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3 rd Sunday of Advent
Now that we are getting closer to Christmas the readings of Advent are very poetic. They are full of lovely images. “The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom. They will bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice with joyful song.” The great question we must ponder is taken from the mouth of John the Baptist today: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” That suggests that the believer is always searching for the Messiah. Lots of times we stumble in our search. Some people find the Messiah in the form of a new pair of shoes. Some find their Messiah in their new Smartphone. Some find their Messiah in the world of Fantastic Beasts and where to find them. If life be like a game of hide and seek then we will spend lots of days searching in the wrong places. One day we might actually find what it is we are searching for. How will I know that I have found the Lord? Jesus sends a message back to John. Pay attention to what you see and hear. The blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. I guess that will do us for now. The Lord reveals Himself to us all the time but we struggle to see Him as He is. That must be the fun of playing hide and seek. At this time of the year we all change gear and put on our protective garments. The great push and rush begins. The world is full of feverish activity. We are all getting ready. Not all of us are getting ready to celebrate the birth of Christ. If it quacks like a duck and it looks like a duck, it doesn’t mean it is a duck. There are lots of Christians preparing for the birth of the Savior but Jesus’ name will never be mentioned in their house. We have all the trimmings but no Jesus. Well, maybe we have the Nativity Granny gave us. That comes out only at Christmas but it is destined for the Antiques Roadshow when we all become pagans. Hide and seek is such fun. Enjoy.
With love, Fr. Pat