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| Angel Trumpets Gaudete Sunday / odcsuffolk.com |
Deacon Tom writes ©
"Rejoice"
Jesus
begins His ministry in Galilee quoting the words of the Prophet Isaiah that we
hear today on this Third Sunday of Advent (remember Gaudete Sunday?). They are worth reading again:
“The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me; He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the
poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and
release to the prisoners, to announce a year of favor from the LORD and a day
of vindication by our God…”
(IS 61:1-
2a)
This
is the “Good News” that has been
celebrated generation after generation since this prophesy was fulfilled by
Christ 2000 years ago. Jesus is the one who brings us the good news that our
captivity has come to and end, the good news that lifts our broken spirits pummeled
by sickness, sin, and death. Jesus is the one who frees us from everything that
imprisons us or has robbed us of our human dignity; Jesus restores our genuine freedom. Jesus comes
to our rescue announcing that God’s favor is upon us. On our part, we wait in
hope; we wait patiently for Emmanuel to come into our lives. So we wait… and
watch.
Advent
is a wonderful time of year. It is a season of hope and anticipation. It is
even more so this year as we face so many challenges and difficulties of epic
proportions. Our world has grown cold. It is a world very much in need of the
“fire of God’s love”.
As
we light the rose candle this Third Sunday of Advent, we rejoice in God’s
nearness to us. We rejoice because the Light of Christ approaches and the days
of darkness are coming to an end. We rejoice because Christ comes to fill us
with the fire of His love. We rejoice because our time of deliverance is at
hand. We rejoice because Our Savior comes to do what the world cannot do – give
us the joy and happiness that can only come from Him; joy and happiness to be
shared with one another; joy and happiness that will last forever.
Enjoy
the day!
Deacon
Tom
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