Second Sunday of Advent 4/12/2022 Mt 3, 1-12
Don’t give up hope and the Lord will always come to help you said St Paul. Advent invites us on a journey of Hope as we prepare to welcome the Lord of Hope. Despite the negativity we receive through the media and international News, the call for hope is all the louder this year. However, if we look back through history properly, we would see that the hopes of the world were not only fulfilled and with abundance. All the failures were followed by resurrections which were far more beneficial to life than could ever have been expected. The present economic situation will impose difficulties on us all but, if we work together to help and support each other, we will come through it better people and a stronger and healthier community. Our faith will have been strengthened both by the Holy Spirit and the Fire of concern and compassion for others. It will be make HOPE concrete in action.
Fire of Advent (Edward Hays
Advent, like its cousin Lent, is a season for prayer and reformation of our hearts. Since it comes at winter time, fire is a fitting sign to help us celebrate Advent… If Christ is to come more fully into our lives this Christmas, if God is to become really incarnate for us, then fire will have to be present in our prayer. Our worship and devotion will have to stoke the kind of fire in our souls that can truly change our hearts. Ours is a great responsibility not to waste this Advent time.
We are called to be God’s witnesses by the love we extend to others; precursors of his justice by our unfailing commitment to what is right and good; lamps reflecting the light of God's Christ in our forgiveness, mercy and compassion; harvesters of souls through our humble and dedicated servanthood."
by Fr Thomas O'BRIEN a.a