Pastor’s Pen
St. Augustine Catholic Church
Sunday, December 13, 2020
Third Sunday of Advent
Dear Church Family,
With Isaiah I proclaim, “I will rejoice hardily in the Lord. In my God is the joy of my soul, Alleluia! He has robed me with salvation and wrapped me in a mantle of justice.” Then there is the beautiful image of the bride groom adoring with the diadem, a special piece of jewelry. Also, there is the bride bedecked with her jewels which is a beautiful sign of newness and rejoicing. “Because the spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me and He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor; to heal the broken hearted; to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners. To announce the year of favor from the Lord and a day of vindication by our God.”
So, Church, this day is all about rejoicing and praising God. I have a theme in my spiritual life that this Advent period is called a Happy Time because we are looking forward to the coming of the Lord and it is such a happy happening. We are rejoicing in the Lord! The Psalmist even says, “My soul rejoices in My God.” He continues, “My spirit rejoices in God my savior. Holy is His name! Great things are done through Him. Holy is His name!” Again, the idea of rejoicing is upon us.
Our reading from St. Paul says, “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing in all circumstances. Give thanks. So rejoice, rejoice!” Then comfortably we will say as we rejoice in our prayers, “May the God of Peace make you perfectly holy and may you entirely in spirt, soul, and body be preserved blameless for the coming of Our Lord, Jesus Christ!” Alleluia!!
This is the season of coming and here we hear the word of God coming from the beginning of the Gospel of John where it says, “He has come to testify to the Light. He was not the Light but he came to testify to the Light. They were all asking who he was—was he the Christ?—and he says, ‘No’. Is he Elijah, who was taken off in a fiery chariot and not crossing over into the kingdom like the average person? But John just says, “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert. Make straight the way of the Lord.” Just know that he is ready to proclaim the Good News. “I baptize with water, but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, (Jesus), the one who is coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. All of this happened in Bethany, across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. So, Church, this is a happy third week of Advent. The pink or rose color is a part of our joy being expressed. We rejoice and pray that our God will continue to call us to rejoice! Alleluia!
Love, Fr. Bob
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