Jesus was born and Divine Mercy entered the world. As we begin the six week holiday season, we are once again drawn into the main purpose for the coming of our Lord and Savior. Jesus comes the first time in the flesh as the Sacrificial Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. The second time He comes in His Glory as the divine judge to separate the sheep from the goats. The Gospel tells us how to be ready in joyful anticipation for the second arrival as the “Son of Man,” and how to live now until He does.
Luke 21:28, says our “redemption is at hand”. This is the joyful hope of Advent. Advent says and urges us to prepare for Christmas by rejecting sin and and doing good deeds for our neighbors.
From the Fall at the beginning of human life, to the Saving Redemption of Jesus’s sacrifice, to His Second Coming and final judgement, we owe Him our redeemed body and soul, which freed us from original sin and allowed us to become living beings capable of receiving eternal life. He died and rose again for us. He gave us sanctifying grace through Baptism and actual grace to continually assist us with His loving and merciful care.
We have a lot to be thankful for and repent of in our past and present. This is true of every past and present civilization and will always be until Jesus’s return. America is not unique in this sense as the historical record proves. All humans and all human societies contain flawed groups and individuals to one degree or another at different historical periods. We nevertheless strive through countless generations to improve the common good. This has never been easy because all lives matter!
For too many of us today, the national holidays of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year have a different meaning. Though there is nothing wrong with gift giving and enjoyment with family and friends, no amount of material indulgence can provide us sustenance for our spiritual needs.
The joy of our Savior’s birth is again at the door. Happy are those on Christmas Day that let the Messiah again be born in their hearts. Every Christmas gives our souls a chance to bend a knee to the gifts of our Divine Savior. Blessed are they on the way in the flesh – the not born-and the rest of us born again in the spirit, and those who have passed on and are already enjoying the blessedness of Heaven.
Christmas (Christ-Mass) is for those who want to know the Way, the Truth, and the Life (Jn :14-6), who want to hear once again the Word of God written in His Gospel and speaking through His true servants. Moses led the Jewish people through the deserts of the Promised Land. Jesus leads us through a far worst desert: the glacially cold deserts of the modern world with its never-ending attacks on all things holy.
The time of grace and mercy has come again. The Prophets, Apostles and early Christians expected it and died fighting for it. They gave their lives fighting for it; writing the Gospel and comforted by the hope and expectation that it will come to pass. It is here now. Jesus has made mankind a child of God as it was on the first day of our creation. Our Savior reminds us once again that Christ’s Mercy is passing by and urging us once again to take the knowledge of God from the head to the heart; from the body to the spirit; from talking about it to carrying out in practice what comes from our lips.
The era of God will come; indeed it is already here. The Divine Light will return after this period of darkness, in fact it is already chasing the gloom from the last crevices of its strongholds. The era of life will defeat and succeed the”Culture of Death.”
Almighty God; Creator, Redeemer and Revealer of all Truth is gathering His flock and leading us to His Promised Land!
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPLY HOLIDAYS
Wendell JeanPierre (Lecturer) Dec. 2021
Readings:
Luke:21-28
Isaiah9:6-7
Phil2:5-11
Council Meeting Schedule
