Sunday Reflections

John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’  So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.

(Luke 3:16-18)

Winnowing Fork… Threshing floor cleared…Chafe burned… This is good News?  What is the Good news in all of this???  
Perhaps the good News is that "We are being gathered in to the Lord’s Granary"

St. Paul's Letter to the Philippians: Rejoice in the Lord always – Again I say – Rejoice – The Lord is near.  This Sunday in known as Gaudete Sunday – Rejoice Sunday…Pink Candle Sunday!

Facing Tragedy – as we have this week learning of the death of 28 people in Newtown, Conneticut - we are left asking questions like Why?   &   How? Really – how can God let this happen?
It may be helpful for us to remember that St. Paul was in prison when he wrote these words… An uncomfortable place to be !
For St. Paul – all he had was the security of the mystery of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus.  That is where St. Paul’s rejoicing originates. That is where our hope lies – when we find ourselves in the uncomfortable place of facing the tragedies like this week…

When we encounter Christ in the Eucharist – it requires a response Conversion can be a source of rejoicing – for we realize that in the change of heart we are being challenged - and are being gathered into the Lord’s Granary.

Our Hope in Advent is not a Psychological Hope 
– where there is a Goal we set out towards 
knowing that you have what is necessary 
inside of you to achieve that goal.
NO – Our hope in Advent is a Theological hope,
– where there is a Goal we set out towards 
knowing you DO NOT have what is necessary 
inside of you to achieve that goal
but rather, set out knowing that – what is necessary 
is with God – and is God’s Utter gift.
Peace