My Sisters and Brothers, let us “rejoice!”:
For Christians, the focus during most of the month of December, and during the Season of Advent, is our “joyful and hopeful expectation of the coming of the Lord.” On this Third Sunday of Advent, we read in the Gospel that Saint John the Baptist came before Jesus, and that he came to “testify to the light” (see John 1:6-8, 19-28).
Today, it seems that many people around us have forgotten the true meaning of the “light”, and that in this season they are just preoccupied with more material things. We might conclude that the message of John the Baptist has become simply and completely irrelevant in this world of ours. On the other hand, we might consider the possibility that the “holiday lights” at Macy’s, and those in the malls and along public streets, still in some way continue to give testimony to a more important reality–the one in which we find ourselves contemplating during this Advent season.
Even with all of the commercialism out there, I believe we can find reason to keep the focus on our faith. I love to see all of the Christmas decorations all over the place, especially those covered with lots of bright lights! Often when I see them, they cause me to get a bit sentimental and nostalgic about the months of December from the time of my childhood. I have very fond memories of those days because of all the colorful and bright decorating that happened everywhere, including in and around our home, and throughout our neighborhood.
When I was a child, there was a large blue spruce tree standing tall in front of our family home; each year in December, my father would string hundreds of those very large, old-fashioned multi-colored lights all around that tree, and it would make our front yard look so cheerful and bright. My mother always put candles in all of the windows of our house, and I loved the way the light from those candles would glow out from, and into our house, all the night long! Many of our neighbors would display elaborate Christmas decorations and lights on their houses and so our whole neighborhood would take on a kind of magical, even mystical hue.
As in those days, and in the present day as well, may the lights of our decorations, and those all over the place, always remind us of the One who is the “true light,” our Lord and Savior, the Messiah, Jesus Christ. This is the same “light” for whom John the Baptist gave testimony, and for whom we testify as well.
Today, as we bask in this light, let us rejoice as we wait in joyful and hopeful expectation for the coming of the Lord! Let us continue to keep our focus! May those beautiful “holiday lights” out there, even the ones in the shopping malls, testify to the presence of Jesus for all the world, and may they always inspire us to faith as well! My Sisters and Brothers, let us “rejoice!”
Praise God! Friar Timothy
Find me on Facebook by clicking on the following link: http://www.facebook.com/frayteo
For Christians, the focus during most of the month of December, and during the Season of Advent, is our “joyful and hopeful expectation of the coming of the Lord.” On this Third Sunday of Advent, we read in the Gospel that Saint John the Baptist came before Jesus, and that he came to “testify to the light” (see John 1:6-8, 19-28).
Today, it seems that many people around us have forgotten the true meaning of the “light”, and that in this season they are just preoccupied with more material things. We might conclude that the message of John the Baptist has become simply and completely irrelevant in this world of ours. On the other hand, we might consider the possibility that the “holiday lights” at Macy’s, and those in the malls and along public streets, still in some way continue to give testimony to a more important reality–the one in which we find ourselves contemplating during this Advent season.
Even with all of the commercialism out there, I believe we can find reason to keep the focus on our faith. I love to see all of the Christmas decorations all over the place, especially those covered with lots of bright lights! Often when I see them, they cause me to get a bit sentimental and nostalgic about the months of December from the time of my childhood. I have very fond memories of those days because of all the colorful and bright decorating that happened everywhere, including in and around our home, and throughout our neighborhood.
When I was a child, there was a large blue spruce tree standing tall in front of our family home; each year in December, my father would string hundreds of those very large, old-fashioned multi-colored lights all around that tree, and it would make our front yard look so cheerful and bright. My mother always put candles in all of the windows of our house, and I loved the way the light from those candles would glow out from, and into our house, all the night long! Many of our neighbors would display elaborate Christmas decorations and lights on their houses and so our whole neighborhood would take on a kind of magical, even mystical hue.
As in those days, and in the present day as well, may the lights of our decorations, and those all over the place, always remind us of the One who is the “true light,” our Lord and Savior, the Messiah, Jesus Christ. This is the same “light” for whom John the Baptist gave testimony, and for whom we testify as well.
Today, as we bask in this light, let us rejoice as we wait in joyful and hopeful expectation for the coming of the Lord! Let us continue to keep our focus! May those beautiful “holiday lights” out there, even the ones in the shopping malls, testify to the presence of Jesus for all the world, and may they always inspire us to faith as well! My Sisters and Brothers, let us “rejoice!”
Praise God! Friar Timothy
No comments:
Post a Comment