From the Pastor, 12/3/23, Advent, I

Human beings can not live without hope.  Unlike the animals, we are blessed - or cursed - with the ability to think about the future.  We may fear or embrace it, but whichever our outlook, we attempt to influence it, minimize its effect on us, or control it.  Animals only live in the present; they lead reactive lives - we can lead proactive lives. That is why we must have hope.  We need something to live for, not simply something to avoid or live in anxiety of.  

We all hope for our children to have a better life than we did, especially since it seems to me that the world we are passing on to them is in much worse shape than the world our parents passed on to us.  We hope to have ample food and resources to live comfortably.  We hope for health and prosperity for ourselves and our loved ones.  We hope for peace and justice to reign over all the world.

These have been the hopes of all peoples of all time (tyrants exempted).  Yet we have reason to be filled with great hope that eluded the peoples of thousands of years ago.   Christ has come and given us the promise of eternal life!  He also assures us that if we follow His teachings and seek to do His will, we can experience a JOY in this life that far exceeds the value of any other earthly endeavor. 

So Advent has two basic themes: first, we celebrate the historical fact that Jesus has come, redeemed us, and offered us eternal life.  Secondly, He promised to establish His reign at the Second Coming.  Like John the Baptist and Mary, we have great insight into divine knowledge.  The revelation we need to bring to a world that is broken and lost in many ways.

So let us begin this Advent with spiritual introspection and ensure our lives align completely with His teachings.  Only then may we effectively bring the Hope of Eternal Life into our desperate and broken world.

Blessings,

Fr. Eddie