Well
I have finally had some good news. The brain scan and pet scan, (full body
scan), proved that there was no cancer anywhere else in my body. The right lung
is the only place! Good news indeed. I will find out this Thursday what the
treatment will be, including surgery, and will let you know next week. Please
keep praying for me.
Decorating
Sunday will be December 23 after the 11:30 Mass.
Please
come and help out!
Christmas Mass Schedule:
|
Christmas Eve – 5, 7, 9:30 and midnight
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Christmas Day – 9:30 and 11:30 AM
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New Year’s Mass
Schedule:
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New Year’s Eve - 5PM
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New Year’s Day – 9:30 and 11:30 AM
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Sacred
Scripture
Do
you recognize the voice of the Lord speaking to you when you listen to the word
of God in Scripture? Luke the evangelist tells us that the "word of God
came to John in the wilderness" (Luke 3:2). Who was John the Baptist and
what is the significance of the word which he received and delivered to the
people of his day? Luke tells us that John was the son of Zechariah, a priest
who served in the temple at Jerusalem. John stood at a pivotal juncture in the
history of God's dealing with his people. He bridged the Old and New
Testaments, also known as the Old and New Covenants which God made with his
people. John's prophetic calling and mission preceded his conception and birth.
The angel had announced to Zechariah that his barren wife will conceive a son,
and "you shall call his name John," and "he will be filled with
the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb" (Luke 1:13,15). When John received his name shortly after
birth, his father prophesied that he would be "called the prophet of the
Most High who will go before the Lord to prepare his ways" (Luke 1:76).
John was called to be a prophet, a spokesman for God.
In
dramatic fashion Luke tells us when John appeared on the world scene. Luke
lists a few of the key reigning rulers in John's era, including Tiberius Caesar
of Rome (Luke 3:1). These rulers pale in reference to the man who now stood at
the door of a new era of grace and salvation for the world. John's mission was
to prepare the way for God's Anointed King who would come to establish God's
rule above all other kings and authorities. Luke emphasizes the universal call
of the Gospel to all peoples without distinction. He quotes from the prophet
Isaiah that "all flesh shall see the salvation of God" (Isaiah 40:5;
52:10).
How
did John prepare for the coming of the Anointed (Messiah) King and Savior of
the world? Luke tells us that "the word of God came to John" when he
was dwelling in the wilderness of Judea (Luke 3:2). John was called from an
early age to devote himself to prayer and to the word of God. John not only
took the Scriptures to heart, he molded his life according to them, and made
himself a servant of the Word of God. John was led by the Spirit into a barren
and lonely place away from the noise and distractions of everyday life. There
God taught John in the solitude of the desert and prepared him for a prophetic
ministry that would turn the hearts of his people to receive their long-awaited
Messiah.
In
the ancient world when a king decided to tour his kingdom, he first sent his
courier ahead to prepare the way. John is the courier and great herald of the
Messiah King who proclaims to all the peoples that the impending reign of God
is now very close at hand. Isaiah had long ago prophesied the role of the
Forerunner of the Messiah (Isaiah 40:3-5). John undoubtedly took this word to
heart as he searched the Scriptures and reflected on the word of God in the
wilderness. When John began his public ministry, he traveled throughout the
region of Judea and preached a "baptism of repentance for the forgiveness
of sins" (Luke 3:3).
How
can we, like John the Baptist, prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus Christ
- today and everyday and when he comes again to bring us fully into his
everlasting kingdom? John the Baptist tells us that the first step is conversion
and repentance (Matthew 3:2; Luke 3:7). Conversion involves receiving God's
word into our heart and mind and allowing his Word to change our attitudes and
wrong ways of thinking and judging. Repentance is the deliberate turning away
from sin (wrong-doing) and turning to God to receive his pardon, healing, and
strength to do what is good and reject what is wrong.
John
saw from a distance what Jesus the Messiah would accomplish through his death
and resurrection - pardon for our sins, healing and restoration, and eternal
life for all who would believe in the Lord Jesus. (Servants of the Word)
I hope you are enjoying the
Advent season.Fr. Phil
