Fourth Week of Advent

The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying: “Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God; let it be deep as the netherworld, or high as the sky!” We come to God everyday immersed in our faith, responding to his call for us to love him. We come broken and longing, hoping to become fulfilled and whole again. With Christ comes meaning in life; a consoling measure that everything will work out from the safety and security of our families to a life filled with purpose and direction. Bad things do happen and we all do bad things; such is our nature. Yet, through Christ the pain fades away and is replaced with happiness and joy. Christ journeys with us and Christ is indeed around us.

The Season of Advent reminds us that Christ entered this world for our salvation and will one day return as he promised to bring us all to him. It is a somber feeling because it makes us long for something that maybe we do not think about too much. Yes, we pray to Christ and try to make him an important part of our lives; we strive to better ourselves and enrichen ourselves with the Christian Experience, but we rarely contemplate that this will eventually all end and we will all be gathered together before Christ. What will that be like? What are we to expect from such a pinnacle moment in human history? No one really has the answer except for God himself. The only thing we can do is wait.

It is ironic that we are forced to do something that, by our very nature, we are not good at. We are impatient, demanding, and intolerable. Society has taught us to be just that. Christ tries to teach us differently. We are told to slow down, have patience, and contemplate what all of this really means. The Mother Church follows suite with this beautiful season. Together, as Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we worship together with our hearts and minds firmly transfixed towards the great unknown, reaching out to our savior for strength and comfort; to face that great void which we all soon will pass. We learn to cry out for Jesus to come help us take those last fateful steps on our journey, his smiling face assuring us that everything is going to be alright. Inside, we might be afraid, terrified even, but as we look over to Jesus with the helpless expression of a child, he assures us it will be alright.

How often in our lives do we first have faith then lose it so easily when a conflict arises. Through Advent, we are directed to examine this thoroughly. We must continuously strengthen ourselves and prepare for that time when either we meet our physical end or Christ comes again in all his glory. Either way, it is a test of our own faith regarding how we conduct ourselves. It is so easy to proclaim that we are Catholic when things are good, but when it is bad, that is another story. We must take the trials and tribulations of the Holy Family and relate. We must then hold with us the image of the Crucified Messiah and what he did for us exclusively. He came into this world evangelizing to his children, and then died for his children.  But before this, let us also remember the first way whence he came: as a little child, innocent and without sin on a quiet night in Bethlehem.  Let us become like that child and trust as we give everything over to Christ. For Christ so loved us that he came into this world for our salvation. And this we cannot forget.

Third Week of Advent

My Brothers in Christ,

The Third Week of Advent is upon us. My experiences this season have been very fulfilling and have also left me with the realization that there is a lot of suffering out there. The economy hasn’t been the best and there many who are doing their best just to get by. With that, work- loads increase and people find themselves doing more for less. It is an unfair situation and , in the end, our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ is what is needed to carry us through. This month will find our council discussing our path forward into the new year. We have had many successes and milestones in the first six months of the fraternal year which I would define as exemplary. Together as Brothers in Christ we have that capability of moving mountains and making a difference in the world today.

In under two weeks, we will be celebrating Christmas with our families. Please remember to keep Jesus close to your hearts and all that are in need in your prayers. Never forget our fraternity and the good work that we do.

Yours in Christ,

Deacon Tom

THE SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT

Here we are in the Second Week of Advent, discerning the Second Coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ. I have to say that the first week flew by and now we are settling in for the remaining three. The Word of God is being revealed to us through Isaiah and we are asked to slow down, to remove ourselves from the day to day motions of the world and really concentrate on where we are in this season; as a Church and as individuals.

The Advent Wreath serves as a tool in this process and can really enrich our journey through this season. As we light a new candle each week, a special significance comes with it; not only for that season or for that week but something that can be carried throughout the year.  Last week it was Faith and Hope.  These words define who we are as Christians. We are told to have faith that Christ will come again, to have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and to give everything over to Jesus. We are taught to release our troubles, to let go of our burdens, and to dry our tears. If we are indeed a faith-filled community, then we must do this. Know that Christ is our companion and our guide throughout this life of ours. It is a shared relationship. He feels what we feel and he understands when we hurt.  By embracing our faith, we are able to become closer to Jesus. By practicing our faith, we are able to develop and strengthen our relationship more than it is now. The more we do these things, the more we are able to understand the world that we live in.

We can relate to the Prophet Isaiah. Isaiah, living in a world gone mad, was called to the Prophetic Office. He rose up and challenged all those before him to reform their lives, rebuild their relationship with God, and then offered a vision of salvation that would not be realized until over 700 years later through the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Isaiah, the stage was being set for the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ.  Today, The Season of advent calls us to the same task. We must challenge ourselves to reform our lives, rebuild our relationship with God, and have the faith and fortitude that vision of salvation we have through Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, this past Sunday the second candle of lit. We are further called to repentance and acknowledgement of our past sins. We are challenged to better ourselves and to conduct ourselves as Christians possessing the keys to eternal life. We are the keepers of the Living Word and must act accordingly. We are warned that we do not know when our savior will return but we must remain ever vigilant.

In Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians, he described the Crucifixion as “a stumbling block to the Jews and an absurdity to the Gentiles. Yet, we hold that special truth so close and dear to our hearts. This season asks us to hold it so much closer and tighter. We are asked to embrace it. Inside our hearts, we have a longing. That longing is Christ calling to us. We might be restless or we might be frustrated. We might be overwhelmed or underwater.  We must turn to Christ and acknowledge what we already know: that he is God and that we are his children. From there, we need to slowly build everything around that simple understanding and everything else will fall into place.