Fourth Sunday of Advent C 2021
INTRO:
How do I begin today?
I have to say this past week was very disconcerting with the health and wellbeing of so many “at home” sicknesses of priests, school children, and parishioners due to COVID-19.
Friends in hospitals, on respirators or not, with colds and positive cases or having been exposed. Like you, I know it bothers US and for me more so in this past week.
Anyhow, I go to prayer and preparation for tonight’s mass thinking you may be in the same THOUGHT-PATTERN, concerned, confused, bewildered, and sad as you are coming to church.
So, it is not what I can say to you, but what GOD can say through this weekend’s ADVENT Scriptures! God is all powerful and mighty and can lift us up and out of despair when we find ourselves in a confusing mood.
Bethlehem was NOT a great town to live in. It was a shepherd’s town, not much vegetation and restrictive for one to make a livelihood. A depressing place to live and HERE comes the prophecy from MICAH …… OUT OF YOU OH BETHLEHEM will come our leader and savior. From the despair of such a town will come our SALAVATION, our happiness.
GOOD comes out of BAD!
GOD wants you and I to hear this, that no matter what is happening in our world today FEAR NOT for a SIGNIFICANT SALVATION is brought to us. This is the GREAT NEWS to put into our hearts. This news is what we need to live with. This s our eternal perspective. There may be good reasons to be worried or feel hopeless about this day, month, or year. God does not promise good days; BUT …. He promises a great eternity. Stay focused on eternity – it changes everything.
ALSO, Mary travels to the hills of Judah. TO DO WHAT? To bring GOOD NEWS!!! TO ANNOUNCE that even though I have this unexpected pregnancy and difficulty I am going to be OKAY because GOD HAS FOUND FAVOR with me!!!
Unbelievably, I made that trek on foot in 2008. It is not an easy journey. It is LONG and difficult to maneuver.
She did it though and so, even if we live with TRIALS, worries, nuisances, and difficulties as we “go along” in this pandemic there is good in our world to announce.
We have GOD and his salvation.
CONCLUSION
Let God comfort you and me today. He has gotten it together and will not let us down.
In just one week we will celebrate that out of darkness comes a marvelous LIGHT! AND this is something to be truly happy about in these crazy days!
In the words of TINY TIM: GOD BLESS US EVERYONE!