December 11-12, 2010
Third Sunday of Advent – Gaudete – REJOICE
Isaiah 35:1-10 James 5:7-10 Matthew 11:2-11
With so much emphasis being placed on how well our merchants are doing, we can easily forget that these Advent weeks were not invented as marketing incentives but as opportunities to PREPARE for a rebirth of Jesus of Nazareth within our hearts. Granted, the economy weighs heavily on our minds, each tick of the market sends shivers of joy or fear throughout our culture; but Christmas will still occur whether the market soars or crashes.
A temptation into which many of us can fall is thinking that the purpose of Jesus is to provide contentment/success/wealth in the here-and-now. Perhaps it is the newest temptation by the tempter to distance ourselves from a God who appears impotent: he has not turned the market around, he has not cured cancer, he has not ended the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan, he has not ridden our loved ones from their addictions and struggles…so what good is he?!
Well, he is still willing to stretch out his arms to be nailed to a cross; he is still willing to wait until we exhaust ourselves seeking our fulfillment through our own pursuits; he is still willing to lift us to his heart and welcome us home; he is still willing to forgive our every flailing and failing; he is still willing to walk with us through every trial, every cross, every death.
With the arrival of Gaudete Sunday we are invited to consider what will truly give us the deepest joy and contentment? Another I-pod or pad? Another game or piece of merchandise? An inanimate object that can neither converse, comfort or console us? Christmas, despite all the marketing ploys, is not about finding joy in cashmere hand warmers or new leggings or the latest toy or tool.
Christmas is about our God taking a huge leap of faith and allowing us to know him on a personal level, down and dirty, as one like ourselves. The Incarnation of God within Jesus of Nazareth is the gift that does not break, does not need to be returned or is the wrong size…nor does it need batteries! If we set our hearts on having the objects of Christmas satisfy us and bring us fulfillment…we will once again feel a deep emptiness on Christmas Day…because Christmas is about a person, not things.
These ideas are nothing new, indeed, many of our elder Religious men and women endeavored over the years to pass these ideas along to us. Those elder priests and sisters who labored in our schools and parishes tried mightily, with meager resources and impoverished pay, to plant the seeds of genuine faith within our hearts.
This weekend is our annual opportunity to assist them in their senior years, especially those whose medical/age-related conditions require special care. As much as Christmas is about a PERSON, so it has been these retired religious who have nurtured the faith that gathers us together week after week…faith is conveyed not by things…but by PEOPLE…and this weekend is a great opportunity for us to give back to them for what they have given to us. REJOICE…Christmas is drawing near…a PERSON is coming….Jesus! Are you ready?
Thank you for coming and sharing this special weekend with our Corpus Christi Community. If you are new amongst us (and plan on staying) please complete a Registration Form available on the Concierge Shelves. Next weekend will be our Bootsraps Tamale Sale…come hungry. As well, NEXT Sunday will be the annual Rectory Holiday Open House…all are invited to come by for a little while, enjoy some mulled cider or eggnog and allow the growing spirit of Christmas to become a bit stronger within your hearts.
Directions and more info are in the Bulletin, as is a lot of other stuff….you should probably take a copy of the Bulletin with you when you leave Mass. Finally, this Wednesday, December 15, will be the occasion of our two Advent Reconciliation Services, one at 10:30 a.m. (one priest) and another at 7:00 p.m. (four priests). As the lights of Advent grow and Christmas draws near, remember, you are loved. FKB
