3rd Sunday of Advent + Week of Reconciliation

Rejoice – for the Kingdom of God has come near
Earlier this year I had the oppourtunity to once again to Journey to the Holy Land – To Israel. One of the places we always visit is the Birthplace of John the Baptist - a peaceful place - tiny village of Ein Karem: fertile /green /Idyllic. I always think it odd that John leaves this place to go into the wilderness, to a dry and arid and forbidding landscape - Looking for God – Looking to announce God’s Kingdom.

In this past Sunday's Gospel Passage – John is in prison – wondering. Looking for signs – that Jesus is the one to come. Looking for signs of the kingdom.
After all of his prophetic Ministry, after pointing out Jesus - the Lamb of God - even after Baptizing Jesus, is it possible that the actual style and nature of Jesus’ Ministry was so radical as to prompt this question to Jesus: Are you the One who is to Come?

Matthew has Jesus echo the words we have heard from Isaiah:
The Blind See, the Deaf Hear, the Lame Walk, the mute can speak;
as well as adding from the accounts of Jesus’ Ministry that Lepers are healed the Dead are Raised, anf the poor have good news brought to them. Rejoice – for the Kingdom of God has come near.
The messengers are sent - to be witnesses: Tell John what you see and hear:  These are signs of the Kingdom.

The Promise of our God is that we who experience our lives as exile; those who feel stuck in the Wilderness; those who are weak; those who are in pain; those who are numb in their grief - all may shout for Joy – for God will transform all things. 
Rejoice – for the Kingdom of God has come near

The coming of the Kingdom: Already - but not yet...
Already here - but not yet fully here is where we are.
And the coming of this Kingdom Transforms all things:   People / Animals / All of creation - AND even the parched arid wilderness of our lives.

For this we give thanks and praise. God continues to bring about the Kingdom. God continues to call us out of exile.
Rejoice – for the Kingdom of God has come near.

Through public announcements and even in private doubt John the Baptist has truly introduced us to the One who is to Come.
And like John we need to respond on the basis of what we hear and see. Rejoice – for the Kingdom of God has come near: as we eat and drink, Taste and see, this Kingdom Meal.

This week in the Archdiocese of Toronto we have additional times for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. At Holy Family we will be celebrating on:
Tuesday 3-5 pm
Wednesday 9-11 am
and Thursday evening 7-9 pm

Here is an Examenation of Conscience based on the preaching of St. John the Baptist:

What hinders our journey to Christ, and as a witness of Christ to others?

Make his paths straight: 
Do we have a place for God in our life? 
Are we prayerful? 
Do we easily get distracted from time to pray? 
Do we read scripture and other books 
that will help us to deepen our faith in Christ?
Do we make our marriage a place to meet God?
Do we waste the material goods life offers (food, energy, water)?   Do we use our talents and opportunities well? 
Are we generous with our resources to charity and those in need?

Every valley shall be filled: 
Do we fill our life with work or play 
to the detriment of our relationships with God and others? 
On the other hand, are we lazy? 
Do we fill our life with food or drink? 
How important is gossip to us? 
Do we have petty dependencies on TV, the computer, 
the daily paper, or endless newscasts?

Every mountain and hill shall be made low: 
Are we an obstacle to good relations in our home, family or workplace? 
Do we seek out reasons to miss mass on Sunday? 
Do we hold onto old resentments or hurts or sins 
as a reason for not living our lives fully in Christ?

The crooked shall be made straight: 
Are we honest in all of our dealings? 
Are we greedy or selfish? 
Do we take advantage of others? 
Do we tell the truth? 
Do we avoid exaggeration 
or the need to put ourselves at the center of every story?

Rough ways made smooth: 
Do we use foul language? 
Do we tell crude stories?
Do we have a strong attraction to pornography? 
Do we set a bad example for others?

Are we intemperate in our demeanor at home or at work?

Peace