December 17, 2023
Advent is a time of joy – joy in the waiting and this Sunday we wear the joyful rose-coloured vestment.
The messenger in the first reading is the ‘joyful messenger’, and his joy is that God is near and God is coming.
This would be the message of Jesus –that he was the joyful messenger of his Father’s love. He would be the shepherd – the one who cares, knows and actively looks after the sheep.
John the Baptist is the voice of joy and energy, preaching the new message.
Voices of Advent to bring God near – The central message within all the voices of Christmas. God’s Christmas voice is saying I love you, you are all brothers and sisters, and nothing except love is final.
Not just a voice…but actively loving in word and deed. One way of touching that love is the Mass. Jesus is not really love from the sky, but food of the Eucharist, that nourishes us and makes a difference. We bring our ordinary concerns to Mass, and let God lighten them and transform them, and enlighten us with his word. The voice of God makes sense of and brings light into the ordinariness of life.
God is present in his word, and in his body – we wait in joy for the Word to be made flesh.
Remember this week what makes you joyful about the coming
feast of Christmas and be grateful.
Lord I believe your word was made flesh and appeared among us.
