting for the Lord’s coming was his entire life. Moreover, Scripture says that when Mary visited Elizabeth, the mother of John and when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. We can say that John was waiting since his conception. So only when we are waiting for God, we really desire him and this is the second stage of the Advent. We are on the path of Advent when we think frequently about the Messiah and when we are really wanting for …show more content…
People of all sorts approach John the Baptist for advice. He responds to them all. They hunger for meaning. They want to repent. This is the reason why they are asking “What should we do?”. John replies and calls the people to share what they have with others. He tells the tax collectors to be fair. The soldiers were not to extort money by false accusations. The same question we are invited to keep asking in this time. What should I do? I think that this question we can considered as an invitation to look at our attitude towards others: towards our children, parents, or employees, friends, neighbours. When we look through John’s eyes at them, we will realize that everyday Jesus is been bearing in those people. This is the third stage of Advent. In a special way this third aspect is really important now when we have just began the Jubilee of Mercy; the time when we want to put mercy in an practical action. I believe that when we realize the importance of those three aspects of Advent we will experience the peace of God and real joy. So today in this Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, when the Church calls us to rejoice in the fact that we are two weeks away from Christmas, I invite you to spend time rejoicing with your family and friends. But also take time to be quiet and consider those three aspects of Advent how you experience them in your spiritual life and consider the ways in which God has blessed